Annual blog: a look back at 2025 and lots of new plans

Building together, continuing to innovate

First of all, we would like to thank our members! We are delighted that you have chosen us again this year and that we can continue to provide our services to you. Your enthusiasm and input are the driving force behind our organization, and we are fortunate to meet many of you at trade fairs or events and to communicate with you regularly via email or chat. If you have any questions or comments, you can contact us at info@webwinkelkeur.nl or start a chat via our homepage.

Over the past year, we have enjoyed working on expanding and improving our system. We have built new features, made existing components smarter, and increasingly asked ourselves: how can we best explain this? This resulted in a clear move towards video. In addition, we have further shaped our international ambitions with Valued Shops and new cross-border collaborations.

In short: lots of building, lots of learning, and above all, lots of collaboration. In this update, we'll take you through the most important developments of the past year and what's coming up.

Our team

A good system is built together. It was with a heavy heart that we said goodbye to our Kim. With her positive vibe and enthusiasm, she brought a lot of atmosphere and fun to the team for many years. Our working student Chris also embarked on a new adventure and left for Geneva for his dream internship at an international cruise company. We wish them both the best of luck!

Fortunately, we also welcomed three new colleagues. Iryna and Luca are strengthening our customer service team, and Pipit combines customer service with various marketing activities. We are delighted with this new energy in the team and warmly welcome them!

Sharing knowledge

The bond with our members is important to us. That is why we have already organized three member afternoons, and we will certainly continue to do so this year. Keep an eye on our newsletter for the new date ;- )

• Inspiring talks and knowledge sharing
• Getting to know each other and forging collaborations
• The now regular 'Favorites' photo shoot
• And, of course, the TikTok booth

In addition, we will be at the Webwinkel Vakdagen (stand number 949) on March 25 and 26, and we are in talks to join the Dag van de Webwinkel as co-organizers. This free online event is growing every year and is the place to gain new knowledge about everything involved in running a webshop.

Continuing to build our platform

Our development team has certainly not been idle. We are constantly working on improvements and new features, often based on feedback from members. Do you have an idea or request? Please let us know!

Product reviews now for everyone

Collecting product reviews is now enabled by default for all members. We did this deliberately to avoid the well-known chicken-and-egg situation: stars under products are only interesting once you have collected enough of them.

Soon, we will also display product reviews as standard on the updated member page. With the paid version, you can display reviews in your shop and send them to Google via a feed. Research shows that stars under products can generate up to 270% more conversions. It is one of the most powerful tools to boost your sales.

Soon, customers will also be able to add photos and videos to their product reviews. This will make reviews a lot more personal and give you a much better idea of the product. You will see this in your shop and on the member page.

Coming soon: new member page

The revamped member page will be available in the coming months. What you can expect:

• No more separate pages for guarantees and reviews
• Everything clearly arranged on one page
• A fresh design
• Much better display of shop and product reviews

New website

To better support our international ambitions, we have also revamped our website. With multilingualism, a new design, and an improved CMS, we can share information more clearly and consistently.

Growth & figures

With almost 9,900 affiliated shops, the milestone of 10,000 members is getting closer and closer. In the current market, that is not a given.

• Approval rate: around 71% (last year 75%)
• Largest growth within the PRO package: +19% to 986 members

Use of our features

Almost 600 members use Google Seller Rating

• 350 users utilize Multiplatform and also collect reviews from, for example, Trustpilot and Google
• 980 members use premium product reviews
• A total of 668,000 reviews have been collected within WebwinkelKeur (and many more reviews via Google and Trustpilot via Multiplatform)

Mediation & moderation

• 1,721 disputes submitted
• 62 cases forwarded to Digidispuut for a binding decision
• 1,635 moderation requests regarding unjustified reviews

New packages: more possibilities from the start

As of January 12, 2025, there will be new packages for new members. Virtually all functionality is now available to everyone from the start, including:

• Collecting shop and product reviews
• Displaying the international Valued Shops quality mark to foreign visitors
• Collecting reviews on external platforms such as Google and Trustpilot (Multiplatform)
• Personalized review invitations and reminders
• Multilingual member pages, widgets, and legal documents
• Automatic translations of reviews in German, English, French, and Dutch

We have chosen to offer the number of review invitations in smaller increments so that everyone can choose a package that suits their situation.

Please note: existing members will remain in their current package as long as they do not upgrade.

Questions? You can always reach us at info@webwinkelkeur.nl or via the chat on our website.

Good to know: Multiplatform is now also available within the PLUS package. This allows you not only to display and count external reviews, but also to actively send invitations for other platforms.

Accessible & international

With the new website and member page, we are working step by step towards full WCAG accessibility, with extra attention for visitors with visual impairments.

As we grow internationally, we are also switching to a 5-point scale within Valued Shops. This is more in line with global standards.

AI: working smarter, staying personal

Personal contact will always remain our starting point. However, we do use AI to support our services. For example, our AI chatbot Lotte is available outside office hours, and we always provide personal assistance during office hours.

We also use AI to translate reviews and the website. In the future, we will investigate whether AI can help with inspections, moderation, and disputes — always with human supervision and attention.

Germany & Belgium

With Valued Shops, we are increasingly expanding across borders. Thanks to collaborations with Becom, EHI Geprüfter Online Shop, and Janolaw, we now have a solid foundation. In the coming year, the focus will be primarily on Germany and Belgium, in order to further expand our community of reliable webshops.

Video first & participation

Over the past year, we have increasingly started working 'video first'. This means first thinking about how we can explain or share something via video, and only then translating it into a blog or social post. Video has proven to be perfect for explaining features, sharing news, and exchanging knowledge.

What you can see (and where you can participate):

• Webshop Insight podcast
  We regularly engage in in-depth interviews with online retailers and experts. How have others grown? What works (and what doesn't)? And what developments are on the horizon?
• Live webinars
  We will be organizing live webinars for existing members. These will cover topics such as legal matters, reviews, the system, and practical growth tips. Interactive, including live chat.
• Visiting...
  We would love to visit you. How did your online store get started? When did the real growth begin? Which marketing channels do you use? We learn a lot by taking a look behind the scenes at our members' businesses.

👉 Would you like to participate?
Do you have a special or educational story, or would you like to share your specific knowledge in a video or podcast? Email us at info@webwinkelkeur.nl — we'd love to hear from you!