Business reviews can be daunting but they are necessary to show the world how great your product or service is. Even if you are hesitant to claim your business name on review sites, we guarantee people are still talking about your brand or business online. It’s best to get ahead of the game and claim your presence so you can control the conversation.
In fact, according to a recent BrightLocal survey, reviews help customers build trust for a business and in some cases this trust is built even before they purchase. Here are a few other key takeaways from the survey:
- 82% of consumers read online reviews for local businesses, with 52% of 18-54-year-olds saying they ‘always’ read reviews
- The average consumer reads 10 reviews before feeling able to trust a business
- Among consumers that read reviews, 97% read businesses’ responses to reviews
Once a business signs up for review sites, oftentimes the next question we get asked is how to increase reviews. So, how do you encourage customers to leave reviews and feedback on your business? We have a few tips and tricks to get you started or to get your review site pages gaining some more momentum!
1. Be where they are online. The first step is to claim your brand on all review and social media sites. Make it easy for your customers to leave you a review on the websites they are most familiar with.
2. Just ask. Do you have a customer who is gushing about your business or service? Don’t be afraid to ask them to leave a review for you online. Make sure you make it easy for them to find by displaying exactly where to leave the review, be it through an email receipt or a display at your cash wrap; let customers know where to find you online. A QR code sign would work well at a cash wrap. A QR code is a code they can scan that will send them directly to the review website.
3. Post to social. Post your review site links to social media and link your other review sites to Facebook applications. A simple caption such as, “If you enjoy our service, leave us a review” works great.
4. Add to your eblast. If you have an email list that you regularly send eblasts to, make sure they know you are active on review sites and add the link into the body of the email. You can also go one step further and announce that you are now on Yelp or Google My Business and again, just ask for reviews.
5. Add to your email signature. Linking to your review sites in your email signature tells your customers where to go to leave reviews and lets them know you are active and monitoring your business online.
6. Add an incentive. Do your customers need a boost? Give them an incentive to leave a review. For example, you could give them 10% off on their next purchase with proof of business review. Some customers will need an additional push to go online and leave a review. After all, it does take time, so it’s nice to give them something in return.
7. Add to your shipments. Are you fulfilling online orders? Make sure you tell your customers where to find you online on the packing slip or receipt. Again, a QR code can work very well in these situations.
8. Respond and share. Once your reviews start rolling in, make sure you are responding to each and every one. This shows other potential customers that you value opinions on your business and helps to build trust with your current customers. Sharing your reviews to your social profiles is also a great way to showcase that you are paying attention to what your customers are saying and that their opinions are much appreciated.
Reviews are one of the first interactions that a potential customer will have with your business. Make sure you are prepared by claiming your brand, responding to reviews and sharing reviews to your social profiles. We know all of this takes time and that’s why we are here. If you would like help getting started or simply help managing the reviews that you already have coming in, we’d love to assist. Get in touch with us by filling out our form to schedule a free consultation.
