Are you struggling to reel in new customers? You might want to consider gathering more reviews! In fact, about 97% of consumers read reviews of local businesses.
Another 90% read reviews before making a purchase.
About 85% of consumers believe online reviews older than three months are irrelevant, though. If you want to use reviews to inform buying decisions, you need recent ones. Otherwise, you could lose business to your competitors.
By learning how to ask for reviews, you can develop a strategy and give your business the boost it needs. Not sure how to get started? Keep reading to discover everything you need!
With this guide, you can equip yourself with templates, tips, and more. Then, you can develop a strategy and set yourself up for success.
Get started with these tips today!
First, it helps to get a better understanding of why you should ask for reviews.
Remember, about 90% of consumers read reviews before making a purchase. By reading reviews, consumers can learn about your brand, operations, and customer support. They can determine if you're the right business for their needs based on other customer experiences.
If you're not the right fit, consumers will turn to your competitors instead.
By learning how to ask customers for reviews, you can boost your brand and draw new customers to your business!
Here are a few benefits of asking for reviews to keep in mind as you develop your strategy.
By asking for reviews, you make a strong first impression with your customers.
What do people think when they first discover your brand? What sets you apart from your competitors?
If you're not making a strong first impression, consumers might not choose your business. You can use customer reviews to have a positive impact right away. On-the-fence customers can read reviews from consumers just like them.
They'll see you have nothing to hide. Reading about another consumer's past experience can help them feel confident in your brand. You can use reviews to impress new customers and drive their decisions.
They'll feel informed and educated about your brand before choosing your product or service.
Are customers struggling to interact with your brand? What problems are they experiencing? How can you improve?
You might struggle to make improvements if you don't have the right information. Asking for reviews can help you learn more about your customers. You can discover the difficulties they're experiencing with your business.
Then, you can make informed decisions and smarter changes.
Without reviews, you'll struggle to understand your customers. If you don't make the proper changes, they'll leave and choose one of your competitors. Your customer service will take a hit as well.
Instead, start asking for reviews! Show customers you care about their feedback. Then, start using that feedback to make adjustments.
As you improve your operations and customer service, consumers will take notice. They'll see you want to create a high-quality experience. As they come back for more, you can start gaining loyal customers.
Improving your retention rate will boost your ROI as a result!
Asking for Google reviews can benefit your search engine optimization (SEO) strategy. SEO allows companies to rank higher on search engines like Google. When a consumer searches for your product or service, your brand could appear.
A higher ranking will position you in front of more customers. Brand awareness and recognition will start to grow.
If you're not ranking high on Google, however, consumers might not realize you exist.
SEO can also help you build brand trust and loyalty. Consumers don't often look beyond the first page of a search. By requesting Google reviews, you can rank ahead of your competitors.
Your credibility could rise as a result.
As you start generating more website traffic, your ranking will improve even further. You can start generating more leads and sales, improving your ROI.
By learning how to ask for Google reviews, you can improve your SEO ranking and boost your business!
About 95% of consumers say customer service is important to their choice of brand and loyalty. Almost 70% of customers do more business with companies due to quality customer service. In fact, 44% of consumers are likely to become repeat buyers afterward!
Asking customers for reviews can help people feel more confident in your brand. Consumers will see you value their business. They'll also see you're transparent and honest about your operations.
Reviews can inform consumer buying decisions, too.
Consumers could hesitate to buy a product from a brand they've never heard of before. They can read reviews from other customers to learn about the product. If they see only positive reviews, they'll feel more confident about choosing your brand.
Positive reviews can help you build brand trust and loyalty, too.
Your brand's reputation will grow stronger, helping you stand out from the competition.
Almost 70% of customers choose to deal with a business because of positive reviews. Meanwhile, 40% of customers won't deal with a business that has negative reviews. Almost 60% of customers will only choose a business with 4-stars or more.
Are you trying to improve your ROI this year? With customer reviews, you can boost customer confidence. When customers are confident in your brand, they're more likely to buy from you!
You can generate repeat sales and retain long-term customers, too. Either way, you're improving your ROI!
Now that you know why it's important to ask for reviews, let's talk about the timing. When should you ask?
Think about when consumers visit your store or website. You can use Google Analytics to gather your website data. Your busy hours could help you determine when to ask for customer reviews.
For example, you might want to try asking between noon and 7 pm. After all, you don't want to ask for reviews while people are at work. Try during their lunch break or after work.
Try to avoid asking for reviews before 6 am.
You can optimize your timing by gathering data. A review management system could help you determine when's the best time to ask.
About 75% of customers are willing to answer a survey with one to five questions. Another 68% will leave a review for a local business after they're asked for one.
Learning how to ask for customer reviews is crucial. Otherwise, you could end up with old, stale reviews. You might struggle to build customer confidence if your reviews aren't recent.
Here are a few ways you can learn how to ask customers for reviews.
Try asking for customer reviews immediately after your customers have an enjoyable experience. Are they raving about your business? Are they thanking you for all your help?
Tell them you appreciate their thoughts and feedback. Then, make it easy for customers to post their reviews. For example, you can add a sign with a QR code to your Google review page at your store.
Don't wait for customers to decide they want to post. Instead, learn when to spot an opportunity.
You can make your own opportunities, too. For example, ask customers "how was your experience today?" If they have a positive response, ask them to share their thoughts online.
Don't hesitate to ask your happy customers for reviews. Chances are, they want to share their thoughts.
You can also start asking for reviews using your website.
For example, you can create a pop-up that will appear when someone tries to leave your website. Ask "can you leave a review before you go?" Then, add a button with a strong call-to-action (CTA) to the pop-up.
Have the button link to your Google My Business (GMB) review page or a form.
Consider adding a dedicated testimonials page to your website, too. Showcase all of the positive reviews you've received over the years! Then, add a button to the top and bottom of the page.
Tell website visitors "you can share your reviews, too!" Then, link to your GMB business listing or form.
A strong email drip campaign can help you remain top-of-mind with customers. It's also a great way to ask for reviews. You can create a review request email for customers who recently made a purchase.
Send customers an email thanking them for their recent purchase. Then, ask them for a review. Don't forget to use a button for easy access.
When creating your emails, make sure to keep them short and sweet. Try personalizing the email to connect with your readers. Then, ask for the review right away.
If you receive feedback, make sure to respond immediately. Let people know you're listening.
You can also send a review request via SMS. Send your customers a text message survey or link to your GMB listing. Make sure to shorten your links.
When sending texts, make sure to keep them extra short. Thank the consumer for being a customer. Then, ask if they'd post their thoughts on your Google review page.
There are a few different websites you can use for collecting reviews, including:
Make sure to update your Google My Business listing. Your GMB listing will help strengthen your SEO strategy. You can sign up for your GMB account here.
Once you create your account, your GMB listing will appear on the right side of a Google search. You can find your Google reviews link near the top of the listing. You'll see "Google reviews" alongside your star rating.
Link customers directly to your GMB review page to make it easier for them to find.
An asking for a review template can help you better manage your time. Here are a few examples you can use before you ask for reviews.
You can create a basic "Thank you for being a customer" template. Try:
"Hey (Customer's First Name), thank you for visiting us at (Business Name). We hope you enjoyed your service today. Could you please click on this link to answer a question about your experience?
Thanks!"
You can also create a template for each online review site you use. For example, try:
"Hi (Customer's First Name), thank you for visiting our store. Do you have a minute to leave a review on (review site)? We'd love to learn more about your experience.
Thanks for all your help!"
Let people know their opinion matters, too. You can write, "Hey (Customer's First Name), your opinion really matters to us. Could you take a minute to leave your feedback on our Google review page?
Thanks so much!"
Don't forget to voice your appreciation. Try:
"Hi (Customer's First Name), thank you for visiting us at (Business Name) today! It was our pleasure helping you with (Service You Provided).
We want to learn more about how we can better serve you in the future. Would you take a few minutes to leave us a review? You can click on this link to reach our profile.
Thanks so much in advance. We really appreciate your help!"
Try creating a few different templates for yourself! Then, start asking for reviews over email, SMS, or on your website. You can also use a review management tool to automate your requests!
One of the best ways to avoid negative reviews is to improve your customer service.
Use the feedback you've gathered from your negative reviews. Then, start making changes to your business. Show customers you're willing to make an effort.
Then, thank the customer for their feedback. Let them know you've made changes based on their comments. Then, invite them back to your store.
You can get an opportunity for people to retract their negative reviews.
By wowing your customers with great customer service, you can avoid giving them reasons to post negative comments.
Learning how to ask for reviews can boost your reputation, search ranking, and more! With customer reviews, you can set yourself apart within your industry.
Get ahead of your competition this year. Start asking for reviews to give your business the boost it needs today!
Need help managing your reviews? We can help your business grow!
Schedule a free demo today to get started!
Watch Free Demo
