The Pew Research Center found that 82% of American adults report they at least sometimes check online reviews before patronizing a new business. That also includes 40% who say they always, or almost always, check online reviews and ratings first. With such an overwhelming number of potential customers who look online first before giving a new business a chance, you want to be sure you are always making a strong, positive, first impression. To benefit from reviews, you have to generate them first
Asking someone to leave you a review isn’t nearly as awkward as it sounds. With sites like Google and Yelp! being such popular sources for people to find new places, the practice of leaving a quick star rating along with a few sentences about your experience is pretty common. In fact, about 63% of people have written positive online reviews. It’s such a common expectation now, that a customer is likely to accept it as part of the overall business transaction.
But since you’re asking a customer to go out of their way to do you the favor of a review, the least you can do is make it as easy as possible. Be sure to direct them to where you’d like them to leave a review, and make it easy for them to find you. Whether that’s your Google My Business page, your Yelp! page, or even your Facebook, be sure you’re telling customers where they can leave reviews.
Put this information on signs at the check-out counter or have business cards made with a simple “Review us on Yelp!” with the link to your page so they can be sure they’re finding the correct business. Depending on your POS system, you could add a note to the bottom of receipts soliciting reviews. Both the business cards and receipts allow your customers to bring something tangible with them so they’ll have a reminder if they don’t have the time to leave a review immediately.
Show your appreciation for your reviews
Beyond making it as easy as possible for customers to leave reviews, make sure you show you appreciate them taking the time to do so. Be sure to monitor the places you gather reviews, and respond. If someone praises a particular staff member, acknowledge it. Or if someone has an idea or constructive feedback to share, take the time to consider it and see if you can make any improvements from it. While reviews are there to bolster your reputation, they are also a great way to get useful feedback. By responding and interacting with the reviews, it shows you’re engaged, you’re appreciative, and you truly do value what your customers have to say.
If you need help navigating reviews and seeing all they can do for your business, consider reaching out to the experts at My Digital Advertising to help you. With guidance on best practices, how to incorporate keywords into your product description, and more, MDA will help you give this platform a fair trial.
If you’re interested in learning more , reach out to us today at sales@mydigitaladv.com