What is User-Generated Content (UGC)?
User-generated content (UGC) is any content, including photos, videos, reviews, social media posts, and testimonials, created by customers or users rather than by the brand itself.
Understanding User-Generated Content (UGC)
UGC is distinct from branded content in a fundamental way: it comes from an unbiased (or at least less biased) source. When a brand publishes a polished product photo, shoppers understand that it was created to sell. When a customer posts a candid photo of the product in their home or an unboxing video on TikTok, it carries a different kind of credibility because it was not produced by someone with a financial incentive to make the product look good.
The most common forms of e-commerce UGC are text reviews, photo reviews, video reviews, social media posts featuring the product, unboxing videos, and how-to content created by customers. Each form serves a slightly different purpose. Text reviews provide detailed opinions. Photo reviews show the product in real-world contexts (and on real bodies, for apparel). Video reviews demonstrate the product in use. Social media UGC provides organic endorsement within the customer's social network.
Collecting UGC requires an active strategy. Most customers will not spontaneously create and share content. Effective collection methods include post-purchase email requests with photo/video upload incentives, hashtag campaigns that encourage social sharing, review platforms that make media submission easy, and loyalty programs that reward UGC creation. The quality and volume of UGC you collect depends directly on how easy you make it for customers to contribute.
Displaying UGC effectively is equally important as collecting it. UGC should be showcased prominently and in context. Customer photos belong on product pages, near the product images. Video testimonials work well on landing pages and homepages. Social media UGC feeds add authenticity to any page. The key is making UGC feel like a natural, integrated part of the shopping experience rather than an afterthought buried below the fold.
Why User-Generated Content (UGC) Matters for E-Commerce
UGC outperforms branded content on nearly every engagement metric. According to research, consumers find UGC 9.8x more impactful than influencer content when making a purchase decision. UGC-based ads see 4x higher click-through rates than branded ads. And product pages featuring customer photos convert at significantly higher rates than those with professional photography alone. For e-commerce stores, UGC is not just a nice-to-have; it is a competitive necessity.
How Eevy AI Helps with User-Generated Content (UGC)
Eevy AI provides dedicated UGC section types including video carousels, story bubbles, and shoppable video sections. The platform collects photo and video reviews from customers and displays them using genetically optimized layouts. The algorithm tests different UGC presentation formats against your traffic to determine which display style, whether a video carousel, image gallery, or story bubble format, drives the highest revenue per visitor.
Related Terms
Social Proof
Social proof is a psychological phenomenon where people look to the actions and opinions of others to guide their own behavior, especially in situations of uncertainty. In e-commerce, it manifests as reviews, ratings, testimonials, purchase counts, and user-generated content that signal product quality and trustworthiness.
Review Widget
A review widget is an embeddable component that displays customer reviews on an e-commerce store. It typically renders star ratings, review text, customer names, photos, and filtering options within a defined section of a product page or homepage.
Shoppable Content
Shoppable content is any form of media, such as images, videos, reviews, or social media posts, that includes embedded links or interactive elements allowing viewers to purchase featured products directly from the content.
Review Velocity
Review velocity is the rate at which a product or store accumulates new customer reviews over a given period. It measures not just the total number of reviews, but how quickly new ones are added.
Optimize your store with data, not guesswork
Eevy AI uses genetic algorithms to continuously test and evolve your review layouts, driving more revenue per visitor without manual work.
Try Eevy AI Free