How To Get More Customer Reviews & Improve Your SEO
People want to be heard loud and clear when they’ve had a negative experience with a product or service. Rarely do people leave positive reviews. Even though you might get repeat customers and awesome sales, you could lose potential customers who saw your 1-star average on Facebook, Google, or Yelp. Maybe it’s time to, dare I say, ask for reviews?
Yes! It’s OK to ask customers to leave reviews. Especially since only 23% of customers review your business online. Today I want to discuss the importance of online reviews, how to increase your reviews, and why you should monitor them.
Online Reviews Matter
We all know word-of-mouth marketing is the best kind of marketing. We trust our friends and family to steer us in the right direction for a quality product or service. Online reviews are the digital version of word-of-mouth marketing. 93% of consumers say online reviews affect their purchasing decision!
If people are deciding between two companies that rent converted camper vans and they see one company has an average of 4-stars and the other has 2-stars, who do you think they’ll pick? Now you could argue and say 4-star has over 100 reviews while 2-star only has 5. But, when companies don’t have many reviews, bad reviews will skew the overall average. Since 68% of customers want to read four or more reviews before they can trust your business, you better find ways to increase your reviews. We’re here to help with that!
Ways To Increase Reviews
Before you ask for reviews, make sure you have an easy review process. Have a link handy that you can email to customers. Put it in your email signature. Create a cool business card with the link to hand out. Add a call-to-action on your website. Whatever it is, simplify the process. If your customers don’t know where or how to leave a review, they won’t do it.
1. Ask In Person
When a customer returns a converted camper van and is handing you the keys, ask them to leave a review! That simple. Give them a business card with a link or ask for their email so you can send the link. A person-to-person request is effective when you’ve performed a service. Most likely, you’ve spent more time with this customer so it won’t be awkward.
2. Send An Email
Sending a personal or automated email asking for a review is another way to increase online reviews. If your business is performing a service, I’d recommend sending a personal email. Actually, if you have the time, always send a personalized email. People miss the “personal touch” from business so this is another chance for you to make them feel special.
But I get it. You’re busy! So am I. Sending a personalized email for each product or service sold takes a lot of time. Setting up an automated email is more efficient and you can still add a personal touch. Every time I order something on Amazon, a week later I get an email asking to leave a review. I don’t leave a review for every product but I leave more reviews than if they didn’t ask. Creating an automated email like Amazon can help increase the number of reviews your business receives. As proud Hubspot Partners, we have created several workflows for our clients that makes automated emails a breeze.
3. Ask On Social Media
If you have a large following on social media and few reviews, ask your fans! You can even ask your small fan base for reviews. Include links to Google and Yelp.
Monitor Reviews
Once you ask for reviews, people will leave them. And when that happens, it’s important to monitor and respond to them. If someone leaves a positive review, thank them! Ask how your converted camper van made their road trip to the Grand Canyon better! Get the name of the sales rep that recommended that awesome pair of hiking boots. You want your customers to stay engaged with your company so keep them engaged.
It’s even more important to respond to negative reviews. Getting feedback on a product or service can help your company do better. If the review is about a poor attitude from an employee, respond and let them know you’re having a company-wide training on customer service. If a customers ski jacket zipper broke on the first-run, ask for their address so you can send them a new jacket.
People look at positive and negative reviews. If customers see you are trying to rectify a negative experience, they’ll trust you have their best interest at heart.
Leave Us A Google Review
Online reviews can be that one last piece of information a potential customer needs to pick up the phone and call or press, “add to cart.” And how you handle reviews can show off your company’s awesome culture. So leave us a review on Google. Do you find our blogs helpful? Or are our topics irrelevant? Did we increase your companies leads? Whatever it is, we’d love to hear from you.