CV rate via Google Shopping improved by 150% and contributed to increased employee motivation

Based on the concept that “what’s truly good for the body is the ingredient itself,” Sonomono Co., Ltd. sells 100% ingredient-based, completely additive-free foods. After implementing U-KOMI to address the need to “gather authentic feedback from loyal customers,” the company began receiving a large number of reviews, which also helped boost employee morale through the positive feedback.We spoke with 日高様 and 山崎様, who are responsible for implementing and managing U-KOMI at the company, to learn about what prompted them to adopt U-KOMI and the results they’ve seen since its implementation.

Selling 100% natural, completely additive-free foods and supplements

First, please tell us about your business.

Based on our corporate philosophy that “consuming the raw ingredients themselves is the foundation of a healthy body,” we develop and sell 100% natural, completely additive-free products and propose healthy habits suited to modern lifestyles.

Our flagship product, the “Sonomono Natto Bacteria Series,” consists of powders, supplements, and snacks made by freeze-drying natto—which is fermented using our proprietary natto bacteria and carefully selected domestic soybeans—into a fine powder. Since the natto bacteria reach the intestines alive, they help improve nutritional balance and support gut health alongside the abundant nutrients found in natto.The soybeans used as raw materials are grown by the Kohoku Town Organic Research Association in Saga Prefecture without relying on pesticides or chemical fertilizers. The natto bacteria used is our proprietary "Sonomono Natto Bacteria," a pure culture developed in collaboration with a long-established natto manufacturer.

We are also conducting our own research. Last year (2022), a peer-reviewed paper summarizing a clinical trial involving 205 participants—which investigated changes in the gut microbiota following the consumption of natto powder—was published in an international academic journal.

In this way, while connecting producers who practice agriculture that is gentle on people and the environment with consumers seeking safe and reliable food, we are also undertaking various initiatives aimed at regional revitalization in collaboration with producers, local governments, and other entities.

Our primary sales channel is our official e-commerce site, though we also sell on major e-commerce platforms such as Amazon and Rakuten. We also handle overseas exports and orders from abroad. Beyond e-commerce, our domestic distribution channels include wholesale to baby goods stores, food retailers, and delivery services, while overseas, our products are available at ISETAN in Singapore. Our products are particularly well-suited for stores focused on themes like “fermentation” and “gut health.”

Challenges regarding the effort required to collect reviews in-house. We experienced the benefits through a free trial and implemented U-KOMI

Please tell us about the challenges you faced before implementing the review tool and what prompted you to adopt it.

The main reason for implementation was that we wanted to hear from customers who had purchased through our subscription plan. We had considered measures such as requesting reviews or including survey forms with our products, but we faced challenges in terms of time and manpower to handle this in-house, and we were also concerned about imposing an unnecessary burden on our customers.While we could collect reviews on Amazon or Rakuten, we were concerned that reviews on our own e-commerce site wouldn’t increase unless we offered incentives like reward points. We also worried whether we could truly gather authentic feedback from customers who genuinely liked the product and had been using it for a long time. Given these concerns, we were looking for a company that offered a tool to efficiently collect feedback from existing customers.

With other review tools available, what was the deciding factor in choosing U-KOMI?

Just as we were grappling with the challenges I mentioned, we received a sales email from U-KOMI. We had received similar emails from other companies, but we felt that U-KOMI was the service most likely to meet our need to “hear our customers’ genuine voices,” so we decided to learn more.

We signed up for a one-month free trial and asked past customers to leave reviews, and we received more reviews than we had anticipated. The high review acquisition rate of 10% was the primary factor in our decision to continue using the service.

Other key factors included the fact that the reviews appear on Google and the extensive range of options, such as social media integration. I also appreciate that purchase history is linked to reviews, making it easy to see which customers wrote them, and that the system includes robust compliance features for the Pharmaceutical Affairs Law (such as the ability to hide specific parts of reviews).

Personally, I believe the fact that only the author of a review can edit it is a major factor in enhancing the credibility of the reviews.

The representative in charge has a deep understanding of our company, provides quick support, and pays attention to even the smallest details—this has also greatly increased our sense of security and satisfaction since implementation.

Since implementing U-KOMI, we’ve been receiving 4–5 reviews every day. We’ve also seen a significant boost in employee motivation.

What results have you seen since implementing U-KOMI?

In terms of quantitative results, after implementing U-KOMI, we’ve been able to acquire 4–5 reviews every day. We’ve also seen a 150% improvement in conversion rates via Google Shopping and a 136% improvement in click-through rates for organic search. I believe this is partly due to the fact that the review star rating is now displayed on both Google Shopping and organic search results pages.

I strongly feel that our employees’ motivation has improved as we’ve been able to receive more positive reviews. You could even say this is the biggest benefit of implementing U-KOMI. Although we occasionally receive negative comments about our products, I feel that responding politely using U-KOMI’s reply feature is helping to improve engagement.

Finally, please let us know if you have any requests or expectations for U-KOMI.

As for requests, I think it would be even more user-friendly if we could change the number of days before review request emails are sent for each product. I would also be happy if we could integrate and utilize X (Twitter) (*scheduled to be available soon).

Additionally, regarding Instagram, I would appreciate it if you could enable URL searches and address any issues caused by updates.