When you’re shopping with a company you aren't familiar with, what’s the first thing you do? What makes you feel confident before you make a purchase? Do you hesitate if you don’t find everything you’re looking for?
If we had to bet, we’d guess that the product description and the professional photos aren't enough to persuade you to buy with a new business. Don’t worry - you aren’t the only one.
Studies suggest that customers need to read roughly 10 online reviews before feeling like they trust a business. Online business reviews are an invaluable tool that persuades individuals to make a purchase and helps you establish your credibility. However, if your brand doesn't have reviews on your product pages or you don't have many on Yelp and Google - you could risk losing business to your competitors.
Here’s everything you need to know to learn how to get more customer reviews:
Why Online Business Reviews Are Important?
Establish Credibility
The more reviews you have, the more prospects trust shopping with your brand. Customer reviews help build credibility and show shoppers that you have high-quality items customers use, know, and love.
Answer Questions and Concerns
Let’s say you’re buying a pair of pants from an online store. However, you’re worried they won’t fit how you want them to. As a consumer, you’d most likely head straight to the reviews to see what others are saying about the fit of the jeans.
Customer reviews take your product descriptions one step further. They answer your customer's questions and give them the confidence they need to complete a purchase. If you didn’t have reviews, the customer would likely move on or shop for jeans with a different business.
Improve Customer Loyalty
Reviews help you build trust with your target audienceThey keep your consumers informed and show shoppers that you value transparency and want to help them find what they need.
If you don’t get more online reviews, customers may feel hesitant to make a purchase. They make you feel like you have something to hide or aren’t an established brand to shop with.
Improves Your Online Presence
If you know how to get online reviews on Yelp, Google, and your website: You'll establish yourself as an industry leader and be exposed to new opportunities. Online customer reviews bring new customers to your website, educate current customers, and boost engagement.
Persuade First-Time Buyers
When it’s a customer’s first time browsing a new website, they may feel hesitant to make a purchase. They’ve never seen or had one of your products, so they don’t know the quality of the items they invest in.
With online reviews from past customers, you can help persuade these prospects to purchase. These reviews provide the peace of mind they need to add the items to their cart and feel more inclined to move forward with the purchase.
How to get Online Reviews
1. Ask Customers to Leave a Review
The easiest way to get a review is to just ask for one! If you actively send emails or follow up with your customers asking them to review your products, you’re more likely to land a few new reviews. If you had a great meeting with a customer that loves your product, send them business review cards or a handwritten note asking them to review it on Google or Yelp.
2. Make Leaving Reviews Easily Accessible
If your website visitors can’t figure out how to leave a review without being prompted to through email, it will disrupt the user experience. To receive more reviews on your site, you’ll want to make it clear on the product landing page. Add a leave a review CTA and the star rating next to the product description.
3. Follow up With Purchases
After someone receives a product, send them a follow-up email. Ask them if they like the product and can share their experience online with other customers. With the right email marketing tools, you can automate these emails to send with a specific frequency. Don’t be afraid to send a few follow-up emails a few weeks later! Sometimes all a customer needs is an extra push.
Also, when creating emails, you want the user experience to be as easy, seamless, and personalized as possible. Users should be able to go review the product with one click of a button that will take them to the review page.
4. Offer a Discount on a Future Order
If you don’t have any reviews on your site, incentivize past shoppers with coupons. Coupons are a great tool to help you get new reviews and keep customers coming back for more.
Consider sending discounts on future orders or free shipping promo codes. These small incentives have a high ROI, won’t break the bank, and will positively impact your bottom line.
5. Give out Incentives
If sending your customers discounts doesn't work, consider promotional products,, giveaways, or raffle entries. These are higher-value items that have the power to persuade individuals to leave a review for the item they recently purchased.
If you don’t have a big budget, you can throw in a free gift with your purchase with your next order. You can also raffle off one larger high-value item to anyone who submits a review within a time frame.
6. Acknowledge Negativity
Don’t let negative reviews keep you from asking for reviews. It's more convincing for the shopper when there is a mix of good, bad, and neutral reviews.
All the reviews will work together to push your customers to make a purchasing decision. If you receive a negative review, acknowledge it, reply to it, and look for a way to remedy the situation.
7. Engaged With People That Leave Reviews
Whether they left a glowing or a negative review, don’t be afraid to engage with these customers. Follow up and thank them for taking the time to leave a review.
If they left a bad review, ask them what you can do to improve the experience. If they left a good review, ask them if you can share it on social media or in your email marketing.
No matter the review, engaging with your customers will enhance transparency and show your customers that you care about their feedback. This will make them more inclined to leave another online business review in the near future.
Get More Online Reviews With Promotional Products
There is no right or wrong way to get reviews. Don’t be afraid to get creative and think outside of the box. Whether you want to run a contest for everyone who has left a review or send them a discount after the review has been added - every small action you take can have a meaningful impact.
At Bagmasters, we have an array of giveaway items that can be branded to incentivize customers to leave a review. Whether you’re looking for a high-end product to raffle off or want to add a free gift with purchase for anyone who took a survey: We’re a one-stop shop for all your promotional product needs.
Start shopping today to get started.
