Tips for Encouraging Positive Customer Reviews

Knowing the value of positive online reviews can be the difference between attracting new customers and losing business. Now that consumers are armed with so many online review sites, businesses must take steps to encourage customers to leave positive reviews. There’t no one-size-fits-all approach for getting your customers to leave reviews. Each business must tailor their efforts based on their audience, the nature of their product or service, and the type of user who typically visits your site. Here are some tips for encouraging your customers to share their thoughts about your business.

Send a survey asking for reviews

Surveys can be a great way to get your customers to leave reviews, especially if you’re trying to get reviews from customers who haven’t previously left reviews. Send a survey either through email or on your website after the customers have received their product or service. Be sure to give customers the option to remain anonymous if they prefer. While surveys won’t get you tons of new reviews, they will help increase the number of customers who leave reviews. Since customers will have just received your product or service, they’ll be motivated to leave a review so other customers will see their feedback. Plus, if you request the review in a survey, customers are more likely to leave a review that’s helpful to future customers. Surveys also allow you to collect data from customers, which can help you improve your business.

Offer something in exchange for reviews

Offering a discount code or special gift to customers who leave reviews for your business can be a great way to encourage reviews. Ideally, this offer should be sent to customers who have already purchased something from you. A great way to offer an incentive for reviews is to create a “leave a review, get a free gift” campaign. Make sure the gift you offer aligns with your brand and is something customers will enjoy.

Ask your current customers to review

There are a few ways you can casually ask customers to leave reviews. One way is to include an “If you liked this product, please leave a review” in your email order confirmation. Another way is to include a “leave a review” link at the bottom of product pages, especially on product pages where there aren’t any reviews for that product. When asking for reviews, don’t be too pushy. You don’t want to make customers feel pressured to leave a review. Instead, make it clear that reviews are appreciated and would be helpful to other customers.

Publish a 'Recent Reviews' section on your site

If your business has a few reviews on one of the review sites, be sure to feature those reviews on your site. Include a “Recent Reviews” section near the top of your site, preferably on each page. You can also create a “Bookmark Reviews” section that includes links to each review site, where you’re listed. This makes it easy for customers to leave a review without having to go to another website.

Add a call to action button or link near the point of sale

Near the point of sale, such as on your checkout page, you may want to add a button or link that says “leave a review” or “help others by leaving a review”. This can catch the attention of customers who are on the verge of purchasing your product and give them an easy way to leave a review.

Don’t ask for too many reviews at once

Don’t ask every customer to leave a review and don’t ask your customers to review every product they purchase from you. For example, if you ask every customer to leave a review, the reviews will likely be biased since the customers know they’re being asked to leave a review. Instead, select a few customers at random and ask them to leave a review.

Conclusion

Reviews are an important part of any business’s marketing strategy and can be crucial in generating new customers. Encouraging customers to leave reviews is important, but don’t just ask for reviews without providing value to your customers. It’s important to offer great customer service, provide value in your products and services, and communicate clearly with customers. If your customers are happy, they are more likely to leave positive reviews for your business.