by Venchito Tampon Jr | Last Updated on July 5, 2023

Customer testimonials and product reviews are some of the best sales tools any business can hope for. Statistics from Bright Local show that 76% of online consumers read Google reviews regularly before shopping at a local business.

This goes to show that consumers are more likely to buy from businesses with product ratings.
The presence of social proof can go a long way toward reassuring a hesitant shopper. It assists in providing additional context, thereby reducing returns by ensuring that customers feel satisfied with their purchases. 

If you’re ready to instill some trust into your business, below are tips to guide you on how to get more reviews for your local business. When used wisely, these tips will enable you to create meaningful social proof and assist in building a brand that people will love.

 

7 Tips To Follow For More Online Reviews

1. Start by Familiarizing Yourself with the Process

How long does it take a customer to leave a review or testimonial? A minute? Maybe more? Before they can post how they feel about your products or brand, customers will need to first go through certain steps. They have to:

  1. Go to their search engine and pull up Google Maps
  2.  Locate your brand.
  3.  Tap on it to display your Google Business Profile information. 
  4.  Scroll until they find the reviews section.
  5. Type their review. 

Try to shorten this process to encourage more customers to leave a review. Send them a link via email. 

 

2. Collect Email Addresses During the Billing Process

Requesting a buyer’s email address and other contact data during the billing process is a significant step to getting them to leave a review. Generally, if a customer is willing to share this information with you, it indicates they have had a rewarding experience. 

This type of customer is more likely to go online and share their experience with their followers.
Having collected their email address, you can send them a friendly follow-up email a few days later, asking them for a review. Ask them to provide an honest account of their experience with your product(s) and brand. 

If you can, try to use local citation software to track your business mentions online. 

 

3. Sign Up to the Same Sites as Your Buyers

There is no better way to get honest feedback than by being social and accessible to your shoppers. Go to your social media accounts and confirm they are easily accessible from your eCommerce store.
Set them up so those with questions and comments can easily reach you. If you happen to have a brick-and-mortar store, create a profile for it on platforms such as Google Places and Yelp. 

 

4. Claim Ownership of Your Online Profiles

No one knows the industry you’re in better than you. Thus, when signing up to review sites, confirm that these review sites can accomplish the following:

  • The sites make sense for your brand and speciality area
  •  Results pop up whenever you Google your brand or business name
  • These review sites attract dedicated users (For example, Yelp has over 224 million reviews today)

Once you’re done creating a short list of review sites to target, get around to setting them up. If, for any reason, you’re unable to do so, consider seeking help from a professional SEO agency. Failure to claim ownership can lead to missed opportunities and many inaccuracies. 

Also, claiming ownership of your business profile will give you more control over how your brand is represented online. It’s the surest way to guarantee that it will be represented accurately and in a manner that benefits it.

5. Incentivize Buyers to Leave a Review

Sometimes, even the most loyal and satisfied shoppers will need some incentive to take time out of their busy schedules to post a review. Providing an incentive to such shoppers is an excellent way to show appreciation for what they’re doing for you.

When making your offer, ensure the offer you make is for posting a review and not for leaving an exemplary review. These two phrases are quite different, as anyone who understands Google Shopping Campaigns will tell you. 

Introducing monthly giveaways, where reviewers get chosen randomly, is an ideal way to get started on incentivizing shoppers. What’s more, with such getaways, there exists no semblance of a transaction that pertains to buying reviews.

 

6. Reply to All Online Reviews

Whenever you request buyers to review your products or brand online, you automatically open yourself up to receiving bad reviews as well. And while these aren’t necessarily good for your platform, they are encouraged to prove honesty and improve feedback.

All you must do is remember to respond to all the reviews made online. In your responses, you’ll need to use a calm and helpful approach that will attempt to convert a poor review into a more positive experience.

The key factor here is that you must respond to all reviews –negative or positive. Responding to all reviews shows other potential shoppers that your brand has an active online presence and that it values its clientele.

According to a study published in the Harvard Business Review, taking your time to respond to customer reviews often leads to better overall ratings. In the long run, this will translate to better feedback, especially when management shows that it listens to the grievances raised. 

 

7. Consider Running a Google Review Email Campaign

Whether run as a large blanket campaign or via personalized messages, an email marketing campaign can enable you to get more Google business reviews. To improve its efficiency, don’t try to coerce shoppers to leave a review or sugar-coat your intentions.

Come out clearly and ask your customers to do something that can assist future shoppers in making an informed buying decision. Often, your customers will be more than happy to hop online and leave a review for you, especially if they are satisfied with your services. 

Just make sure that the process is short, easy to complete, and mapped out. Remember, your clientele leads busy lives and will likely walk away if they find the review process to be too long or too complicated.

 

Conclusion

Online reviews have the potential to change the direction of your business. They are the perfect way to become dialled into the happenings in your business, collect customer feedback, and expand your clientele. 

And this holds for all online reviews!

Positive reviews tell potential clients about your services and products and why they should shop with you. Negative ones, on the other hand, provide an opportunity to identify your shortcomings, take accountability, and learn from your mistakes.

Every business today can benefit from online reviews. The seven tips discussed above will help you to get started on getting more reviews. Combine this with any other information your SEO agency recommends, and you should note a spike in your overall review numbers in no time.

 

Online Reviews Frequently Asked Questions

Why Are Online Reviews So Important?

Online reviews are important as they serve as tiebreakers for customers struggling to decide between several similar products. That’s why a customer is more likely to choose your merchandise over another alternative if you have more positive online reviews than your competitor.

These testimonials also give you an open communication channel with your customers. They help you identify faults in your products, allowing you to make the necessary changes to ensure your brand stays competitive in the market.

 

What is the Best Online Review Platform?

Here are the best online review platforms for your business:

  • Google My Business
  • Yelp
  • Bing
  • OpenTable
  • FaceBook
  • TripAdvisor
  • Foursquare
  • Manta
  • BBB (Better Business Bureau)

The success of an online review platform depends on how well-suited it is for your business. So, here are a few things to consider before you choose one of these platforms;

  • Can the platform guarantee me genuine reviews from real customers?
  • What extra resources does the platform offer to improve the collection of reviews?
  • Does the platform allow the sharing of reviews to other online platforms?
  • Can I reply to customer reviews through the platform?

 

How to Ask for Online Reviews? 

Here are a few proven ways to ask for online reviews without sounding pushy;

  • Send personalised emails to customers and ask them to leave a comment on your review platform
  • Include a link to your review platform on the business page
  • Verbally ask your customers to leave a review on your online platforms
  • Create a review template for customers who do not have time to frame a review of their own
  • Offer incentives in exchange for reviews

 

How to Respond to Online Reviews?

Responding to both negative and positive reviews can help build loyalty and solidify your online reputation. Here are some of the best practices for replying to online reviews;

  • Always thank the customer for taking the time to leave the review
  • Be timely with your response
  • Listen to the customer and get more details (especially if they have a complaint)
  • Apologise whenever necessary
  • Always signoff using your real name or initials to display authenticity
  • Keep the interaction professional at all times

 

How to Handle Negative Reviews?

Asking clients to leave comments regarding their experiences with your business opens doors for both positive and negative reviews. That’s why it is essential to learn how to handle them. Here are a few steps for handling negative customer reviews:

  • Thank the customer for the review
  • Apologise for the poor customer experience
  • Listen to customer complaints and get the details
  • Show you are willing to go the extra mile to rectify the situation