There are businesses that operate on referrals only, but all businesses need to recognize that today, we are all operating on a referral (customer review) basis. Those businesses that don’t put some thought into generating customer reviews are missing a critical piece of a successful marketing strategy.
According to BrightLocal, 82% of consumers utilize online reviews when determining which local businesses to patronage, and 48% of consumers value reviews that were recent.
The Harvard Business Review determined that for each one-star increase on Yelp, businesses saw a 5-9% increase in revenue.
The Spiegel Research Center found that the probability of products being purchased by buyers increased by 270% when there were at least five reviews. Also, the study found that the pricier the item, the more important the reviews are to the buyer. We’re talking a conversion rate of 380%.
According to BrightLocal, the average businesses like pet services, dentists, health and wellness products and professionals have an average of 39 reviews. While more niche businesses have 10 reviews on average. How do you stack up with your industry?
The bottom line is your business needs reviews to increase its revenue. It needs reviews for your target audience to build trust with your brand. You may be worried about negative reviews, and the fact that you are putting your business’s reputation in the hands of individuals who may not have had the best experience or just might not prefer you and your products/services can be scary. BUT, the good news is, even negative reviews actually have been proven to help businesses. By demonstrating good customer service, you can actually gain trust of potentially new customers, so don’t fear the negative review—every reputable business gets them—instead focus on handling them in a positive, empathetic, and succinct way, and who knows, you might just have created the most powerful/effective review to date.
Now that you know you need to have customer reviews, you may be wondering about the best ways to approach acquiring them. Here are some tips for getting the customer reviews that you want and need:
It doesn’t hurt to ask
Asking for reviews is the simplest and easiest way to get your loyal customers to write a review. If you are a small business that knows its most valuable customers by name, by all means ask them personally to please post a review on your website and on any review sites like Google My Business.
You likely have loyal customers whom you aren’t on a first name basis with; for those customers, you will want to send them an email or a follow-up card that gives them the information they need to post a review. If you have the time and the man-power, it is great for business to follow-up with customers after a purchase to determine if they are satisfied with the product/service. Encourage those who seem completely satisfied to write a review and don’t forget to ask those customers who may have been displeased initially, but who were very satisfied with your customer service while handling problems with your products/services.
Maximize your social media platforms and give incentives
Use your social media accounts to leverage customer reviews. Ask them to tag, repost, share the items/services that they liked and would recommend to their friends and followers. Share a post that asks loyal fans to post a picture with your product for a chance to win a new product or to receive a discount on their next purchase. For example, I have an awesome phone case company that I love. Every time, I purchase a new one, they offer me a 10% discount on a new purchase if I post a picture of myself using my new case. If a picture of your customer loving your product isn’t a great review, I don’t know what is!
When customers make positive comments in your feeds, it is a great idea to copy and save those comments to add to your website and promotional materials. Make sure to comment back, and then ask if they would write a review on your website or other review sites. Most people who love a product/service, want to share; you just have to ask!
Optimize your content
Whether it is your website, your blog, or your email directives, it is a great idea to present a place where customers, who are clearly already engaged in your brand, a place (a badge, comments plugin) to leave a review on Yelp, Facebook, and/or Amazon, for example, or just directly onto your webpage. If you have built it, and they have come, give them an opportunity to give back!
Ask your customers at the right timeEmailing your customers for a review is a good way to solicit referrals but pay attention to your timing! For example, if you are in the business of selling paddle-boards, time your solicitations to happen a month after you have made the sale. This gives the customer time to use the product and develop an informed opinion. Allow customers the time to become familiar with your products or to appreciate your service before you ask them for a review.
Make it easy
The most important part of this process is making it easy! When you send them a follow-up email, a link after an online sale, or solicit reviews on your social media platforms, you have to make it easy for them. Adding buttons and/or direct links to write their review is super-important Make sure it can be done in 1-2 steps and that it is super user-friendly. Letting them know explicitly that it will take only 2 minutes, can be life-changing (or review changing, at least). Ask your website manager!
Do unto others…
Giving your customers a stellar review can be a great way to encourage their participation in reviewing your business. Commend them for making such an important purchase; compliment them for their continued patronage and loyalty. Let them know how much you appreciate them, and they will likely do the same for you!
Garnering customer reviews is one of the most important and fairly simple ways to help your business grow its brand and its reputation. Utilize these tips and take advantage of this relatively easy (and inexpensive) strategies for making your business stand-out and shine against the competition!