If you have indulged in online shopping, chances are you can validate the power of customer review from your own experience. However, most people only submit a review if the service they experienced was outstanding or severely disappointing. This, however, has the ability to polarize opinions and mislead a potential client, making it critical to obtain as many evaluations as possible, even if they are average.
Studies suggest that only 18% of the buyers do not go through the reviews before investing in a product or a service. Thus, the decision making and trust of a potential customer in your service can be determined through the feedback received previously. Reviews also help increase traffic on your website and help with your SEO.
It is crucial to understand that negative reviews should not be frowned upon as they can contribute to increasing your sales. Many customers even believe that the reviews are fake if they don't find any negative critique. It may sound weird, negative evaluations or feedback may improve your brand's reputation and establish a balance of perspectives. Not to mention that they help to improve the services provided.
Still not convinced that customer reviews are important? Here are some statistics by Learn Hub to assist you in your understanding.
Ways to encourage customer reviews
1. Simply request them to write a review for you
2. Create a customer assessment that is automated
3. Explain the significance of reviews
4. Incentivize the process
5. Be where they are (be accessible)
6. Thank your customers
7. Provide multiple reviewing sites
1. Simply request them to write a review for you
One of the best and most overlooked ways to encourage your customers to write a review is by simply asking them. It is not necessary for the customers to make an online purchase to leave a review, you can also ask them at the retail location itself. It is also helpful to highlight verified purchases. The approach you take with them is also a determinant of your reviews. It is suggested that you don’t specifically ask for a positive review as it renders the purpose of a review futile and makes it seem like you do not value their experience but the reputation of your brand alone.
2. Create a customer assessment that is automated
One of the ways to ensure that a customer leaves a review is by making sure you have a plan in action to do so. For example, a sequence of tools can be used to automate the process. Using trusted ratings and reviewing platforms can go a long way. One can create polls, give pop ups, follow up emails, monthly feedback emails, etc. If you do not have a wide audience, you can always initiate a product sampling program. One can also add a review option with the invoice/receipts. It is encouraged to make the process more personalized as more people tend to respond to that. Try to get fresh reviews consistently as old reviews do not encourage new shoppers to turn into customers. No matter what strategy is decided upon, ensure you are consistent and keep up with changing trends.
3. Explain the significance of reviews
Think of how many times you’ve invested in a product sheerly based on the reviews on their website. The truth is, what people have to say about your brand holds much more value than what you have to say about it. The same message needs to be conveyed to your customers to make them feel more valued by you. Even if the service you offer isn’t the best available in the market, the way you present it and the happier you keep your customers can add merit to your sales. You can start by getting into the practice of engaging with your existing customers and taking regular follow ups. It is essential to make sure your reviews are given by qualified customers. People are often driven to help ‘others like them’ rather than adding a few more stars to a brand so an accommodating platform is recommended.
4. Incentivize the process
Although a lot of brands motivate their customers to leave them a review by offering discounts and/or gift cards, others brands and reviewing platforms like Amazon, Yelp, Google strictly refrain from wallowing in such practices. It is believed that this practice leads to negative reviews and bulk star-only reviews. (with no description or comments) Not to mention, it also hinders the purpose of offering the shoppers an opportunity to be transparent with them and assist them in making an informed decision. Nevertheless, positive ways of incentivizing reviews can include offering to donate a certain amount on each review they receive, encouraging all kinds of reviews- good or bad, not informing customers about the intensive and just surprising them with one based on random selection.
5. Be where they are
Are you more likely to review a business if their website or app is user-friendly? So are your customers. Accessibility is everything. According to StatCounter, mobile internet usage exceeded desktop in 2016. Additionally, OuterBox found that more than half the internet traffic witnessed is owed to mobile shoppers, making it extremely important to ensure that your website is equipped with a good mobile view feature. If your audience responds to a specific social media platform better, make sure you’re active there. See to it that the reviewing process as well as the platform are not too complex or too detailed.
6. Thank your customers
Polite gestures like a simple ‘thank you’ to your customer can go a long way. It is a sign of respect and shows that the customer is valuable to your business, that you appreciate the time and effort they put in. One can send a ‘thank you’ card after every purchase. (You can use tools like Canva to give professional touch to your cards.) This can also be used as an opportunity to attach a small survey. Dedicated customer service can help increase your revenue considerably. Same habit can also be inculcated to reviews. Utilise the comment section and thank your customers, share their feedback on your social media handles. This can also improve your SEO.
7. Provide multiple reviewing sites
Give your customers the option to review multiple products at the same time. Doing that helps understand customer behaviour towards individual products and thus contributes to adding traffic to your website, making it more interactive. You can come up with options to leave reviews in customized fields for product types. Amazon gives its reviewers options to do surveys, fill in preexisting templates, rate, comment, upload pictures and also highlights verified customers for a better customer experience. Often these reviews help answer FAQs a potential customer might have. Shoppers respond really well to visual content like other customers, local celebrities, bloggers and influencers sharing pictures of the product or their experience.
Click here to find some reviewing platforms that Vendasta believes will help you get more customer reviews.
Finally, if you don't focus on one thing: ensuring that your product or service is good, all of these methods will fail. Excellent customer service is generally sufficient to persuade a customer to submit a review. They will, atleast, be encouraged to spread the message.
You can also check out 5 ways to create a buzz every time you launch a new product.
What approach do you implement to obtain consumer feedback?
