Consistently getting a steady stream of positive online reviews is necessary for the success of your business. In this post we show you exactly how to get your customers to write reviews.
Getting customer reviews isn’t just a simple way to boost sales. Consistently getting a steady stream of online reviews is necessary for the success of your business.
Consumers read online reviews and trust them as much as personal recommendations from friends.
Positive reviews make a huge impact on their choices, and it’s not just about the average rating of your reviews.
It also comes down to the quantity (how many reviews you have), content (what your customers are writing), and recency (how new your reviews are) of all of your reviews.
And of course, glowing reviews from happy customers don’t hurt either, as recent research shows that good reviews also boost your ranking in search results.
You should be using a system to get reviews and feedback, and we’re here to show you how.
The Impact of Reviews
A recent survey polled more than 1,000 American consumers and found that reviews directly affect how people shop. Of the people surveyed:
84% said they trust online reviews as much as they trust recommendations from friends.
74% said that reading positive reviews of a business made them trust the business.
54% said they visit a business’s website after reading positive reviews.
Positive reviews serve as social proof and help build trust among prospective customers.
But just collecting a few positive reviews isn’t enough to make a lasting impact on your customers.
Three out of four people consider reviews relevant only if they’ve been written in the previous 3 months.
And 90% of reviewers read less than 10 reviews before making decisions about a business.
So what does that mean for you? One of the most effective ways for businesses to drive business is to use a system to get positive customer reviews.
That can sound daunting, but the above-mentioned survey also revealed an encouraging fact about customers: 7 out of 10 people will write reviews for a local business if they’re asked to.
The message is clear:
When you encourage customers to leave reviews, they’ll do it.
But if you don’t ask for reviews, don’t expect your customers to write reviews.
More Benefits From Reviews
One customer writes a good Google review, and another reads the positive review and decides to come to your business.
Getting more positive customer reviews is a clear win, but there are plenty of other perks to having a robust reviewing community:
Customers share their reviews on their social media pages, spreading the word about your local business to a big pool of other potential customers.
Positive reviews act as advertisements for your business when people who write them mention tips, specials, and products you offer. And responding to reviews can boost customer relationships and retention.
You can draw on phrases and themes from your reviews when creating ad campaigns for your business. Yes, “People love us on Yelp!” is an attention-getter. And using the same words your customers use in their positive reviews is extremely effective at converting them into buyers.
Reading feedback from customer reviews helps you make necessary changes to your business. If multiple people complain about poor customer service or limited hours, you can think about addressing those issues. Likewise, when you get positive feedback you find out what you’re doing well so you can improve even more.
People talking about you online boosts your SEO (search engine optimization), so you appear higher in search results for local businesses.
Find Potential Customers Who Aren’t Looking for Your Business
Generally speaking, when more people leave reviews, more people will find you.
Let’s say you own a coffee shop in Memphis. A person in your area who’s looking for a chocolate shop searches Google reviews for “best chocolate Memphis.”
She might have been trying to find out where to buy chocolate truffles, but near the top of the search results is a Google review from one of your customers raving that you make the “best hot chocolate in Memphis.”
The searcher wasn’t necessarily looking for you, but once she stumbles upon your reviews, she decides to visit your shop to find out just how good that hot chocolate is.
You’ve reached a new customer without even working for it.
How to Encourage Customers to Write Reviews
You know why you need them, but how do you get more Yelp reviews or get more Google reviews?
Ask for reviews. Your customers are happy to write reviews – you just have to know how to ask customers for reviews.
Timing and method are crucial in a review request to increase response rates.
At the end of a transaction, say something like, “Thanks so much for doing business with us! Let us know if there’s anything else we can do. And if you have a minute, we’d really appreciate a review on Yelp/Facebook/Google Maps.”
And if you’re not sure where to ask for reviews, Google reviews are always a safe bet.
Google is by far the most popular review site, most people have a Google account (so the review process is very easy for them), and a consistent stream of Google reviews for local businesses help them appear higher in search results, making it easier for other potential customers to find you, use your business, and leave reviews themselves (and the cycle continues).
Spread the word. Encourage customers to leave reviews when they’re already online or on their phones.
Include review requests in email correspondence and on your social media channels. Use a simple phrase like, “Happy with our service? Leave us a review!” and link to several review sites.
If you’re comfortable using a more lighthearted tone, create funny or silly social media posts. A poem like, “Roses are red, violets are blue, we think you’re swell, leave us a review” can grab a reader’s attention.
And as obvious as it may be to you, many of your customers don’t think about how important reviews are to local businesses like yours.
A friendly reminder when you make a review request explaining that when they leave reviews it really helps you out can go a long way to getting more reviews overall.
Make the review process easy. You want your customers to leave reviews? You better make the review process easy.
Local customers are all to happy to write a detailed review about your business, not not if they have to jump through hoops to do it.
• Include direct links to your Google reviews listing or Facebook reviews page (or whatever other review platform you want to get customers to leave reviews on) in your review request email template. Even your most loyal customers don’t want to have to search for your business on different review platforms simply to leave a review. Providing them a direct link to business listing makes it easy for them.
• Send your review request when the customer’s experience with your business is fresh in their mind. It’s a heck of a lot easier to get a positive review when you ask for reviews on the same day that your satisfied customers experience exceptional service with your business.
• Remind customers to leave reviews if they didn’t do it after your first request. Yep, your initial review requests often aren’t enough to move the needle. Many if not most customers need to be politely reminded more than once in order to get them to leave reviews.
Get someone else to do the work. It sounds simple, but it’s not easy to ask for reviews from every customer and do it consistently.
After all, you’re busy doing the work of running a rave-review-worthy operation, and sporadic review request campaigns just don’t get customers leave positive reviews like you want.
Use an automated system like ReputationStacker to get more online reviews for you.
The system is completely automated. It sends your customers a single-question survey via email or SMS text message, then directs your happy customers straight to the review sites of your choice to post a positive review, while giving unhappy customers the additional option to provide you with feedback so can take steps to turn them into happy customers.
Minor Effort, Major Returns
Positive customer reviews on the right review platforms can significantly boost both business credibility and your rankings in local search.
But you have to ask for reviews, and you have to ask every customer.
If you don’t currently ask for reviews from every customer, or if you can’t get your customers to leave reviews on a consistent basis, you’re simply not going to get the reviews your business needs.
Get in the habit of asking for reviews now, or use an automated online review service to do the work for you, and watch your business grow.
FAQs About Getting Customers to Write Reviews
How can I ask for reviews from my customers effectively?
To ask for reviews effectively, use a review request email template that is personalized and to-the-point. Include a direct review link to your preferred review platform and thank your customers for their recent purchase or interaction. Highlight how their feedback contributes to your online reputation and helps other potential customers.
Using review software like ReputationStacker will automate the collecting of customer reviews for you, maximizing the amount of customers you can get to leave a review.
What should be included in a review request email template?
A review request email template should include a warm thank you message, a brief explanation of how important reviews are for your business, a direct review link to your review sites of choice, and an easy-to-follow call-to-action. Ensure the tone is friendly and appreciative to encourage customers to leave a review.
What are the most important review sites to get customer reviews on?
The most important review sites to get reviews on for local businesses are Google, Facebook and Yelp. If your business operates within a specific industry then there may be additional review sites like Avvo (for lawyers), Healthgrades (for doctors), or Tripadvisor (for travel-related businesses) that are important to your potential customers.
It also doesn’t hurt to have a few reviews on old standbys like the Better Business Bureau review platform, but Google, Facebook and Yelp are generally the big 3.
How can I encourage more reviews from existing customers?
Encourage more reviews by providing excellent service, making it easy to leave feedback with clear review links, and following up with customers via email or during customer support interactions.
Offering a simple way for them to share their experiences, like through a review link to the most important review site for your business (typically Google), increases the likelihood of receiving written reviews.
What strategies can I use to handle negative reviews?
Address a negative review promptly and professionally by acknowledging the issue, offering a solution, and inviting the customer to discuss their concerns further. This demonstrates your commitment to resolving problems and can positively influence the perception of potential customers reading the reviews.
Remember, responding to negative customer reviews is often more about showing future new customers that you provide exceptional service and that you care about all of your customers experiences.
How can I use my customer support team to help get customers to write reviews?
Your customer support team can encourage reviews by asking satisfied customers to leave feedback at the end of their interaction. They can also provide customers with review links and offer guidance on how to submit reviews, ensuring that the process is smooth and straightforward.
What are the benefits of having customers leave honest feedback?
Honest feedback (even when it comes in the form of negative reviews) helps you understand what your business is doing well and where improvements are needed. It also builds credibility with potential customers, who value legitimate reviews from other customers over overly polished testimonials.
How can a business owner use reviews to build better relationships with customers?
As a business owner, you can use reviews to build better relationships by actively engaging with customer reviews and feedback. Your customers took the time to leave a review, so you can take the time to respond to them. Responding publicly to both positive and negative customer reviews shows that you value customer opinions and are committed to improving your services based on their feedback.
