How You Can Get More Reviews
If you want more online reviews for your business the first thing that you have to do is ask.
That sounds simple enough and probably painfully obvious but, many companies simply don’t do it and if you don’t ask, you won’t receive.
A consumer review survey done by BrightLocal, an SEO software tool, found that 7 out of 10 consumers will leave a review for a business when they are asked to do so.
Positive online reviews are a key differentiator, help you outshine your competitors, and one of the most powerful ways to convert potential customers. When you take a little time to understand the review process, the great work and service that your business provides will translate into a positive reputation online which will make you more visible in the crowded digital space where customers are looking for someone that they can trust.
Online reviews and star ratings are social proof that help consumers save time and avoid frustration in their research process.
There is a growing number of online review sites that cover just about every industry and service. This is a benefit to both sides of the transaction.
How to Get More Online Reviews (Ask Right Away)
Online reviews impact local search rankings and influence buying decisions so, how do you get more of them to generate more business?
There are several ways to collect reviews including via:
- Phone
- Text Message and/or Website Landing Page
- Transcribed from a Written Review
Whichever method works best for you, the key thing to remember is:
Ask for a review right away.
Don’t give the customer an opportunity to forget how great your service was. Strike while the iron is hot, as they say, and ask right away. We’re not in the habit of sharing advice that rhymes, but, if it helps you remember, then we’re happy to do it.
It’s not unheard of to ask a customer to leave a review while they are still in your building. They can fill out a review from their mobile phone or you can have a tablet handy for them to post a review as they leave.
Email follow-up is also a painless way to generate reviews but, again, make sure that it goes out within a day of their visit and you make it easy for them and include a simple, one-click review button. However, there’s one more review solicitation method you should pay attention to: texting.
Texting Is The Best Way to Solicit Online Reviews
We recommend sending a text message to all your customers or patients to get reviews. These days, most people have smartphones and prefer texting and messaging apps over any other form of communication.
Over 90% of text messages are opened within the first 3-4 minutes of receiving them whereas a “good” average email open rate, for any industry, hovers around 25%. An even lower number than that is the average click-through rate for promotional emails which is about 4%.
Email requests for reviews can wind up in spam folders, or promotional tabs for Gmail users, that often get ignored or deleted. Texting is immediate, convenient, less intrusive, and provides you with a captive audience that can’t resist the urge to open a text message.
They also make your business stand out because many companies have not leveraged this opportunity to cut through the noise and reach their customers where they prefer to communicate.
Email requests for reviews do still work and we’re not suggesting to give up on that completely. However, we can recommend using your valuable time making phone call requests for reviews because you’re likely to get someone’s voicemail and nobody likes to listen to voicemails anymore.
Lastly, don’t forget your manners.
Whichever review method you choose for your business, don’t forget to say thank you to customers that write reviews. It’s good for repeat business and shows potential customers how much you care.
Contact RepCheckup today for help setting up your review generation solution.
