The Ultimate Guide to Requesting Customer Reviews
A steady stream of reviews boosts a business’s reputation, search ranking, and revenue. But how do you ask for them? There are several methods for requesting reviews. We’ll cover how to ask in person, via email, and on your website. We’ll also provide review request templates to make things easier!
Ask For a Peer Review
When done correctly, online reviews can help small businesses build brand credibility, solidify their reputation in the local community, and boost SEO. However, not all company owners know the best or most appropriate ways to get feedback. Ideally, asking for a peer review is the most effective way to encourage positive feedback. This method allows for a more personal touch and may work better for some businesses than other methods like email, SMS, or social media.
The appropriate time to ask for a review depends on the sort of product or service your firm delivers. For example, if you provide customer support for a tech product, it’s best to send a review request shortly after an initial purchase or renewal. Doing so at other points in the process can feel impersonal and inauthentic to the customer.
Whatever technique you choose to get evaluations, it’s critical to establish your objectives and create a process that supports them. The type of review, how it’s collected, and where you share it can impact your response rate and overall success. For instance, some companies only collect reviews at the point of sale or care, while others prioritize building their Google profile. Either way, ensuring that the process you choose aligns with your goals will be more likely to provide success.
Send an Email
While email sometimes performs better than asking in person, it can still be effective at scale. Start by determining which platforms you want to solicit reviews on. Please ensure you know each platform’s review-requesting policies, and adhere to them. Thinking carefully about the type of review you desire is essential since it will influence how you word your request.
You can send your email review request to customers who’ve left optimistic, unprompted comments on social media, or you can run an NPS survey or other customer satisfaction (CSAT) survey to identify your most likely promoters. Alternatively, you can send your review-request emails to any customer who’s referred a friend to your business. It will assist in keeping your brand in the minds of potential clients. When sending an email review request, clearly and politely ask for a review.
Include a direct link to the platform you’re looking for a review on, and try using a subject line with a personal touch — like the customer’s name. A tailored subject line increases email opens by 56%. If you’re a retail store or software company, including a review-request link on your thank-you page for online orders is a good idea. It will assist in keeping your brand in mind for customers and inspire them to share their experiences with peers.
Place a Review Button on Your Website
Whether you offer products or services, make it as simple as possible for customers to evaluate your business. Reviews boost credibility, improve search engine optimization (SEO), and lead to more conversions. So don’t wait! Put a review button on your website to encourage new and existing customers to share their experiences with your brand. Often, the easiest way to ask for a review is through email.
You can either ask explicitly or encourage subtly. Both methods are effective, but combining both approaches is best. For example, a business can include a link to its review page in an after-sale follow-up email. It is a great time to ask because the customer has already experienced your service and is ready to give you feedback.
Additionally, businesses can use tools to display reviews on their website. It allows them to choose which feeds they would like to feature and change the’ Load More’ text, label, margins, and background color. It’s also possible to customize the widget with shortcode settings. A steady stream of positive feedback may help improve your SEO and ranking, so it’s worth the extra work to ensure your review button is visible to the right people.
Share Reviews on Social Media
Reviews are an essential part of a business’s online marketing strategy. They build customer trust, increase visibility, and boost search engine rankings. However, many small businesses need assistance creating reviews and distributing them to the right audience. When asking for a review, clarify what you want to achieve. Do you want to improve your reputation, grow your audience, or increase sales? Your decision-making will be aided by having a clear understanding of your objectives.
It’s important to respect your customers’ time when asking for reviews. Most people are only willing to promote their experience at a company if they feel valued. Try to avoid overwhelming them with requests or bombarding them with email blasts. Instead, target your most loyal customers — the ones that love your products and services and will share their experiences with others.
It’s also essential to follow review sites’ policies when sharing their content on social media. Copying and pasting reviews is not a good idea, as it looks unprofessional and can lead to reprimands or even banning from the site. Instead, consider using screenshots sourced from the original review site to share on your social media accounts.
