10 Expert Tips On How to Ask for Customer Reviews
PeerDive
In the world we live in, online customer reviews are everywhere and hard to ignore. There is no question that online reviews on any business are powerful. Over the last decade, online reviews have become the most popular way for companies worldwide to gain trust from new and existing clients.
While all reviews are helpful, a high-quality insightful review from a satisfied client can be one of your business's most powerful marketing assets.
So how can you ask your most loyal clients to leave a positive review on your business? Our experts at PeerDive have created this helpful guide on how to ask for genuine customer reviews.
Benefits Of Asking & Having Reviews
1) Builds Trust:
4 out of every 5 Americans will read a review before making a purchase decision. A steady stream of 4 and 5-star reviews from customers helps build a sense of trust with potential new clients.
2) Higher SEO Ranking = Less Marking $:
Not only do reviews affect the consumer directly, but they are important for boosting your overall SEO performance. Sites like Google will prioritize businesses that have a higher rating organically. This means that you will be bumped to the top of the search results without spending a large amount of money on SEO marketing.
It only makes sense to incentivize your current clients to leave a genuine review of their experience from this perspective.
3) Higher Purchasing Power:
On average, customers spend 31% more when interacting with a company with positive online reviews. Businesses that have higher online reviews have that level of reestablished trust. Heaving a steady stream of positive reviews helps showcase tour business while creating a powerful tool to inspire confidence while driving new sales.
How To Ask For Client Reviews:
1) Give An Incentive
Let’s face it; people like getting free stuff. Over 73% of reviewers are motivated to write a review by an incentive from the business. If you are looking to generate a high volume of reviews quickly, creating an incentive for your clients could be a great way to do so. Offering the right incentive can be a great way to supercharge your review collection and boost online conversion across your website, especially when starting off.
Some proven incentives examples include:
- Discount codes
- Free product/service
- Receiving a product/service before the general public
- Loyalty points
- Giveaway entries
- Free shipping
2) Simply Ask
One of the biggest mistakes we see businesses make is that they don’t ask for the review. Making that personal connection, either at checkout or during the sale process, is a great way to make your customers more motivated to leave a review. Having that personal touch lets your client know that there is a human element to your business. They are writing this review to you are a person and not to a business.
3) Email:
One of the most effective ways to ask for online reviews is through email campaigns. Email campaigns should be at the top of your list if you are just getting started with reviews.
Over 70% of all reviews posted come from a post-transactional email. Depending on your software, you may have the option to send an email asking for a review every time a client makes a purchase. Asking for reviews right after a purchase is made is an excellent way to drive valuable, authentic feedback to the product that the consumer just purchased.
Example Subject Lines:
- “Name of Client”, We want your feedback!
- How did we do?
- We want your feedback
- How did you like “Product Name”?
- We’d love your feedback
- Share your experience with us
- Got a minute?
*Using the client’s name in the subject line is a great way to increase your open rate.
Example Email:
Hello (First Name),
Thank you for your most recent visit to (Business Name)! We all do our best to provide you with the best service and an outstanding experience. It would mean a lot to us if you can provide us with your honest feedback.
(Link to Review Platform)
4) Text
Over 56% of all reviews are posted from a mobile device. Therefore, if you send a client a direct like to their cell phone, there is a considerably higher chance that they will click on that line rather than an email.
When coming up with a text message request, remember to keep it short and to the point. Too lengthy, and you run the risk of your customer ignoring the message. Remember, over 90% of all text messages are read within 3 minutes.
Example Text Message:
Hi [client_firstname], mind doing us a favor? Take 2 min & share your thoughts about [business_name] here [review_link]. Thank you!
5) Integrate Reputation Software
Depending on your needs as a business utilizing reputation boosting software can be a great way to build your reviews online. A little automation can significantly help get review generation done faster and more efficiently. Those who turn to reputation software can often double their online review for a tenth of the time they would spend doing it in person.
Reputation Management Software Programs are designed to automate the review asking process for you. Some examples include: asking for reviews (either text or email) after a purchase is made, creating focused campaigns, and filtering out negative reviews before they become public.
6) Don’t Be Afraid of Negative Feedback
Let’s admit it; no one is perfect. Negative feedback is ok to receive, as long as it is not frequent. It shows that regardless, there is a human element behind your business. Whether you have to make a phone call, respond publicly online, or send an email, you want to do so in a timely manner.
What is important is that you reply quickly and that your team is working on the issue they pointed out. Keep your response short, concise, and to the point. Make the client feel like their issues are heard and that you are doing everything you can to fix the problem.
Do not publicly argue with the client. Let them know that you wish to communicate with them offline instead. No matter who is in the right, you do not want potential new clients to misinterpret the situation online.
7) Personalize When Possible
When reaching out for a review, no matter the method of communication, it is important to personalize the request whenever possible. Put careful thought into your review requests so that the request is relevant and genuine. If not, you risk the consumer treating it like another spam request.
8) Ask Quickly
Most businesses will wait when asking for a review. Often, if you delay your request, the client is more likely to forget about their experience or will ignore the request altogether.
How many times have you gotten a review request sent to your email a few days after a purchase, only to delete it from your inbox?
Be quick and efficient when asking for a review. Don’t wait. Ask the consumer to give you a review on the product and/or experience right away.
9) Keep it Short
When was the last time you sat down and filled out a 30-minute survey on your experience? The answer for most of us is probably never. When creating a request to ask for a review, keep it short and to the point. If it takes too long for the consumer to fill out, you risk your customers abandoning the review long before it gets published.
Our best advice is to keep it short and to the point.
10) Be Clear In What You Are Asking For
Avoid unnecessary or obscure questions that your clients unlikely won’t understand. Don’t use jargon that only employees of your business will understand. Be clear in your message and what you are asking from your clients. If you are going to ask for a review, let them know clearly that this is what you intend to do. Don’t sugarcoat it.
About PeerDive:
Peer Dive is a popular online directory created exclusively for businesses to leave and view reviews on individuals before offering their products and or services. Peer Dive was created to help local businesses and their communities make the most informed decision on who they want to do business with.