How to get more reviews for your business

Your business should always aim to provide excellent service and unprecedented value to every customer. Doing so will reward you with great satisfaction and loyalty while reducing complaints and other negative repercussions.

Through pleasing your customers, you are more likely to generate positive publicity through their reviews and testimonials. These reviews have the power to encourage others to purchase from you and drive your sales potential.

Reviews are increasingly prominent today, with many different platforms for people to share their experiences. Despite this, many businesses don’t fully leverage this positive feedback – or fail to retrieve them from buyers altogether.

We explore how to secure more reviews for your brand and where to use them to get the best results.

• Why are reviews important for your business?
• 7 tips for getting more reviews
• How to use reviews to secure sales

Reviews are a vital step in encouraging people to buy from your business. Research shows that 9 in 10 people will read a review before purchasing a product, highlighting it as an integral part of customers’ research before they commit to a purchase. Reviews are often cited as essential in the consideration stage of the buyer’s journey.

A review may be the difference between someone choosing to purchase from you or avoiding you altogether.  94% of people have been affected by reviews when making a purchasing decision.

Moreover, reviews will impact how much a customer is willing to spend, with data suggesting favourable reviews can boost customer spending by up to 31%. It’s not just the B2C sector where this matters – 92% of B2B buyers say a review will make them more likely to purchase.

By gathering authentic reviews from real customers, you will build trust. Your audience is likelier to listen to someone similar to them, so demonstrating that other people have had positive experiences with your brand is crucial. It’s also a low-effort way to secure content which puts the user voice in focus rather than the brand.

Finally, reviews can boost your local SEO efforts. Google includes reviews in its ranking algorithm, which means that businesses that have many positive ones are more likely to rank higher. When a customer searches for your brand on Google, they are more likely to gain a positive impression through higher review scores.

With the rewards that reviews bring, it’s in your best interest to gather as many as possible for your business. Here are our tips for doing so. 

1. Be present on the proper channels

There are many trusted channels that users visit to find business reviews. Examples include Google Business, Trustpilot, Tripadvisor and even Facebook.

Endeavour to have profiles on these channels. People want to share their experiences and opinions, so give them a platform to do so. It’s worth noting that even if you do not set up profiles, people will still be able to leave reviews – and it’s far better to be in control!

The platforms listed above will likely rank highly on search engine results pages. Most feature a score that searchers can see when they look for your business. Your aim should be to secure positive reviews to get these scores as high as possible and build a favourable first impression.

2. Ask!

The simplest way to secure reviews is to ask your customers for them! More will be willing to spend a few minutes leaving a review than you might expect.

The most common way to request reviews is via email. It may be worth setting up an automated email asking for feedback within a specific timescale after purchase. Alternatively, your sales team may request a review or testimonial when speaking with customers.

In any scenario, aim to ask customers when the purchase is still recent, while it is fresh in their mind. Remember that they are doing you a favour, so it’s best to approach them politely and show gratitude if they agree.

If you are present on multiple review platforms, it might be worth diversifying the channels that you ask your customers to leave feedback on. By sending users to different links, you will increase your reviews across channels and boost your score on each. 

3. Focus on those customers that you know have had a good experience

When gathering reviews, your focus should be on securing positive ones, as these will highlight your business and encourage others to purchase.

This doesn’t mean ignoring the bad ones. These should still be taken on board, allowing you to learn from your mistakes and present a balanced view to customers. It will also come across as ingenuine if you delete and block negative reviews on your profiles, so avoid doing this.

However, the spotlight must be on your positive reviews to win over sales. Approach customers likely to leave good feedback – for example, those you already have strong relationships with or have shared positive sentiments with your sales team.

These people are also more likely to be willing to share their opinions, making it easier to request feedback. 

4. Use incentives

If you still struggle to secure reviews despite politely asking customers, consider offering incentives. These give customers an additional reason to leave feedback and might make them more open.

Examples of incentives include giving people discounts on their next purchase or entering them into a monthly giveaway draw.

While incentives will help, the very best way to secure reviews is to deliver excellent service and build strong customer relationships, so make this your primary goal. 

5. Respond to reviews

When people take the time to provide feedback for your business, it is only fair to respond. Doing so will show customers that their opinions are valued and being listened to.

Schedule time to reply to your reviews across your various channels. It is vital to do this for both the good and the bad.

Responding to negative reviews will mitigate their impact, showing the reviewer that you are taking their feedback on board while giving your side of the story. It can also give the wider audience confidence that issues are being worked on and are unlikely to affect them. 

6. Ask questions for inspiration

Some people find it hard to express their thoughts in a review format, which puts them off leaving feedback. If this is the case with your customers, ask questions that prompt a response.

Examples of questions may include:

• What challenges have our products/services helped you overcome?
• How has our product/service improved your life?
• What was your favourite part of using this product/service?
• Would you recommend us to a friend?

These questions inspire more detailed responses that will fuel in-depth commentary. Asking such questions is especially vital if you are collecting testimonials or case studies, which tend to be more comprehensive than a traditional online review.

7. Exceed expectations

If people have an experience that exceeds their expectations, they are far more likely to share it with others – including going out of their way to leave a review.

Aim to surpass customer expectations by offering stellar service and high-quality products that help them to address pain points and feel satisfied with their purchase.

It’s the little details that often take an experience from good to excellent. Personalisation, complementary additions and thoughtful touches can have significant effects.

Examples include placing small gifts alongside ordered items, sending personal thank you notes or utilising special packaging that makes your customers want to share their experiences.

These touches may seem low effort, but they have the power to boost satisfaction and generate positive reviews and testimonials.

Once you have generated positive reviews for your business, make them work for you by showcasing them publicly where they will convert leads into customers. We’ve listed five ways to utilise them.

1. Put them front and centre on your website

The most important place to present your reviews is on your website. Your website is often where a lead will go to learn more about your business, therefore showcasing positive customer experiences will leave a favourable impression.

Other good places to present reviews include your homepage or the dedicated pages for the products and services they refer to. You might even have a designated reviews or case studies area.

By keeping your reviews timely and up to date, you will stand a better chance of convincing users to purchase when they visit your website.

2. Turn them into social posts

Reviews also have a purpose on social media. Your social media channels are another location that leads might use to gain awareness of your business and research a purchasing decision.

User-generated content, such as reviews, boosts social media engagement by over 50%, meaning you will get better results across your channels while growing your sales potential.

3. Repurpose them into case studies and testimonials

Case studies and testimonials take reviews to the next level, highlighting customer stories in more detail. They offer in-depth information about real-life experiences, which influence others to buy.

If you identify a review that offers impressive feedback, consider approaching that customer for an interview to learn more. They may not say yes, but if they do, it’s a great way to get extra mileage from one positive experience.

Another great idea is creating a video testimonial to feature on your website and social media channels, as this again will drive engagement. 

4. Feature in your marketing collateral and advertising

Including your reviews in marketing collateral (such as leaflets, brochures, posters etc.) and adverts can back up your business’s claims. They will also add to the authenticity of your materials and improve their impact.

Highlighting your positive reviews will give people a strong impression making it more likely that they will remember this positivity when they next see advertising about your brand, further driving the message that you are pushing home. 

5. Add them to email campaigns

Finally, consider incorporating reviews into your emails. This is particularly helpful for campaigns dedicated to warming up and converting leads.

If you send an email highlighting a product or service, it’s worth including reviews that are relevant to that product or service to help support your messaging. It may also be worth adding reviews into the email template footer so that every campaign showcases your strong brand reputation and excellent customer experiences.

Reviews are integral in boosting your sales power. They allow people to learn what to expect from your business and move them along their customer journey towards a purchase.

Collecting favourable reviews will build your scores and improve your reputation. Sharing these reviews across your channels will provide good first impressions to new leads wherever they come across you.

The results are customers who feel their voices are valued and higher conversion rates from leads who want to gain the same outstanding experience.

Reviews are a crucial step to creating user experiences that align with the natural customer journey and encourage leads to purchase with your business.

Get in touch with OM to find out how else we can elevate your customer experiences, including designing a reviews strategy for your journey.