In this day and age, many customers trust online reviews from previous customers as a basis for purchasing decisions. Many review websites help offer detailed reviews and descriptions of individual experiences with a company, business, or service. Boosting your store’s reviews can help generate new leads, helping to bring your business to the next level. Even better, they’re a form of free marketing!
Boosting your online reviews doesn’t need to be difficult! In this brief overview, we’ll explore why you need more online reviews for your store and some easy steps to getting more reviews.
Importance of Online Reviews
Online reviews offer many important benefits for a business. Without an online presence and reviews, customers may doubt your business’s experience and create doubt. Reviews help to make your store look trustworthy.
Reviews help potential customers gain confidence and trust in your business. Often, users have trust in consumers like them. These online reviews can help prospects turn into legitimate customers! In addition, online reviews are important in increasing your business’s visibility.
Having online reviews also helps give your business an open line to consumers. When a customer leaves you feedback, whether positive or negative, you can respond directly to their comments. This shows user prospects that your company cares about continually improving and bettering your customer service.
7 Steps to Getting More Online Reviews
1. Set Up Business Profiles on Several Review Sites
The first step to getting online reviews is to set up profiles on various review sites. This may include Google, Yahoo, TripAdvisor, Yelp, etc., depending on the nature of your business.
2. Kindly Ask your Customers
Asking a customer for a review is not frowned upon. It’s encouraged! After you’re done providing services, kindly ask your customer to leave you feedback if they were pleased. There are many ways to go about this, including adding a link to review your company in your email signature or simply asking in person.
3. Offer Incentives
A good business will never buy its way into good reviews. However, some incentives can help encourage your customers to leave online feedback. This could be an entry into a giveaway or sweepstakes or a coupon for their next purchase. Small incentives can go a long way in building up your online reviews.
4. Social Media Reviews
Asking for reviews via social media platforms, such as Facebook, will help you reach a larger prospective client base. People who already follow your business will likely be encouraged to write a social media review. Targeting this audience can be helpful to boost your online reviews.
5. Respond to Reviews
Replying to your customer reviews helps show how much your business values feedback. This can encourage other people reading the reviews to leave one, especially if they’re looking for feedback or input from you.
6. Share Reviews
When you get an outstanding review from a client, share them or mark them as “helpful” on review platforms. By doing this, these reviews will come to the top when new prospective clients search for your business.
7. Email Follow Up
If you feel a client is pleased with your services, follow up by running an email campaign targeting past customers. Sometimes getting new client reviews is as simple as asking kindly! While incentives are a great motivator, sometimes clients who just love your service will be apt to write a review without incentives.
8. Getting Started
Looking for more ways to help level up your eCommerce business? Check out our eCommerce Education Programs.