With research showing UK consumers will spend an average of £1,174 each online in 2015 – up 9.6% on last year – British shoppers have never had more opportunities to share their experiences with other consumers and peers. A new report from ratings and reviews expert, Reevoo, reveals retailers are yet to fully embrace user generated content and the selling power of good feedback. According to The Pursuit of Happiness: The Road to Customer Advocacy report, 1 in 5 UK shoppers are now happy to publish a review online after making a purchase. The report highlights the need for retailers to reclaim control of brand conversations and shows businesses how to strengthen their customer relationships, turning happy customers into brand advocates through user-generated content. With 70% of consumers trusting recommendations from friends over professionally written content , and 50% trusting reviews more than any other source , there is a compelling argument for incorporating customer feedback into retail websites. In fact, according to analysis of over 1.7m reviews collected by Reevoo in 2014, websites that contain user reviews convert 3.2 times more sales on average than those without – but only when the reviews are verified to be genuine. Peter Simpson, CMO at Reevoo, commented: “Through reviews, blogging or social media, consumers are increasingly talking about their shopping and brand experiences across the digital landscape. Rather than ignore these conversations, retailers should be embracing them – good and bad – to enhance their marketing activities and improve every aspect of their business.” He added: “Incorporating user-generated content into a website is a powerful conversion driver, if that content is implemented and managed properly. An independent third party review service can validate feedback, and manage the process to make happy customers stimulate business growth.” Click here to download the full report -Ends- For press enquiries, please contact: Sarah Stevens, Fieldworks Marketing: 01892 786 914 / sarah.stevens@fieldworksmarketing.co.uk About Reevoo Reevoo has pioneered a measurably better approach to ratings & reviews based on independent validation. We help our clients harness the voice of the customer to inject trust and buyer confidence across the entire, multichannel purchase journey. Our Amplify™ methodology sets us apart, providing more, richer and better-structured content to drive increased revenue and customer-driven insight. In 2014 we were featured in the Hiscox Tech Track 100 and in 2013, were awarded Gartner Cool Vendor status. For more information, please visit: www.reevoo.com/industries/retail/