Whether it is a physical product, digital product or
service, there are places on the Internet to review it. Those reviews can
mean a lot for the companies selling those products and services.
- 92% of consumers
now read online reviews vs. 88% in 2014. That means that what people say about
your product or service is having a bigger impact than ever before, and if you
have little to no reviews, it’s very likely that you’re losing customers.
- 44% of consumers say
a review must be written within one month to be relevant. Which means even if
you have a few great reviews, you should always be looking to get more.
So why not just go out and get some more reviews? …Getting
reviews is tough. Writing a review takes up precious time for the reviewer
without providing much benefit to them. In fact, they typically only leave a
review for one of three reasons:
- They hate the product
- They love the product
- They’re somewhere in-between but would like to clear
up any confusion around the product for other potential buyers
(essentially just doing something nice)
1. Ask while they’re
happy
You work hard to ensure every customer has a positive
experience. The best time to ask for an online review is while you can see that
gleam of appreciation. Seize the moment and ask for reviews sooner than later
(when they’ve forgotten about you).
Don’t be shy either. Confidently asking for a positive
review and a positive attitude is often all it takes to motivate somebody to
help you. You’ll be surprised how many more reviews you’ll get by being more
bold with your customers.
2. Make it easy
Unless your customer is in love with your product or service,
it is highly unlikely that they’ll write a review for your business if it
requires a big effort. Providing clear links to where you want them to write
their reviews will allow them to quickly and easily leave you a review. No
searching required.
3. Follow up with
your customers
If you have the customer’s email address, follow up your
initial request for a review about three days later with a reminder email
containing those same links of where to for review submissions.
Reminder emails can account for a huge percentage of review conversions.
Acquiring glowing reviews is only one part of success of
reviews. To fully maximize the benefit, feature reviews on your website. Most people
who are potentially interested in buying from you or working with you will
invariably end up there and it’s a great way to showcase how much your
customers value you.
To learn more about the benefit of reviews or to begin
working on a review acquisition strategy, call Sales & Marketing
Technologies at 407.682.2222 or use the contact form below.