People looking for goods and services have become accustomed to reading online reviews of a business before making purchase decisions. A whopping 97% of customers look to reviews before buying while 85% of those are looking more closely at the negative reviews. It only takes one bad review to drive business away. Reviews are also on the list of Google’s Search Ranking Factors in 2019. Google is more likely to show businesses in search results with more, as well as higher reviews. All of these factors combine to make online reviews all the more important.
So how do you collect more reviews from your customers? There are many different ways of obtaining more reviews. There are processes that you may consider implementing in order to boost your brand’s reputation. At the end of the day, one good review could be the difference between earning a customer’s business or losing out altogether.
Provide Great Service
Providing great customer service might be a no-brainer but you might be surprised to find that the customer experience needs to surpass expectations at every single interaction and an upset customer is far more likely to write a review in order to tarnish a brand. Team members need to be on the same page so that when and if they do interact with the customer, they do their independent job function to the best of their ability and to the customer’s satisfaction.
Ask!
Why not just ask for a review? If you know that your team has provided great service and the customer is happy, they are likely willing to write a good review. They just may need a little guidance. It is 100% acceptable to request this of a satisfied customer. It also benefits you as the business owner.
Collect in the Field
Let’s say you have a business where service is provided at the home of the customer. Train your service technicians to collect reviews onsite. Give them a script to follow when asking for an online review. Offer incentives to customers that leave good reviews.
Utilize a Custom Review Link
Simply posting reviews on your website isn’t going to satisfy search engines or potential customers searching for reviews. Many times, Google reviews are shown in search results. You can create a custom link for customers to write reviews and it will go straight to your Google My Business page. Place this link on your website or send out in an email.
Interact and Respond
If someone writes a review, interact with them. Respond to their feedback directly no matter whether the review is good or bad…especially if bad! Often times, a customer is willing to remove their bad review if they feel that you have done everything to rectify the issue. This is the only way to remove bad reviews and is well worth the effort. For a good review, simply respond with a “Thanks, we appreciate your business!”
If you or someone you know needs help with collecting reviews and review management, contact us or give us a call at 713-309-6380. Brand Ranch Media is a full-service advertising agency. We would love to help you achieve all of your marketing goals!