How to Get Your Customers to Leave Reviews

In the modern world, reviews can make or break a company. People often pull up reviews on their smartphones at all times to decide what that they should buy, where they should visit, and which companies to trust. Unfortunately, it can be a little difficult to actually convince customers to leave reviews. Some companies run into a problem where people only bother to give a review if they are disgruntled. To encourage all of your average, happy customers to write reviews, you may need to take a few extra steps. Here are some great ways to increase your rate of reviews.

Provide Rewards for Reviewers

People will do almost anything for the chance of a prize. One of the most cost-effective ways of getting more reviews is to host monthly giveaway sweepstakes. Let customers know that you will randomly select one winner from all the people who post reviews throughout the month, and offer a fun prize to this winner. Even though their chances of winning are low, more and more people will provide reviews. Good options for prizes include discounts on further purchases, a free product, or a gift card to your company. Carefully word these offers to make it clear you are not trying to buy reviews. Say that writing “a review,” not a “positive review” will

Streamline the Review Process

When it takes 20 minutes to leave you a review, it is understandable for customers to drag their feet about providing feedback. Keep in mind that most customers do not get much out of a review, so you need to create a review process that will not waste their time. Make your review options easy to locate on your website, so people can start the review as soon as they decide to leave you one. Avoid requiring people to make accounts or asking excessive questions that the customer has to fill out before they submit the review. Instead, make the review form short and ensure each category is optional.

Boost Social Media Presence

Though a review form on your own website can provide you with helpful input, keep in mind that most people are going to look for reviews on social media. Be sure to build a presence on all the major sites like Facebook and Twitter. Customers are more likely to trust reviews they see on these sites because they can clearly see that other accounts wrote the reviews instead of being fake. Reviews based on social media are a great way to attract customers, so you should never skip this option. They appeal to a broader crowd because customers reviews will show up on their newsfeed and reach friends who may also be interested in your company.

Manage Reviews with Review Software

When you are gathering reviews from a variety of reviewing websites and social media sites, it is easy for some reviews to get lost in the shuffle. All the reviews you get are very important because they help you to figure out what you are doing right and what you need to change. Review software helps you gather reviews from different places into a single format. This makes it easier to see what sort of reviews you are getting.

Add a Review Reminder on Receipts

Even if a customer appreciated your service, they may not automatically think to review your company. Adding a little reminder on receipts, invoices, or emails that the customer receives can be a great way to motivate them. Remember that making the review as easy as possible will get you more responses, so include a short URL that the customer can type into their browser on the reminder. This will make it easier for them to reach the review site.

Thank Every Reviewer

A little courtesy goes a long way, so whenever possible, build an account on a review website to thank each of your reviewers. This helps to provide a positive interaction for every customer, so people are more likely to feel like their review is actually being heard and appreciated. You will need to try to tailor your responses according to the reviews. Very positive reviews might warrant a message saying “Thank you so much. We’re happy you had such a great experience!” while negative reviews might need a response saying, “Thank you for letting us know about the issue. We’ll try to do better!” Be sure to use common sense and avoid saying anything in your thanks that could offend the customer.

When you follow these tips, you can convince customers to leave you more reviews. The main way to get more reviews is simply to make it easier and more advantageous for customers to review your company. The end result will be that you get more happy people writing you positive feedback.

If you’re looking for some guidance in your business and don’t know what’s the best next step, or you’re not sure how to implement it, get in touch with me! Let’s figure out a way to build and develop your business together!