Reviews not only help increase online sales; they also lead to a higher conversion rate.
According to research by Bright Local, local businesses with an average of 4.5 stars on Google received 52% of their new leads from web searches, compared with 33% for those who had fewer than three stars. According to this article in Business Insider , self-published reviews on Yelp increased revenue by 5%-9%, while business that didn’t use the platform saw no benefit at all when it came to sales.
Consequently, asking existing and potential customers for reviews is the surefire way of increasing your customer base and increasing the sales of your business. So how do you ask for reviews?
1. Communicate With Relevant Customers Via Email:
People will be more inclined to leave a review if they’re reminded of your product or service. Therefore, it’s important to send emails to new customers who have already purchased something from your store and are thinking about continuing their purchases with you. You can also reach out to old customers who haven’t made any purchase within the last few years and send them an email as well. The timing of these emails is very important; sending requests too early or too late might undermine their effectiveness because potential customers may still have doubts and questions before making their purchase decision [or they may not buy at all]. It is therefore necessary for you to send these requests at the right time, which is right after the purchase.
2. Step Up Your Social Media Campaign:
It’s likely that more and more people will find out about your business on social media in recent years, so it’s a good idea to step up your social media campaign by inviting customers to leave reviews on platforms like Facebook, Twitter or Instagram [where they can share their experience with other people]. You can also give them a coupon code if they agree to leave a review.
3. Make Customer Reviews Part of Your Marketing Strategy:
This might seem self-explanatory because all marketing initiatives should be customer-centric, but some companies simply treat reviews as an isolated aspect of the entire marketing initiative. They do not integrate it into their overall strategy from the beginning. However, these companies are missing out a lot of potential returns because they fail to capture new customers by asking them for reviews at the right time.
4. Promote Reviews on Social Media:
Although you’re receiving more potential leads via search engines than social media platforms now, more and more people will turn to Facebook, Twitter or Instagram to find your business in the near future. So it’s necessary that you utilize social media and display customer reviews prominently [on each page of your website]. When prospects come across these reviews, they can read what existing customers have said about your products and services before making any purchase with you. This is mutually beneficial since it encourages new customers to buy from you, and it also invites existing customers to leave more reviews.
5. Reward Customers Who Leave Reviews:
It’s a good idea to thank customers for their review by offering them some kind of reward [most commonly in the form of points or coupons that they can use on future purchases] since this will encourage them to leave more reviews in the future. So if a customer leaves an honest review on your business, don’t just let it slide – show appreciation by giving something back! For example, you could send him/her a free gift voucher with every purchase he makes going forward. This is one sure way to persuade people to leave positive feedback about your business online because they are more likely to do so if they know you will show gratitude for their feedback.
6. Create a Scarcity Factor:
By offering free gifts or reward points to customers who leave reviews, you’re creating an element of scarcity that will encourage more people to act on your offer and provide their feedback [if they want to receive the free gift or discount coupons]. When you create this kind of sense of urgency, many people are likely to respond because it makes them feel like there’s only one chance for them if they want to take advantage of the opportunity in front of them. Therefore, make use of this marketing strategy by restricting certain special offers or discounts for only those who leave reviews on your business page! The more social proof you can gather from these testimonials, the better it is for your business.
7. Ask for Feedback from Your Customers:
Finally, you should never hesitate to ask them directly for reviews since people are more likely to comply if they feel that you’re not just trying to get something out of them, but also because they want to share their experience with other people in the same situation as them. So if a customer is happy with your product or service and leaving some feedback on social media [or anywhere else], don’t forget to give him/her an opportunity to promote your business among his/her friends. Offer discounts or reward points for each friend who becomes a customer later on after following his referral link! This type of marketing strategy can be mutually beneficial in the long run because it encourages new and existing customers to stay connected with your business. It also encourages them to refer other people and spread the word about you throughout social media.
The above is a detailed guide on collecting reviews for building trust, creating social proof, increasing sales and attracting more local clients. Following it can help you get new leads even before your competitor does! And these leads will be more than ready to do business with you because they already have some knowledge of who you are as a company and what benefits they’ll receive from working with you.
So don’t hesitate to ask existing customers for their feedback right after they make any purchase – not only will this help build trust in your brand, but it will also attract new potential customers who might want to check us out as well.
