This content from: Small Business Marketing Blog - Strategies That Increase Sales
88% of consumers say they use reviews on sites like Google and Yelp to determine the quality of a local business. (Source: BrightLocal)
And they are not using reviews to find where they want to eat or stay for the weekend. They are using reviews to help them decide on which dentist to see. Which lawyer to call. Which real estate agent to hire.
Online reviews are also used by Google as a search ranking factor. So they influence how you show up when a potential clients is searching for what you sell.
However, it’s not always easy to get your clients to leave a review – even if they love what you do. The two biggest obstacles to get them to leave a review are:
- They find it too tedious
- They forget
Luckily, these obstacles can be overcome with a systematic process. Here are some tips to help you get more positive online reviews.
Create a System
The first step in getting more reviews for your business is to create a system for requesting them.
Your system should make sure that you invite everyone who does business with you to leave a review. Your system should also use a two-step review process (more below). These two steps will help you identify and correct issues before they become a negative online review.
Use a Two Step Process
Step1 is to determine the person’s level of satisfaction based on their latest experience with your business. For example, you could ask them if they had a good or bad experience. Or, you could ask them to rate their experience on a scale from 1 to 5.
Step 2 is contingent upon the results of step 1. If they tell you they had a good experience, then you can send them to your review funnel. Your review funnel is where you guide them through the process of leaving a review.
If they tell you they didn’t have a good experience, you want to collect more feedback. Ask them what went wrong, and how you may be able to correct the problem. You may want to have someone from your office reach out to them via telephone to address the situation.
Have Multiple Ways to Request Online Reviews
One of the keys to getting more reviews is to make it as easy as possible for people to give them choices. One way to do that is to use make your request via their favorite way of communicating. There are many different ways you can request reviews – here are a few:
- a button on your website
- offline (business cards, post cards, flyers)
- SMS (text message)
Use a Dedicated Landing Page
If you are using a two step process, you will typically send people to a web page as part of the first step. I recommend sending them to a dedicated landing page.
A landing page differs from a regular page on your website in that it focuses on a single task. It will not have a menu or sidebar with click-able elements. A landing page omits anything that could distract the user from completing the review.
Using a dedicated landing page increases the chances of reviewers completing the review.
Monitor and Respond to Reviews
In addition to asking for reviews, you also need a system for monitoring reviews. It’s important to stay on top of your online reviews and to respond to them as appropriate. I would recommend that you respond to all your negative reviews. Responding to negative reviews shows others that you care. It shows that when mistakes do happen, you are ready to fix them.
It’s also a good idea to respond to your positive reviews as well. A simple “Thank You” or “Glad you had a good experience” is enough.
Go Broad and Narrow
When selecting sites to use to collect your reviews, consider going broad and narrow. By broad, I mean sites like Google, Facebook, and Yelp. You may also want use some industry specific site. Real Estate agents may want to collect reviews on Zillow and Trulia. Lawyers may want to collect reviews on Avvo and Lawyers.com
Share and Amplify Your Online Reviews
You’ve created a system to generate online reviews. Now it’s time to leverage these important assets throughout your marketing. Here are a few ways that you can extra mileage out of your reviews:
- List them on your website
- Include them as “social proof” in your marketing materials
- Share them on your social media channels
Building a strong online reputation can help you:
- increase leads
- demonstrate credibility and
- generate more sales
Curious about your current online reputation? You can get a free reputation report here.
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