Customer Reviews: Why They are Important and How to Get More of Them

Customer reviews are very valuable to businesses. They carry a lot of weight and can sway a customer to purchase an item, or not.

90% of customers read online reviews before making a purchase.

This statistic makes perfect sense. People work hard for their money and want to spend it wisely. Plus, people trust consumer feedback and appreciate their input about products and services they’ve used first-hand. After all, there’s nothing more disappointing than spending money on an item that doesn’t work right or breaks because it’s cheaply made.  

How to Get Customers to Leave a Google Review

Google reviews are the gold standard because they have excellent credibility and include ranking for local SEO. When a business amasses several positive Google reviews, their online reputation cannot be denied.

85% of consumers believe online reviews older than three months are outdated and irrelevant.

Stale feedback isn’t convincing anyone to buy something. This is the reason why businesses must amass a continuous flow of positive Google reviews to win over prospects. This is especially true when the majority of feedback involves quality 5-star reviews.

Businesses strive to get positive Google reviews because it’s a trusted search engine and a great product research tool. The problem many businesses face is how to get customers to leave a Google review.

Use the following methods to persuade customers to rate their product purchase and write a detailed review, so your business will sell more and acquire a sizable following of loyal customers.  

Just ask!

Simply asking customers to leave a review sounds too easy, and it is when the prompt is generated automatically. This is best accomplished when it’s in the form of a survey or feedback form.

Emailing short surveys to customers is a great way to ensure that your business is receiving a constant flow of Google reviews. The call to action is at the end of the survey and politely asks the customer if they would please take a moment to submit a detailed review of their product or service experience.

Businesses have also seen an uptick in quality product reviews when they send out customer feedback emails. These are usually sent out two weeks after the purchase to allow the customer enough time to use the product, so they can submit a detailed review.  

Most customers will happily oblige when you respectfully ask them to leave a review. Soon, you’ll have enough quality customer reviews that are fresh and new to give prospects the confidence to buy.

Take all the work out of it.

People are more likely to leave Google reviews when it’s an easy process that isn’t time consuming. Giving customers the means to post reviews using their mobile phone is a great way to accomplish this.

Sending customers an email with a direct link to the review form is a worthwhile way of inviting them to provide product feedback even when they’re on the move. However, this method won’t be successful at getting user feedback if the process requires them to login or complete a bunch of steps. Businesses that use simple review processes are working smarter, not harder and enjoying increased sales by collecting many customer reviews on a regular basis.

Seize the hour of the day!

While businesses would love to receive customer reviews twenty-four hours a day, data patterns demonstrate that most Google reviews post between the hours of 1pm and 3pm.

The reasoning behind this suggests that people are checking their email from their mobile phone during lunch, then addressing calls to action when they return to their desk. This indicates that your request for feedback must reach the customer’s inbox by noon at the latest.

Make reviews part of your customer rewards program.

As the saying goes, “You scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours.” When you offer customers an incentive for providing feedback, you’re sure to see an increase in the number of Google reviews your products and services are receiving.

Providing customers with a reward such as a 10% discount on their next purchase in exchange for their feedback may seem like you’re offering a bribe, but this simply isn’t the case. Think of it as a kind gesture thanking them for their time.

However, you’re treading on dangerous ground if you tell customers they’ll get 50% off their next purchase if they leave a 5-star review. Achieving positive feedback in this matter is coercive and unethical. Nevertheless, there are plenty of companies that have boosted business by padding their feedback with fake 5-star Google reviews. Eventually, their unscrupulous customer rewards program is discovered, and their reputation is tarnished beyond repair because consumer trust has been broken.

Customer Reviews Provide Trust and Transparency

People read online customer reviews before purchasing products or services because it helps them make sound decisions and wise investments. While solid marketing does a great job at attracting new customers, prospects trust Google reviews and appreciate the transparency they provide. This is the reason why businesses flourish when they deploy tactics that help them accumulate plenty of fresh customer reviews.

When you use the methods discussed above to encourage customer feedback, your business is well on its way to experiencing an increase in sales. However, you can reinforce the strength of customer reviews by engaging with them. This is accomplished by responding to as many Google reviews as possible, both positive and negative. Simply thanking the customer for their business and giving them an open invitation to contact you demonstrates your unwavering devotion to their happiness, which is more powerful than any customer satisfaction survey.

Taking the time to nurture your Google reviews creates loyal customers and impresses prospects. Furthermore, there’s a good chance that customers will change their negative review to a positive one once you address their complaint and offer to remedy the situation by providing compensation or an exchange.

If you’re ready to read countless Google reviews describing your products as great investments, Higgins Marketing Group can help. Contact us for a pressure-free chat about the methods we use to encourage customers to write quality reviews, so you can reap the rewards.      

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