Online reviews have the ability to make a business! The power of a review should never be underestimated and should be encouraged whenever you feel you have had a great interaction with a customer. Competitiveness is common, therefore you should be utilising every tool which will make you stand out, the main method being reviews.
Here are some examples of places your customers can leave reviews:
- Google My Business
- Yelp
- Yellowpages
- Better Business Bureau (BBB)
Read on to find out our 7 best ways to encourage your customers to leave you a review!
Email – Regardless of whether you have reactive emails, a weekly newsletter or monthly newsletter you can always include a little snippet encouraging users to leave a review. If there is a particular platform you want to push make sure to name it. For example, you may have 50 Google My Business reviews but only 2 on Facebook, therefore make sure to specify feedback to go on there.
Physical signs and reminders – If you have physical interaction with customers or clients make sure to use your property to encourage them to leave some feedback. Why not have a sign in your waiting room that says “Love us? We’d love your Facebook Review”, any opportunity to request some feedback should be explored. You can also include this on any marketing materials such as banners, leaflets or business cards, but this will depend on location and reasoning. You do not want to encourage a review when there is potential for negative comments.
TIP: If you do receive bad reviews, do not see this as all negative. It is how you resolve their issues which will truly show who you are as a business.
Ask – If you are communicating with customers or clients, politely ask them if they would like to leave you a review AFTER you have concluded the reasoning for the chat. Make sure you have finished discussing the main reason before asking for a review, you do not want to be pushy as this will put them off. Also, make sure you are only asking if you have ended on a positive note.
Encourage ‘check-ins’ – If you request that your visitors check in to your property on Facebook, they will automatically receive a notification from FB themselves to leave a review. They are doing the work for you! Just make sure you are giving all of your customers the best experience possible.
Offer something small in return (be careful, depends on your country regulations) – You can always offer someone something in return for filling out a public survey, a social media review or directory comment. How about the chance of winning a £250 gift card, a 10% discount off their next purchase or a free coffee. Incentives go a long way!
Respond to every review – Make sure you thank the positive reviews and resolve any negative ones as quickly as possible. Your response time is critical as negative comments have the ability to tarnish, or even ruin a brand.
Scheduled feedback sessions – Why not make it a part of your schedule to ask a group of customers or clients for their honest feedback. This will give you guidance on the general opinion of your brand and how to improve in future. People like to know their opinions are valued and are listened to, give them what they want by encouraging them to express themselves and act upon their feedback.
TIP: Share your positive reviews! Whether that be on social media, in marketing emails or on a section of your homepage.
For further insights and guidance, we invite you to explore our blog at 07hm.co.uk/blog. Here, you’ll find a wealth of information tailored to the needs and challenges of SMEs navigating the digital landscape. Additionally, if you have specific questions or need personalised advice, don’t hesitate to reach out to us via email at info@07hm.co.uk or telephone on 01702 410663.
