Top Tactics for Great Customer Reviews
Digital Marketing
Nov 08
If you’ve shopped online, you know how impactful a good review can be. When faced with countless options, a business or brand with a five-star rating from hundreds or thousands of customers stands out and helps you make your decision. And, if you have to choose between a 3.5- or 4.5-star option? It’s almost certain you’ll go with the better-reviewed product or service.
You’re not alone in this way of thinking. In 2023, 73% of consumers said ratings and reviews were a key method they used to learn about products. Additionally, 9 out of 10 said they did consider previous reviews before they decided on making a purchase.
The power of a positive review makes it an effective strategy for gaining new customers. For brands hoping to make the best impression, maintaining great customer reviews is essential — those reviews are worth their weight in gold.
The Importance of Customer Reviews
Customer reviews provide important social proof for your business. Through reviews, potential customers can see not only what others think of your products but also that you:
-Deliver the goods or services on time.
-Provide follow-up support.
-Respond to customer concerns.
Customer reviews are a great way to passively allow potential customers to learn more about a product or service, too, as feedback will describe how your brand has impacted customers, how they’re using your products or services in unique ways, and more.
How To Encourage Reviews
When someone buys a product or service from your brand, they may not immediately think about leaving a review, but you need that customer to leave you feedback.
There are a few ways you can encourage customers to leave you reviews. You can:
-Place reviews where they’re easy to see, such as on your landing page, so new or returning customers see where they can leave feedback, too.
-Follow up with those who have been to your website or made a purchase to request feedback. You can do this via email and include a short survey, for example.
-Make leaving reviews easy. Add a clear location for reviews, and ensure your brand has a presence on review sites such as Yelp or through a Google Business Profile.
-Offer incentives, such as a percentage off a purchase, after a customer leaves a review.
Even something as simple as a pop-up reminder on your website can encourage customers to leave a review, so try different options to increase your review percentage over time.
As for when you should ask for reviews, the golden hour is immediate or very soon after someone makes a purchase or completes a specific designated task. It can be helpful to send review requests in the morning, too, as people will see them when they check their emails before or at the start of the workday.
If you find that past customers aren’t leaving reviews, you can also follow up and ask for reviews again a week, month, or six months later. Waiting will prevent customers from finding your emails annoying or nagging, and it will also give them more time to use the products or services they purchased.
Handling Negative Reviews
Some business owners worry about asking for feedback because they don’t want negative reviews to harm their businesses. Regardless of the kind of reviews you get, you can use them to your advantage.
Negative reviews are an opportunity to show a couple of things: your response to the feedback and your ability to adapt to better serve your clients.
How can you show that you take negative feedback seriously?
Start by replying promptly and ensure that your response is polite and professional. You don’t have to agree, but you do need to consider the long-term consequences of what you say to that customer. You don’t need to take responsibility or apologize for issues that aren’t your fault, but you should discuss the problem internally and with the customer to find a resolution when possible.
Since people can see reviews and often the responses to them, be aware of how your business will be perceived when you respond. Providing additional information, offering to call the customer, apologizing for a poor customer service experience, or responding in other helpful ways can have a significant impact on future customer conversions.
Using Customer Feedback
Finally, when you get reviews, it’s time to use them to improve your business. It would be wonderful if you always received five stars, but the reality is that everyone has bad days and there are times when products or services don’t live up to expectations.
In those moments, how you respond to customers can make a world of difference. Will you offer to replace a broken item? Will you give them a discount and improve the product or service for next time? You want customers to keep coming back (keep that in mind as you decide how to handle each review).
Whether you get a positive review that says you did everything right or one that says they’ll never use your services again, you can discuss those reviews internally to adapt and overcome. In the future, focus on delivering an exceptional customer experience from the moment they visit your website. This approach not only boosts sales but also ensures customers are satisfied with both your product and service.
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