The year 2020 witnessed an incredible surge in eCommerce sales in India. As consumer behavior shifted from offline buying to online, many businesses owners saw just how important reviews from customers could truly be.
People are adopting new behaviors due to the pandemic situation, but the process is not easy. It’s difficult for people to make a buying decision without physically seeing the product. One of the factors that impact the switch from offline to online buying behavior is their trust in the brand.
91% of people between 18 and 34 years trust reviews from customers as much as personal recommendations.
Online reviews not only help people make the decision to buy, but every star-increase your business gets on Yelp leads to a 5-9% increase in revenue.
It’s easy to understand that every business needs reviews. But let’s think from an individual’s perspective. Leaving a review definitely takes time and effort. So, how do you get reviews from customers?
In this article, we’ll discuss seven fail-proof strategies to get more reviews.
The 7 best ways to get more reviews from customers
1. Make it easy
The easier you make it for them to leave a review, the more likely they are to do that. Here are a few ways of asking for reviews from customers on your website:
- Include a call to action (CTA) asking for reviews on key places like your thank you page
- Create a separate page for testimonials on your website
If you have a WordPress website, you can easily add an online review tool to your site. Popular eCommerce site builders like Godaddy’s Online Store make it easy to showcase your Google, Yelp, and Facebook reviews on your eCommerce website.
2. Email them
Have you bought anything from Amazon recently? Did you get a follow-up email asking for your reviews?
If you’re selling through platforms like Amazon or Etsy, you don't have to do much. They have their own follow-up system. Etsy and Amazon both send follow-up emails for the review.
As a result, 25% of the purchases on Etsy get reviewed.
Amazon does allow the seller to send one request for review also. The second nudge helps them get more reviews.
According to a study, 70% of the reviews come from post-transactional review request emails. So, send emails asking for their feedback, but take care not to be pushy or sound desperate.
3. Give them a reason to review you
Give your customers some motivation to leave a review. Remember, the customers leave online reviews for altruistic reasons. They aren’t getting anything in return.
In fact, leaving a review takes time and effort. A small incentive would be a small token of compensation.
However, this doesn’t mean you should buy reviews -- as this could negatively work against you. You're only incentivizing their action. Whether they leave a good review or a bad one, it's up to them.
Take a note from one of the top sellers in online shoe sales: Zappos. They give away 100 points or about $10 credit to those who write a review.
4. Ask verbally
Have you noticed that every time a Domino's delivery boy delivers the pizza, he asks you for a review? Asking a customer for a verbal review works because it’s simple. All you need to do is make the effort.
If you need help determining when to ask, you could try asking:
- A few days after their purchase
- When someone tag/mentions you on social media
- When someone is repurchasing from you
Everyone can benefit from reaching out to customers for a review — often all you have to do is ask. People who are happy with your products or services are often happy to review you.
5. Retarget them
Run Facebook ads to retarget people who’ve visited your website and remind them to leave a review.
Not sure it’s worth spending money on ads to get reviews?
Businesses with more than nine reviews earn 52% more revenue than the average.
And, if a business has more than 25 reviews, that increases to 108% more in sales.
You can ask them for reviews by using their email IDs, which is often collected during the purchase process or by adding pixels to your website.
6. Include a card in their package
If you’re selling a physical product, then it’s a good idea to include a small tag or card politely asking for a review.
Review cards are used by all types of businesses selling online or offline.
However, if you’re selling on Amazon, you must be careful about one thing. Amazon doesn’t allow sellers to offer any kind of incentive in exchange for reviews.
So, don’t include any such offers on your card.
7. Start a loyalty program
Reviews are most effective when they come straight from the heart — these are the reviews others connect with most readily. What would a review from a fan of your business look like? Nothing less than a piece of gold. But writing a review is not everyone’s cup of tea.
However, if they’re willing to take that much pain for you, they should be rewarded accordingly. Reward your loyal customers in ways like:
- Online offers
- Discounts
- Loyalty points
Loyal customers are likely to keep believing in your brand even after one bad experience. Apart from reviews, they can give you an engaged community, repeat business, and new referrals.
Related: How to start a customer loyalty program
The three reasons people leave reviews
Dissatisfied customers are more likely to leave a review because they want to vent their frustration and negative experience. But why do happy customers leave reviews? Here are the three main reasons:
- To inform others about their experience
- To help others make a decision
- To let the business know about their experience
Customers leave reviews for altruistic reasons, but there are plenty of key strategies you can use to encourage them to do it more often. Take a look at the list below to get some ideas.
How to respond to reviews from customers
When it comes to review from customers, the following takeaways are important for customer engagement. If you can succeed at being present and transparent with them, you’re more likely to develop trust and respect for your business.
Below, we’ll review three ways you can encourage positive and meaningful interactions with your customers.
Follow up
With our small attention span and a busy schedule, it’s easy to miss the message. A simple follow-up message shows customers you’re reading every comment.
Be responsive
Many brands shy away from negative reviews online and tend to ignore them. However, it’s an opportunity to show the responsiveness of your team. In fact, having some negative reviews provides more authenticity to the rest of the positive reviews.
Acknowledge mistakes and be thankful
Bad reviews can really help you build a good business. So, consider a bad review an opportunity to gain a loyal customer by resolving their complaint promptly. You’ll find more tips on how to respond to unhappy customers here.
Final thoughts on reviews from customers
As a buyer yourself, you must know the importance of reviews in your own decision-making. They shape your thoughts and help you make a choice that feels right.
As a business owner, the primary reason why you need reviews is that your customers read them to make their decisions. Reviews have added advantages in that they help you improve your product and services.
Receiving reviews from customers is not a one-time activity. The more online reviews you have, the better it is for your business.
You must think of asking for reviews as a continuous process.
New businesses may get a lot of feedback and negative reviews because they’re still learning and operating with limited resources.
As the business grows and incorporates customer feedback, it attracts more positive reviews. This helps improve the average rating.
