More Reviews = More Business
There is nothing more powerful than word of mouth recommendations and the easiest way to achieve this is with online reviews. A review from a happy customer can have more influence on consumers than an entire website and the difference of a single star can be all it takes for a shopper to choose your competitors instead of you.
What other people have to say about your business carries more weight than what you have to say about your business, even if they are complete strangers. In fact, 84% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.
You might feel a little awkward asking your customers for reviews but most people love to share their opinions – they just don’t know the opportunity is there.
How to ask for a review in person
Asking for a review in person can be daunting but it is the most effective approach. If the opportunity presents itself, grab it!
If a customer makes the effort to tell you how happy they are with your product or service this is the time to thank them, ask questions and then ask if they wouldn’t mind sharing their opinion as an online review.
Don’t jump straight in and ask for a review upon a customer’s first positive remark about your business as this could sound as though you don’t care about their experience and only about getting the review. Don’t be pushy if they don’t seem keen, you don’t want to turn their positive experience into a negative one.
Asking for reviews via email
Using email to ask for reviews is the easiest approach for businesses and you can include the link to the review platform right in the email and even test out different formats and language.
A follow up email to make sure the customers is still happy or has any questions about their purchase is great customer service and gives you an easy way to suggest they publish a review.
Asking for reviews on your website
You can include a form or pop up on your website so customers can leave a review directly with you.
One way to do this is to simply have a page that provides links to each of the platforms for which you have listings. I would also recommend including existing reviews on your website.
Many website content management systems have a plugin that allows you to collect your reviews from other platforms into a feed on your website but you can also add them manually. Either way, it is best to have the reviews appear on the page in text form as opposed to screenshot or image. This is because reviews are often packed with important keywords that can help with your SEO.
Additional ways to ask for a review
There are lots of creative ways to ask for reviews for your business. Here are a few more that you can try.
Include a card in your product packaging
Request reviews via text messages or social media
Add a review option with a chatbot on your website
Don’t forget to respond!
This acknowledges your appreciation for the customer and can help you to build customer relationships while showing the rest of the public that you are attentive to the views of your customers. Responding also builds engagement and activity on your listing, which Google takes into account when ranking business listings.
A steady stream of good-quality reviews is essential for your reputation, ranking, and ultimately your revenue. So follow these tips and get a review strategy in place asap!