It’s no secret that one of the best ways to boost your business is through acquiring positive online reviews. After all, studies show that 92% of customers read online reviews, and they trust them as much as personal recommendations. That’s huge! Simply put, online reviews are a must if you are looking to grow your business.
With this important statistic in mind, you may be wondering what business owners can actually do to get more online reviews. This article will present 5 of the top ways business owners can facilitate the process.
1. Ask for Reviews
At the end of each transaction, there is no shame in asking your happy customers for reviews. In fact, it’s a great way to show your customers that you care about their opinions and you are dedicated to making sure they have the best experience possible.
There are several ways to ask for an online review including the following:
- Ask in person. If you know one of your customers has had a great experience with your products and services, and you ask them for an online review in person, chances are they will not only response in the affirmative, but also appreciate it. Customers like to know that you are interested in their experience. As an added bonus, it’s interesting to note that 95% say face-to-face interactions are essential for long-term business relationships. When in doubt, take the time to show your face.
- Ask via email. If you are more comfortable, or know your customers would be more comfortable, with an email invitation to review your business, go for it. Again, if you have a customer you know has had a great experience with your business, and you have permission, send them an email asking them to write a review.
- Ask through a text. Today you can do almost anything with your mobile device – and most people leave reviews there, especially if they are on the go! So what better way to get a review right after a service by sending them a text? 98% of people see a text within 3 minutes of receiving it, and you can leave a link that will lead them straight to the review. It’s easy, convenient and real-time.
- Incentivize employees to elicit reviews. Ever considered giving your employees a bonus if one of the positive online reviews talks about how helpful they were? This type of incentive encourages employees to get involved in asking for reviews. It also incentivizes customers to reward their favorite employees.
Asking for a review is a simple and effective way to boost your business, but it often gets overlooked. Take the time to make asking a priority. It will pay off in the end.
2. Make It Easy
If it’s a hassle for your customers to write an online review, they won’t do it.
Consider sending your customers an email with links to review sites, using an app system like the Five Star Review System, or quickly showing them exactly how to leave a review on your website, Yelp, Google, Facebook, etc.
The easier you make it on your customers, the more likely they are to leave a review.
3. Let Your Customers Know How Much Online Reviews Help You
In the business world, we all know the power of positive reviews. Positive online reviews can boost your Google rankings, influence purchasing decisions, and mean the difference in you getting the sale over your competitors.
Online reviews are a big deal. However, even your most loyal customers may not know this. If you want more reviews, let your customers know how much a quick review helps your brand.
Your favorite customers are good hearted, and they will often be happy to leave a positive review for you online.
4. Use a Trusted Software to Help you Manage your Online Reputation
Did you know that there are softwares built primarily to help you automate your marketing efforts, oversee customer engagement, and manage your online reputation.
As your business grows, it’s difficult to keep your eye on every single customer all at the same time. Yet, if you want to keep all your customers happy, you have to find a way to make it possible.
This is where technology comes in to save the day. Look for an automation software that monitors customer transactions, engages with customers across multiple platforms, provides valuable reporting, and automates the process of asking for reviews all while filtering out bad reviews.
When you use a platform that is designed to do all of the hard work for you, you can rest assured that your business is getting taken care of and your clients are happy.
5. Keep Reaching Out to your Reviewers
Customers that leave positive reviews represent your best customers. Take the time to reward them for their loyalty by continuing to reach out to them. Send them discounts via email and text. Mention them on social media. Call them up and let them know how much you appreciated their online review. Invite them to a local event you are hosting.
When you take the time to acknowledge your loyal customers, it fosters more positive results. How? Loyal customers are likely to spend anywhere from 4-10 times more than a one time customer, and they are 5 times more likely to refer your business.
Wrap-up
Online reviews are the perfect way to grow your business. It’s worth it to implement strategies and softwares that will help you keep in touch with customers and gather more online reviews.
Let’s connect on LinkedIn and Twitter! Follow FreshLime on LinkedIn, Twitter,Facebook and Google+.