By Doug Wilson, Celtic Titles
Why are Positive Customer Reviews Important?
As any business person will know, positive customer reviews are extremely beneficial when it comes to building a loyal customer base. They give prospective customers a first impression of your business’ product or service, as well as enabling them to make a more informed decision about whether or not it’s right for them.
Not only that, but if you are receiving positive reviews, then that means customers are generally happy with the value you’re providing, making them more likely to remain satisfied, loyal and share your product via word of mouth with their friends, family and other associates. Therefore, one of your primary business goals should always be to strive for great customer reviews and feedback.
But how do you get more positive reviews from your customers? As the managing director of a range of businesses that frequently secure high quality customer reviews, I want to share some of my top tips on how to get better reviews from your customers.
6 Top Tips For Better Customer Reviews
1.As your customers for reviews
As the saying goes, ‘If you don’t ask, you don’t get!’
Simply asking for reviews is a fantastic way to encourage your customers to leave you some feedback, of which, we have found to be a great success and much higher rates than when we don’t request feedback at all. Furthermore, if your product or service provides value to your customer and you’re confident in its quality, then asking for feedback is more than likely to result in some great reviews. As well as this, any negative feedback you receive provides you with the chance to improve your business to further benefit your customers, resulting in a more satisfied and loyal customer base.
This could be as simple as a line on your product’s packaging, a note on your company’s website or a feature on your business’ social media channel.
2. Create and distribute a follow-up email
Following up to your customer after a week or so gives them a substantial amount of time to test your product and get a feel for it. The follow up email reminds the customer about your product and in turn reminds them of the good feeling and the value that it has (hopefully) provided. Therefore, sending out a follow up email prompting your customer to leave feedback can often result in a higher rate of positive reviews to further establish your brand’s online presence.
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3. Make the reviewing process as easy as possible
Numerous studies have found that the less steps involved in leaving a review, the more likely the customer will be to leave one. People generally have fairly short attention spans when browsing the web, so if there’s too many steps involved or it looks like it might take too long to leave the review, they’ll likely just click away and carry on with their day.
Not only can an effective review system lead to more reviews, but it can also lead to more positive reviews, too. An infuriatingly long review process can negatively affect a customers’ perception of your business, whilst a quick and easy system is a sure fire way of providing your customer with a better perception of the company, which may even cause them to leave a more positive review than they’d initially planned.
4. Offer an incentive for feedback
Who doesn’t love an incentive? Offering the likes of a discount, points or a freebie for completing a review or providing feedback, not only increases the likelihood that your customers will provide feedback, but also is likely to result in a larger proportion of positive reviews.
If your customer is receiving something in return, they’re much more likely to be motivated to provide a higher quality review and perhaps even think a little harder than they usually would about the feedback they’re providing.
5. Respond to Reviews and Engage With Your Customers
Although I’d always recommend responding to all reviews if possible, we place a large importance on responding to negative reviews and acting on them in order to better our business and increase customer satisfaction levels. Not only does this improve potential future customers’ perspectives of the service and product you provide, but it also means that any negative reviews can be amended and made positive if you address the issue professionally and rectify the issue in a timely manner.
6. Promote Great Reviews
If you receive a great review, promote it on your website, advertising campaigns and social media channels! This is a great way of growing your customer base and an even greater way of encouraging customers to provide more feedback and reviews, especially if they think their review could be featured on your site! Additionally, promoting your reviewers can foster a great relationship with your reviewing community and let all customers know that you value their input.
Summary: How to Get More Positive Customer Reviews
If a customer is unhappy with your product or service, it’s likely that they won’t hesitate to leave a bad review to let others know about their experience. However, when customers have a positive experience, they’re less likely to jump straight online to leave a review. This is why it’s really important that businesses put steps in place to encourage and motivate customers to leave positive reviews.
If you’re confident with your business and the value it provides, then give these tips a try and see if it increases your proportion of positive customer reviews!
