Customer reviews, such as Google reviews, play an important role in decision-making when people look for products or services online.
Online reviews are comments or ratings left by people who have purchased a product or used a service. These reviews can include information about the quality of the product, customer service, or other aspects of the customer experience.
With so much information available online, people care about making informed purchasing decisions. When considering your offer, potential customers might look at customer reviews to get valuable insights into the experiences other customers have had.
People tend to trust other people’s opinions and experiences; this is what’s called “social proof,” and it can actually have a powerful influence on consumer behavior.
A positive review from other customers makes potential customers more confident about buying a product or service, while a negative review makes them hesitant. Why? Because customer reviews are seen as more authentic and trustworthy than marketing materials or sales pitches.
Customer feedback is unbiased and objective, providing a more balanced view of the item itself. But how do you get customers to leave reviews? There are multiple ways to ask for reviews without being too pushy or spammy. And it’s easier than it looks.
Google Reviews
Some business owners decide to set up a Google My Business account. With this free tool provided by Google, they can manage their online presence across Google. And most importantly, it allows their customers to leave Google reviews on their Google My Business page.
Also, in addition to Google reviews, you can receive feedback from your customers on social media. If you have a Facebook page for your business, customers can write reviews and share information about your products or services.
Yelp Reviews
Other popular review sites include Yelp, where people can leave online reviews of local businesses, including restaurants, shops, and service providers, and Trip Advisor, a website focused on travel-related companies, including hotels, restaurants, and attractions.
Another one is Angie’s List, a site where you can find reviews of local service providers, such as contractors, plumbers, and electricians. And ultimately, Amazon is primarily an e-commerce site where multiple customers tend to leave reviews of products that they have purchased.
As you can see, there are many possibilities for how to ask for a review. If you’d like to know more about how online reviews can help you strengthen your customer relationships, keep reading!
Benefits of Asking for Positive Reviews
Consider review requests as part of your SEO efforts if you want to improve your online presence.
Local search engine optimization relies heavily on online reviews, which is why Google reviews and Yelp reviews play such an important role when planning your SEO strategy. You can increase your business’s visibility, click-through, and conversion rates with positive reviews, which can also lead to gaining the trust of potential customers.
A review request also provides you with valuable insights into your customers’ preferences and needs. If you’re a local business, the feedback you receive from your customers can be used to improve your online reputation and get you more visibility in local searches.
Who You Should Ask for Reviews
In today’s digital age, online reviews are becoming more and more important, and businesses that don’t actively look for and respond to reviews may be at a disadvantage compared to their competitors.
Encouraging customers to leave a review shows you value their opinions and feedback. By requesting more reviews, you can stay ahead of the competition, identify areas for improvement, and build strong relationships with your customers.
Remember that reviews are essential to your reputation online, and positive reviews can help you build credibility, trust, and loyal customers. On the other hand, negative reviews can hurt your business’s reputation.
The Best Times to Ask Someone for a Review
The impact of reviews on your online presence can’t be overstated. Every piece of customer feedback helps you build credibility and trust among other customers.
That’s why knowing how to ask for a review and when to do it is crucial.
Asking for a review at the right time can increase the likelihood of getting a positive one. And customers trust online reviews.
Here are some examples to help you think of how to request reviews:
Post-purchase
One of the best times to ask for a review is after a customer has made a purchase. You can send an email or text message asking for their feedback on the product or service they received. This is an excellent opportunity to capture their thoughts while their experience is still fresh.
If you’re looking for Google reviews, you can send your customers to your Google Business page. If you’re using another site to collect reviews, you can redirect them there.
In-person
When you have a brick-and-mortar location, asking for reviews in person can be a very effective method. When you finish a transaction or interaction with a customer, don’t be afraid to ask for a review, especially if they recently had a positive experience with you.
Asking for one can be as simple as saying, “Thank you for shopping with us. Please be sure to check us out on Facebook (or Google My Business) to read our reviews or leave your own.”
When a customer reaches out
If a customer reaches out to you with positive feedback or a problem you could resolve, you can respond to their message and ask for a review about their experience.
A review from a satisfied customer helps build trust with potential clients and can be a powerful tool for gaining more business.
Make sure to thank the customer for their review and stay engaged in answering any further questions they may have.
When a customer reaches a milestone
If you have a subscription-based business that involves frequent purchases, you can ask for a review when a customer reaches a milestone. This could be their first purchase, a certain number of purchases, or a certain amount spent.
When a customer reaches out on social media
By leveraging the power of social media for your business, you can improve your online reputation and drive growth for your company.
Customers who contact you on social media are often more engaged with your business, making it easier for you to ask for reviews.
If they agree to your review request, their friends and followers will likely see it.
How to Get Customers to Leave Reviews
If you’ve been thinking about how to ask for reviews and still need help with how to proceed, consider the following: First, feel free to ask your customers for reviews. You can do this on your website with a call-to-action banner or in follow-up emails.
Make it easy for customers
To encourage customers to leave reviews, make the process as easy as possible. You should provide clear instructions on where and how to leave a review and ensure the platforms you use are easy to navigate.
Consider creating a landing page for reviews or sending customers a direct link to the review site if you’re looking for Yelp or Google reviews. You can also provide a fill-in-the-blank template to make it easier for customers to write reviews.
Personalized your ask
By using a catchy call to action on your social media accounts or website, you can encourage your customers to leave a review. Personalize your message and clarify that you value their feedback.
You should always thank customers who have taken the time to leave their reviews and show appreciation for their feedback. This will also help to create a positive image of your business and encourage more customers to share reviews in the future.
When it comes to a Google review, it doesn’t matter if you receive a positive or a negative one. Having both actually increases trustworthiness among other customers.
Offer incentives
Offering incentives when you ask for reviews can be an effective strategy. Consider offering discounts, special offers, or other gifts to customers who write reviews. Doing so motivates them to take the time to post a review and helps build loyalty with your customers.
Proactively look for social media mentions.
If a customer has mentioned your business on social media, it’s an excellent opportunity for a review request, especially if that person shared a positive experience with you!
Respond to the comment or mention with a personalized message to show that you value their feedback and are committed to providing excellent customer service.
Then, kindly invite them to write a review. Give them easy-to-follow instructions on where and how to leave a review. And once they’ve written it, thank them!
Respond to every review
Answering positive and negative reviews is an integral part of managing your reputation online and helps to strengthen customer relationships. This simple action shows that you value your customers’ feedback and care about their experience with your business.
If you reply to negative feedback, it shows your interest in addressing any customer concerns and shows that you are committed to resolving any issues. By responding to positive reviews, you can reinforce the customer’s positive experience and attract new customers.
Where Should You Ask for Reviews
Online reviews are becoming increasingly crucial for businesses to attract and retain new customers. However, the question remains: how to ask for a review, and where to do it?
Here are some examples of how and where you can ask for reviews:
Email is one of the most common ways businesses ask for reviews. After completing a purchase or service, you can send a follow-up email with a review link so your customers can leave a review.
This approach is convenient if you invest in a solid email marketing strategy, as you can easily segment your customer base and send personalized emails.
Text messages
Text messages are a quick and convenient way to make a review request. Similarly to sending emails, you can send a follow-up text message to your client.
Consider this approach if you have a younger customer base. Younger generations are more likely to prefer text messages over other forms of communication.
Post-purchase pop-up with a link
Businesses are increasingly using post-purchase pop-ups with links to ask for reviews. This strategy can be beneficial if you’re interested in receiving a Google review, Yelp review, or a Facebook review.
Pop-ups appear after customers make purchases, inviting them to review the business on the company’s website. Customers are already on a company’s website and can quickly leave a review, which makes this approach particularly effective.
Social media
Customer reviews on social media can be powerful. You have two options for a review request. You can either create a post for your followers to organically engage with it or choose paid advertising to target a specific segment and personalize your message.
Phone
If you’re a business owner with high-touch customer service who has earned a personal connection with your customers, you can call them for a review request.
While phone calls are less commonly used to request reviews, they can be a powerful tool for businesses with a small customer base.
What to Do After Successfully Getting a Review
Getting a positive customer review can be a game-changer for you. But the work continues after the fact – leveraging those reviews to enhance your online reputation and attract new customers is essential.
At Nativo, we can help you.
One way to do this is to make your customers’ feedback part of your website content strategy. By reading through and analyzing your reviews, we can identify your business’s common themes and key strengths.
From there, we can create blog posts, social media posts, or videos highlighting those strengths and showcasing what sets you apart from your competitors. Another effective strategy is to incorporate your reviews into your social media strategy.
By sharing positive reviews on your social media platforms, you can show current and potential followers how much your existing customers love your products or services. This can help improve your social media engagement and attract new followers.
At Nativo, we specialize in helping businesses build their online presence. Our team of experts can work with you to develop a social media strategy that incorporates customer feedback and maximizes your online presence.
Contact us today, and let us help you build your online business reputation.