How to ask for customer reviews on your business.
Did you know that reviews have a colossal role with small businesses?
Four out of five Americans read reviews on a business, a product, or a service before making a purchase, and could negatively affect your business if you have little to no reviews.
When you proactively ask for feedback, it can strengthen relationships with your customer and connect you to the voices that matter most. Businesses that know how to ask for reviews tend to produce a higher percentage of five-star ratings and reviews.
Businesses can ask for reviews in numerous ways and doing so appropriately is a skill. So, what are some best practices for asking customers to leave a review?
Request reviews in person.
With a Brick-and-Mortar business, your customer interaction is easier to obtain, which in turn, makes it easier for employees to ask customers for feedback on their experience. When asking for reviews in person, you should ask for feedback over asking for a review, as the term review can intimidate customers.
Some examples of how you can ask your customers for feedback is:
- Where can we improve?
- What can we do to earn a five-star review?
- How was your experience with us today?
Knowing how and when to request reviews from consumers is important, and the best way to get consumer reviews is to consistently deliver excellent customer experiences, by focusing on providing what your customers want and need.
Source: Asking for Reviews from Customers: The Ultimate Guide | ReviewTrackers; How To Ask Customers For Reviews (forbes.com); How To Ask For a Review From Customers: The Complete Guide | Indeed.com
Request reviews via email or SMS (Text message).
You want to time your review request for when your customer is happiest, which is usually right after a transaction is completed. Seventy percent of reviews come from post-transactional review request emails or text messages. When you ask for reviews from customers via email or text message, you will want to personalize your request campaigns to acknowledge each recipient and keep it short. The best way to keep your review request short is to embed a rating scale survey with an odd number of options (like a five star-rating scale) or by including a link in the text message or email for a customer to write a review.
Fifty-six percent of online reviews originate from a mobile device. There is a ninety-eight percent open rate for text message requests and a forty to fifty percent open rate for email campaigns. Be sure to stick to a company-wide template relating to your brand to ensure your review request process is consistent.
Source: Asking for Reviews from Customers: The Ultimate Guide | ReviewTrackers; How To Ask Customers For Reviews (forbes.com); How To Ask For a Review From Customers: The Complete Guide | Indeed.com
Request reviews via social media.
When asking for reviews on social media, you should include a link to your review space (like Google, Facebook, or both). Be sure to ask crucial questions that demand an immediate reaction when posting review requests on social media, ensuring that your business collects the vital information it needs to succeed.
Seventy-five percent of Facebook interactions occur within the first five hours of the post’s creation. Respond to your customer reviews (both negative and positive) promptly and by expressing appreciation, and acknowledgment. You can create engagement and activity with your customers, even with negative reviews by making sure your responses acknowledge the problem and offer specific steps to resolve the issue.
Source: Asking for Reviews from Customers: The Ultimate Guide | ReviewTrackers; How To Ask Customers For Reviews (forbes.com); How To Ask For a Review From Customers: The Complete Guide | Indeed.com
No matter which road you choose to take when building your business's review request process, remember that you want to provide your customers with the opportunity to freely express their experience with your business, product, or service.
Reviews are valuable to a business, and people are willing to write them; however, you need to make the review process as easy as possible for your customers.
Let Belden Communications, LLC, help get the vital reviews your business needs today!