A client review is necessary for every business success.
Online commerce today gives consumers an idea of what a good product is based on a company’s online reputation. The ratings often have a scale of one to five or feedback from customers.
People look for reviews because they want to know if a product or a service can solve their pain points. According to BrightLocal’s consumer review survey, 90% of consumers used the internet to find a local business.
This is why 5 star reviews are valuable in driving your sales and gaining leads. Consumers trust client reviews to vouch for the quality of the product or service that they need.
If you want to win more customers, you need happy clients to share their positive experience with your business.
Don’t stay stuck using an old strategy. Improve your online reputation by getting client reviews. Step up your game with ReviewLead and increase your 5 star ratings online to attract more leads, increase your sales, and make your business grow.
What is a client review?
A tool for conversion
Client reviews are feedback or rating from your previous customers. You can get a positive or negative review depending on a client’s experience.
Consumers have the convenience of technology on their side to be savvy about purchases these days. It’s so easy to check online reviews to know if a business is fit for what they need. Chances are, you’re also reading client reviews when looking for a product or services.
A tool to build trust and purchase confidence
Client reviews are not there to simply make your website pretty ー it builds trust and confidence of searchers towards your business. A study by Spiegel Research Center suggests that the purchase likelihood for a product with five reviews is 270% greater than a product without any reviews.
A tool for gaining an edge over the competition
Client reviews also have the power to persuade leads to choose you over your competitors. Around 93% of consumers said that online reviews impact their purchasing decisions according to the Podium. This proves that with just a few sentences, client reviews can influence a consumer on the internet when deciding which business to use.
When someone searches for a product or service that your business offers, it will show up in the search engine alongside your competitors. If you don’t have positive reviews or 5-star ratings, consumers will prefer your competitors to your business.
The psychology behind a 5-star rating
Five-star reviews are significant to build your online reputation. Only 53% of people would consider using a business with less than 4 stars. But why do most Ecommerce brands use this rating system?
Five-star ratings give more idea of how a business is than using the yes and no rating or even the three-star rating which only consists of negative, neutral, and positive ratings.
Sometimes, customers and sellers alike have a fear of giving or receiving negative ratings. The lack of choices for the yes and no rating or three-star rating system make most consumers and sellers give positive ratings or no reviews at all. It doesn’t provide information about a product or a service’s quality which is one of the significant points of reviews and feedback.
This is why five-star ratings are the basis of a good product on most Ecommerce sites. The scale can be seen as 1 being really bad, 2 = bad, 3= neutral, 4 = good, and 5 = great.
This serves as an easy scale for reviewers to place a label on their review without much effort from their side and without overloading them with options. Its simplicity is favored by people and allows shoppers to view and scan the product’s quality in a short time.
What percentage of clients write reviews?
Asking for reviews may feel awkward on your side, but your consumers are completely okay with writing one for you if they’re satisfied with their experience. Consumers may even feel happy that you asked them since it means that their feedback matters to you and you’re willing to improve your business using their opinions.
Around 76% of consumers will write a review when they are asked compared to 70% from 2019. That’s a large chunk of consumers who are willing to share their opinion!
Plus, people who write reviews for local businesses wrote an average of 9 in 2019. Around 18 to 34 year olds write more than twice the reviews written by consumers aged 55 and above.
Now that you know who to ask for reviews, use it to your advantage and get more 5 star reviews today with ReviewLead.
What to know when asking for a review
Don’t be afraid to ask for reviews ー just make sure to do it the right way.
Remember, reviews empower your customers to help other people make smart decisions about the service or product they’re going to purchase.
We’re going to cover the things you need before sending requests to your clients. This is to ensure that you won’t make a mistake when requesting a review and keep your relationship good with your clients.
Pick your best customers
Focus on people who had a good experience with your business and who has also interacted with your business recently enough to remember you. But remember to allow the customers to receive and use the product or service first before asking them for a review.
Other than these clients, you can also look at people who refer your business to others because they had a great experience, people who are tagging you on social media, customers who are going back to your site, and more.
Set up your account on review sites
A review site is a website on which customers can post a review about people, businesses, products, or services. Use these websites to grow your online reputation.
List down the review site for your business and set up your accounts or claim your listing on Google, Yelp, Yahoo, Facebook, and other appropriate review sites for your industry. This is important since someone might beat you to set up an account which can lead to inaccuracies.
You need the ownership of those pages so you have some level of control over it and keep your business represented in the best way possible. It’s also easier to guide your customers on where they should leave their reviews.
Here are the most common review sites that people consult to find out more about a business, product, or service.
Google is the world’s largest search engine platform, so it’s natural to ensure that your business can claim a listing on Google My Business.
This is helpful for customers looking for general information about your business or if you have a physical store, your location becomes easier to find via Google Maps.
Yelp is one of the most trusted review sites, especially in the US. Monitor your account regularly because your response time and rate are highlighted which may encourage or discourage readers based on your performance.
Facebook is essential since it provides convenience for customers who don’t want to leave the platform to search for a product or a service that will solve their pain points. Make sure to create a page or claim your business page.
Use an open-ended question when asking for reviews
Asking your customers directly for positive reviews may come off as demanding.
Try to use an open-ended question instead. It can be as simple as “How are you liking our product/service? Let us know”.
This method helps gauge your customer’s satisfaction before sending a review request which can avoid an awkward interaction with clients with a negative experience.
Work with an all in one review management service
You don’t have to manually do everything alone. Save your time and do other important business tasks and let ReviewLead handle everything about your client reviews and online reputation.
We provide tools for easily sending review requests. We have a simple interface that is convenient when clients want to leave a review. We also ensure that you have fresh and timely reviews, capture negative reviews so you can resolve issues internally, monitor your online channels, and more!
How to get client reviews
Customers and prospects care about online reviews. You need client reviews to build brand trust since people rely on others’ opinions when looking for a business online.
Increase positive online reviews to attract them to interact with your business. Get client reviews today using these tips:
Ask your customers
Asking for a review from your customer is the best way to get them to leave a review. Some customers are busy, forget to leave a review, or simply don’t know where to write one. You will need to give them a light nudge to receive a review from them.
One of the best ways to connect to your audience is via email because around 91% of consumers check their email daily and 58% of consumers open their email before doing other things online. You can send them a personalized request to leave a review for your business.
ReviewLead can help you with this task. You remain in charge while we do the work. We will create a pre-approved email before sending them to your chosen contacts.
We also add direct links to the review site so it’s easier and less time-consuming for them. . There is an increase in average rating for brands when they send a direct link of where the customers should write the review.
Let them know how long it will take
Time is important when asking for customer reviews. Tell your customers how long the review might take. A little side-note that says, “This review will only take a minute” can push them to leave one.
Guide your clients on leaving an online review
The review process can sometimes be confusing to your clients. Their time and feedback are precious and they’re giving you favor so make sure that the process is seamless for them.
Keep the process straightforward. Instead of directing your clients to multiple pages, just give them the link and instructions on how to leave a review.
ReviewLead gives your clients a step-by-step guide on how to leave a review for your business. This can include any popular or industry-specific review site of your choice.
With this, the review process is shorter and you’ll most likely have more customers who are willing to give their review.
Don’t forget to say thank you
When you ask your customers to leave a review, you’re also putting their reputation on the line. A simple thank you can go a long way!
Their friends, family, and the public will also see their reviews, so make sure that you let them know how grateful you are. Your reply to their review will make them feel appreciated.
Add a review section on your website
Make things accessible to your clients. When they revisit your website, a widget that requests for a review can help you gain more client reviews quickly.
With ReviewLead, you can have a website widget that will showcase your top reviews and get other clients to leave a review directly on your site.
This also works as a way to present to your new visitors the glowing feedback from your satisfied clients since there will be a dedicated page for your customer feedback. Besides, adding client reviews on your site makes your business seem more trustworthy.
Respond to reviews
Maintain client engagement by replying to their reviews. Responding promptly will be appreciated by your clients.
78% of consumers feel that brands care about them when they receive a reply. It also shows your leads that you took your time to respond to each customer whether it’s a negative or positive client review.
ReviewLead has a system that monitors all third-party review sites in real-time. This means you can get a notification and receive the link to the review once a client wrote one. Prompt response is essential for a good online reputation.
Don’t worry about negative reviews, we catch them before it’s posted online. When we send requests, we make sure to give a different link to satisfied customers and clients who have some issues.
Customers with negative experiences are directed to a form where they can voice out their concerns. This gives you time to resolve their problem on time and prevents bad reviews from tainting your online reputation.
Promote your good reviews so others can see it
Good reviews can encourage your other customers to leave a review for your business since you are showcasing how valuable their opinions are to your business.
ReviewLead has tools that can help you share your 5 star reviews on different websites. Make sure to share the glowing feedback for your business consistently to raise brand awareness and generate buzz.
The great thing about promoting your good reviews is that your leads can also see it. The positive reviews and 5 star ratings assure them that your business can make your clients happy with a high-quality product or service.
Keep posting new reviews
Getting reviews should be a regular part of your process. Fresh reviews give customers more confidence with a brand compared to numerous but dated reviews. New reviews are also important because 48% of consumers pay attention to reviews that are posted within the past two weeks.
Request throttling is a part of ReviewLead’s process. This means, we only send your pre-approved message to a certain number of contacts at a time so your business always has fresh reviews that searchers can consult.
Clever ways to ask for client reviews
Businesses still get customer reviews even without asking customers. But it is better to implement a review acquisition strategy to have a higher number of quality reviews for your business in no time.
Now that you know what you need to get good reviews, here are some smart and easy tips to help you build get more reviews from your satisfied clients:
Identify the right moments to ask
Ask for reviews promptly. You can’t just ask people after years of doing a transaction with your business ー they might have already forgotten about your business at that time.
Know your customer’s journey. If you ask them at the wrong time, there’s a higher chance that the customer may leave a negative review.
These are the ideal times you can ask your customers for their feedback.
- When they showed satisfaction about your product or service
- When they re-purchase or re-order
- They’ve tag your brand in a post on social media
- If they are going back to your website
- If they are browsing other products or services at your website
- If they refer your brand to another person
These are just some of the obvious signs that they are happy with their experience. Since you solved your client’s pain points, they are going to be happy to leave a review for your business. So take the chance and ask them for a review!
Add the request to your email newsletter
For this, you need to make sure that you have a segmented email list for a carefully-targeted audience, just like when sending an email for the review request itself.
You can simply add a simple sentence at the end of the newsletter like, “How’s your experience with our business? Leave us a review on Facebook!” then add a link after it.
Meet your customers halfway
Make things easy for your customers. When you claim your listing, ensure that it’s the most popular review sites or the ones suitable for your industry. You can also utilize social media pages like Facebook or any sites so those who haven’t left a review yet can see other client reviews.
Once you have the accounts for the right listings, ReviewLead can make things more convenient for your customers.
We will make sure to include your chosen platform or platforms so customers can choose one that they’re most comfortable on. Links will also be included so all they have to do is click it and write a review.
Adding a prompt like “Will you leave a review about the most recent product you purchased?” or “Can you tell us about your experience?” can be helpful so customers won’t be at loss on what to write for your business.
Resend review requests over time
Creating an email campaign for clients who have not left a review for your business yet can encourage them to do so.
ReviewLead has a sophisticated messaging platform that can create custom emails that only target customers who need a gentle reminder to leave a review. We also make sure to keep email correspondence short and sweet to save your customers’ time.
Ask people to review you offline
If you have a physical store, make a sign that invites your customers to leave a review on sites of your choices like Yelp, Google Maps, Facebook, and more. You can simply add the name of your profile or a shortened link to help them easily find you on the review site.
Creative ways to get positive reviews
Get more client reviews by showing your creativity. You can use these tips along with your main request acquisition strategy like email to make sure that your customers won’t forget to write feedback for your business.
Handout card
This can be a good addition to physical products! Here are the things you can add to the card:
- Company logo
- Your website page
- The URL where you want your clients to leave a review like your Yelp listing, Google listing, and more.
You can shorten the URL using a URL shortener online. It’s easy and it makes the process quick and convenient to your customers too since they have to type it into their browser.
Handwritten note
If you run a business where interaction with customers is common, you might have some that are close to you to some degree.
Here are some short note you can add to your handwritten card:
- “Thank you for purchasing! Let us know if you enjoy the product by leaving a review at [link].”
- “How was it working with us? Let us know here at [link].”
- “We’d love to hear your feedback. You can leave us a review at [link].”
Handwritten notes are great especially for loyal customers, satisfied customers, or at least someone who has done multiple deals with your business. You can also send a review request to customers with whom you want to cultivate a long-lasting relationship.
Start an employee rewards pool
Want to get customer reviews fast? Get help from your employees! Giving individual rewards to your team may help gain more reviews. You can give monetary prizes, a subscription to something, a gift card, or even a day off.
Use a thank you page or an invoice
Does your business use electronic receipts or invoices that are sent through email? You can use it to ask for a review of your costumes through that or use your website’s “Thank You” page.
Of course, make sure to test it out first on customers that you know are satisfied with your business.
You can add a simple, open-ended question at the end of the invoice like “How did we do today? Leave us a review!” then include the link to the review platform of your choice.
Add a thank you note for them in advance for taking their time. And remember, don’t be pushy when using this method. You still want your customer to feel satisfied and happy with their experience with your business after the purchase.
A/B test your messaging to find the sweet spot
Test out your different types of email to your customers and compare which ones got them to leave a review. This is your chance to make the email personalize for individual customers. Each of your clients are different, so make sure to treat them like one.
Do something good
You can ask your clients to review in exchange for your company donating to a charity of your choice. This isn’t forcing your clients to leave a positive review because any honest feedback should be welcome.
For example, for every review that a customer makes, your company will donate $5 to a charity. You can also remind them that online reviews help your business provide better services and their feedback is valuable for other consumers, too.
Seeking a 5-star rating?
Online reviews are social proof, the most powerful marketing tactic today. Positive feedback makes it easy for leads to trust in your business more. So make sure to utilize a strategy to acquire good reviews and promote it on different channels.
Generating 5 star reviews takes time and effort before it works. It’s not something that you acquire overnight that will instantly boost your brand awareness and build a good reputation for your business.
ReviewLead makes the process convenient and manageable, especially for busy business owners. No need to learn the ins and outs of online reviews, we can maintain your online reputation and get more positive reviews that your business deserves.
