Soliciting Reviews for Your Business
Online reviews of customers are life for businesses today. Consumer decisions, online reputations, and search rankings depend on them. That is why soliciting reviews is a very significant act any business considers doing in order to gain the trust of customers with credence and attract more of them.
- Increase SEO and online visibility
- Improve reputation and trustworthiness
- Know how your customers are feeling
Taking a proactive approach to reviews can help you increase the number of reviews and engage with your customers.
Here are a few strategies that you can use to increase customer reviews:
Point of Sale
At no other time do you have the most control than when you are face to face with your customer. Once a purchase has been made, ask your customer to leave a review. Provide them with instructions on where and how they can write a review. Use this opportunity to identify customers who have had a positive experience, who are more likely to leave a review.
If you are an online business, you can follow up with a post-sale email and ask the customer to leave a review.
React
If a customer had a good experience, ask them to leave a review reflecting their sentiment. Thank them for taking the time to share their experience and let them know their opinion is valued.
Mass Communication
If you connect with your customer base through emails, newsletters, social media, or other methods, ask them to leave a review. Not everyone will leave a review, but it will allow you to maximize the number of people you reach in one effort.
Links
Provide links to submit a review on all of your social media platforms, websites, and emails. One of the easiest actions someone can take is to click a link. When you make the process easier for the customer, you increase the chance of someone following through and leaving a review.
Social Media
A great way to reach your customers is through social media. Since most people have social media accounts, leaving a review should be no problem. Social media allows you to foster a positive relationship with your customers. This can create a positive attitude towards your business and increase the likelihood of someone leaving a review.
Presence
The easier you are to find online, the more chances you have of getting reviews. Many platforms pull reviews from other locations. For example, Google can show your review rating from your Facebook page. Bing can show reviews from your Yelp page.
Reviews on one platform may increase your review presence on another. Make sure you have a business page on popular websites to establish your presence.
Review
Trust and credibility are paramount; soliciting reviews isn't just a good practice—it's a necessity. Soliciting and encouraging customer reviews, is far more than improving your online reputation. You are building relationships with the customers, which are crucial for success. Every review will once again provide an opportunity to establish credibility and highlight commitment to quality in paving the way for continued success.