Did you know that 88% of consumers do online research before committing to a purchase? If you don’t have a huge online presence, then it’s highly possible that you’re missing out on lots of business.
But not all hope is lost. What you can do is start getting your customers to leave positive reviews for you so you build a solid digital reputation.
But most people don’t just do things out of the goodness of their hearts. So how can you get them to do this favor for you?
In this article, we’ll show you how you can encourage your customers to leave positive reviews for your company.
Just Ask Them
You’d be surprised, but sometimes, it can be as easy as just outright asking them to leave you positive reviews!
Many consumers are busy with their everyday lives, so while they might’ve enjoyed working with you, it’s very possible that it’s never occurred to them to leave you good feedback. Or maybe their schedule is just so hectic that they’ve completely forgotten.
What you can do is ask politely in several ways. One is at the end of your time with them in person; just give them a small reminder that if they liked your products/services, to leave you a good review online.
Another way is to send out an email blast to previous customers. Not only can you update them about your current business offerings, but you can also remind them to leave you a positive review if they haven’t already.
Yet another way you can encourage customers to leave you reviews is to post these reminders on your website and social media pages.
Offer an Incentive
These people will have to take some time out of their day to think up a review, write, and post it. If they’re not going to get some type of reward for this, why should they even bother? This is why not many customers actually leave positive reviews for companies.
Sweeten the deal a little bit by offering an incentive. For example, you can offer 5% off or a free gift with their next purchase if they post a review for you. Or maybe you can have a bigger “prize” and everyone who leaves you a positive review will get an entry into the raffle to win it.
Not all incentives have to be monetary either. Consumers appreciate being heard, so something as simple as the chance to be posted on a company’s website might be enough motivation for some of them to give you that review.
You can up the ante by saying you’ll only select those who are most creative or most moving. Bringing out people’s competitive side never hurts. Not only will they have the desire to prove they’re the best, but it’ll also get the creative juices flowing!
Make Sure It’s Easy to Leave Reviews
Again, your customers will have to take some time out of their day to post a review for you. If the process to do so is convoluted, then they’ll be highly discouraged from doing so.
Put yourself in your customers’ shoes and navigate through your website and social media pages, as well as your email blasts. Is it clear how you can leave reviews, and is it a straightforward process? Or do you have to really sift through different pages to even find the right URL to submit a review?
If it’s the latter, then you really need to rethink how your webpages are set up. You might want to get the help of a web designer so you can streamline everything.
Know How to Manage Your Reviews
Not only should you know how to get more customers to leave positive reviews, but you should also know how to manage them.
The reality is, not every single person will leave you a good review. Some might be more neutral or at the very worst, they might be extremely negative. You can’t please everyone, after all.
So it’s very important that you learn how to handle these situations. In some cases, you can get the negative reviews completely removed from your profile if it’s justified. But in most others, you won’t be able to.
If this happens, you need to be able to handle the situation effectively. It’s good practice to respond to every review, whether they’re good or bad.
With the good ones, you can thank them for their time and encourage them to come again.
With the bad ones, you might have a knee-jerk reaction to respond abrasively, and that’s what they want so they can paint you as the bad guy. What you should do instead is respond politely and in a calm manner.
Ask what you can do to rectify the situation and even offer a discount or free services. In many situations, this is enough to change their minds and they’ll even change their review to a positive one afterward!
By knowing how to manage Google reviews, you’ll be able to have better control over your online reputation.
Get More Positive Reviews for Your Business
Now you know how to encourage your customers to leave positive reviews for your business. As a result, you can show off how well you treat them and give future customers peace of mind knowing that you’re the best company to choose for their needs.
As you can see, having an online presence and plenty of positive reviews is crucial to drumming up business. So make sure you reach out to your current customers and get them to testify to what great services and products you have!
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