Let’s get straight to the fact: 81% people research a product thoroughly before making a purchase.
A lot of that research time is spent on going through online reviews. This means that if your product/website has negative or zero reviews, buyers will be discouraged.
Another huge advantage of having a decent number of online reviews is local SEO. Google prefers businesses that are backed by solid reviews.
Now, let’s delve into why you don’t have reviews right now:
You aren’t asking for them!
Yes, that’s the simplest and the most common reason why many businesses do not have reviews. We must always remember that people are forgetful and may not voluntarily post a review even if they like your product/services.
We must also keep in mind that negativity has a knack for stealing the limelight. In other words, unhappy customers will be more than willing to defame you because they want you to know they are unhappy.
Happy customers, on the other hand, may need to be coaxed a little. So, you can simply ask them for it through a personalized email or directly. (Direct requests are always better.)
What else can one do to get online reviews?
- Make it simple for the user: Unless the customer is extremely pleased or just upset, he/she will not try to search for ways to leave a review. That’s why it is advisable that you make it very simple for them to review your services/products. Add a link to your email, for example, that directly leads them to the review page.
- Remind them to leave a review: As aforementioned, people tend to forget to leave reviews or many a time, it doesn’t even strike them to leave reviews. Reminding them to do so can help you massively. “Leave a review” hyperlinked in your email, or the order status will do the trick. Also, once a customer heeds your request, don’t ever forget to thank him/her personally. This will ensure that the customer remembers you for quite a long time.
- Give them an incentive: “Leave us a review and get 10% off on your next purchase!” Small incentives like these have helped many businesses get reviews from their customers. The icing on the cake is a subsequent purchase because they now have a voucher! Everyone loves discounts, and there’s no harm in using that to your advantage!
- Give your salespeople an incentive as well: Making reviews a part of the work process and rewarding your salespeople for every review they get will cause the number to skyrocket in no time! It is considerably easy, as well, for salespeople because they are constantly in touch with the customers and good salespeople build a bond or a relationship that goes miles in favor of the company and the customer.
- Be active and reply to reviews: Many customers leave online business reviews on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Google. Making it a point to reply to every single review (including the negative ones) is a great practice. It shows that you are actually listening and that you actually care about your customers. When someone looks through your products/services, prompt responses will encourage them to make a purchase while also coaxing them to share their own views.
Keep in mind that it is totally possible for your emails and requests to be ignored. In fact, you can expect it to happen quite often. However, you mustn’t lose hope. Make it a process to request reviews every single time a purchase is made, or an order is completed so that your success rate increases. Body Rubs Chicago near me.
Are there any strategies you employ to get reviews? We’d love to hear them!
Source: Hubspot, Forbes
