Customers value reviews because they provide social proof of a business’s reliability and professionalism, and as an affordable way of drawing new customers in. Reviews also attract potential new buyers while increasing repeat purchases from existing ones.
Focus on gathering Google, Yelp, and Facebook reviews as the cornerstones for success, then supplement with industry-specific review sites. Be professional and timely when responding to reviews!
Ask for Reviews
Personalized review requests tend to yield the best results, since they create direct connections. NPS surveys or customer forms can help identify your top promoters; then send out an online review request directly.
Email and text messages can be read easily on mobile devices, making them ideal for direct customer follow up after each transaction or as part of an overall email campaign targeting all recent former customers. Ideally, these communications should include links to review management site profiles so customers can share their feedback quickly and easily.
Avoid gaming the system by paying for reviews – not only will this violate Google’s policies but it may also diminish trust between your brand and its target customers.
Respond to Reviews
Responding to customer reviews is one of the best ways to build trust within your business and encourage customer loyalty and repeat purchases.
Make sure to read each review before responding. Whether positive or negative, be sure that your reply is authentic and professional.
Firstly, apologize and offer to take it down as soon as possible if possible. Show that you care about their experience with your business and are prepared to go the extra mile in resolving any problems they have had with it. Keep in mind that an engaging response will impress prospective customers and put their minds at ease before signing on with you; don’t alienate them with generic, one-liner responses!
Share Reviews on Social Media
Promoting positive reviews is essential to any effective social media marketing strategy, helping build brand recognition and credibility while driving traffic and sales.
Your most loyal customers likely already advocate for your business; however, other prospective customers might need an extra push. Consider offering an incentive such as a voucher or discount code in exchange for their online review.
Repost positive online reviews regularly on your social channels by selecting genuine customer stories about how your product or service helped solve an issue for them. Please be mindful that buying fake Google reviews violates their policies.
Create a Review Page
Establishing an online review page on your website is another effective way of encouraging customers to leave reviews. Or you could use an email widget that makes asking for reviews easy for customers; just ensure your message comes across clearly without appearing like an overt sales pitch.
Consumers rely heavily on online reviews and ratings when making purchasing decisions, so making it easy for potential customers to leave reviews can generate more business and reap the ranking, online reputation management, and revenue benefits that quality reviews offer.
No matter your experience level in online marketing, building strong reviews should always be at the top of your priority list. By following these tips you can have an amazing online review presence!
Ask for Reviews on Other Sites
Online reviews provide potential customers with invaluable information. They add credibility to a business, and help individuals decide which establishments to visit.
Unchieve great reviews online is essential to any business’s success and it doesn’t have to be hard, provided that you have the appropriate tools at your disposal.
Getting online reviews means consistently providing superior services and products that inspire quality reviews from customers, and having an experienced marketing team who can drive this review-generation forward for you. Reach out today and see how we can do just that for your business – our team are experts at digital and can help generate more reviews than you could ever imagine possible!
