Mid-Michigan
These days, people rely on the internet when searching for businesses. Even if they hear about you offline, they’ll go online to find out more. Most prospective clients will check your reviews. So, it’s worth it to make the effort to increase your positive reviews from satisfied customers. Here’s how.
Always do your best.
The first step to increasing your positive online reviews is to keep satisfying clients. Make the extra effort, exceed their expectations, and they’ll be happy to do something extra for you.
Ask clients directly.
Email or text them, or reach out on social media. Start with the clients that you know really enjoyed working with you.
Follow up your requests.
Send a follow-up text, email, or phone call to those who haven’t yet responded. Remind them why reviews are important to your business, the positive effect their comments can have. One follow up is all you should do.
Make it easy to submit a review.
Here are three ways to go:
- Send clients a direct link. This brings them to a page where all they have to do is enter their comments in the box and click the Submit button.
- Be sure your review page is mobile friendly. The smartphone is the go-to device for most people, so make sure your review page displays well on small screens.
- Make some suggestions. To get people started, give them some bullet points about their experience working with you. You could even draft a review for them and invite them to edit or approve it.
Incent reviewers.
Incentives cost a little, but they can get you more reviews more quickly. Some things you can offer:
- A donation. Make it to a popular organization, such as the United Way, or to your client’s favorite charity.
- A thank you gift. This could be a gift card to a coffee shop, retailer, or restaurant.
- A future discount. Offer it for future purchases if this works for your business.
- A reciprocal promotion. If the client has a business, offer to recommend it on your social media accounts in exchange for a review from them.
Give your reviews plenty of exposure.
The more you promote your reviews, the more they’ll help your business. Plus, when other customers see your reviews, they’ll be encouraged to submit their own.
- Use them everywhere online. Put them on your website, your social media page, and in blog posts.
- Use them in your marketing. Add reviews to videos and PowerPoint presentations, flyers, mailers, and online ads. They’re great marketing tools because they build trust with prospects.
Here’s more on promoting customer feedback from the American Marketing Association.