Customer Reviews are the single greatest way to increase your social proof and greatly improves your Search Engine Optimization (SEO) on Google.
87% of consumers read online reviews for local businesses in 2020, according to a consumer review survey by BrightLocal.
It also greatly increases traffic to all platforms that allow them, including Amazon, Facebook & Yelp.
Asking for digital reviews can be a challenge, however, for business owners who are too “nice,” or who don’t want to seem overly “forward.”
Do yourself a favor. Get over it and ask for the review!
When Do I Ask For A Customer Review?
Your best chance at getting a great review from a customer is immediately after the sale. Customers at this point in their journey are more confident in your business than they’ve ever been or will ever be.
The aforementioned BrightLocal survey also shows us that 72% of customers that are asked to write a review went on to do so.
Customers at this point have just committed both time and money to your business and leaving a review to get others involved creates validation in their decision.
Additionally, your customers are in an extremely good mood, inspired by your company’s ability to solve their problem and have been through enough of their customer journey to be able to accurately report on your business.
If you’re looking for a Google My Business review, you can ask from pretty much anywhere since all you need is a link. But if you want a review on Facebook or some other platform, you’ll want to be more strategic.
It’s always a good idea to ask for a review on the same platform from which you’re requesting the review.
It tends to be less clicks away, but customers also feel more confident evaluating a platform they’re currently on.
A good example of poor timing would be to ask for a Facebook review on a Google My Business post. That disconnect will throw users off and you’ll sacrifice a valuable GMB review for a Facebook “hail-mary.”
A Flawless Script To Ask Customers For Reviews
Here’s a customer review request that covers all industries, including yours!
“Hey _____ (customer name),
I see you just ordered/requested service on ______. I know you’re going to be really happy with it and how it helps ______.
If you have just 60 seconds, it would really help me out to have a review from you for my business, which will enable me to help others with _______, just like I’ve helped you!
Thanks in advance!
The (your company) team.”
Why does this script work so well? It’s short and sweet, informal, and gives context as to why you’re asking for the review. You want to come off like a friend asking for a favor.
Since you’ve just done them a solid by selling them your awesome product, they’ll generally be more than happy to return the favor, if they have the time.
Asking For Customer Reviews On The “Thank-You” Page
Customer Review Requests on a “thank-you” page can be tricky but are the absolute best placements to maximize your reviews IF you can keep them on the page long enough to read your pitch.
The problem is, customers don’t always review the “thank-you” page and some click off the site in less than a second, once they see their transaction go through. You may also be experiencing some other reasons why users leave a website and need simply do some refining to keep users engaged.
That means that your goal is to hold back a direct confirmation until they read your review request. One exceptionally great way I’ve seen this done is by making the words, “thanks for your purchase!” small and putting the customer review in larger font beneath.
That way, you’re still providing an exact confirmation (instead of being sneaky, using words like “you’re almost there!”), but you’re also drawing attention to the next call-to-action. In this case, your customer review.
Asking For Customer Reviews Over Email
Some business owners prefer to ask customers for reviews over email. This is a totally acceptable tactic, assuming you have great open rates with your customers.
In fact, an analysis by Northwestern University notes that up to 80% of reviews originate from post purchase emails.
This works especially well when you need your customer to do something important like confirm their email address to get their product or lead magnet.
That way, you know your customer is actively on email and they’ll open your request in the same day, while they’re still on their purchase adrenaline!
Be sure to put in the subject line, “Can You Help Us Out With A Review,” or something similar. If you need to, send it separately from your email confirmation.
You’ll have about a 24-hour period where your customer will open and read anything and everything you send to them, so make it count!
What NOT To Do When Asking For A Review
Listed below are some great examples of how NOT to get a review. Those who ask for reviews this way see extremely low customer engagement, and lower reviews in general.
When asking for a customer review, do NOT do these things:
- Don’t ask customers to leave a review “in the next few days,” “after they’ve had a chance to use the product,” or “when they have time.” They don’t need the time. They’re excited about your business NOW.
- Don’t ask customers to “like” or “follow you” on social media. A review is more valuable than a follow.
- Don’t ask for a review on a website or platform the customer is unfamiliar with.
- Don’t ask for a review EVEN IF THEY HAD A BAD EXPERIENCE. Give a separate reviewing platform for grievances, preferably a private page, and address those concerns. Otherwise they’ll negatively review you in public as well.
- Don’t put your customer review request “below the fold,” or anywhere where the user has to scroll to find it.
- Don’t introduce your review request as “required” or “optional.” Don’t address this, just make the request a seamless extension of their purchase.
Your customer reviews are your greatest weapon against indecision. Request them CONSTANTLY, and always THANK your customer for leaving a review.
There’s nothing more disheartening than taking several minutes of your day to leave a review and having it go unacknowledged.
If you’re looking for advice on how to double your review acquisition rate, let’s get in touch!
As you’re building these reviews, keep an eye on your organic traffic. Businesses have seen 2x, 5x, even 10x growth when they master the art of customer review requests.
References:
https://support.google.com/business/answer/7035772?hl=en
https://www.crazyegg.com/blog/why-users-leave-a-website/
https://www.convinceandconvert.com/email/how-important-are-confirmation-emails/
https://www.brightlocal.com/research/local-consumer-review-survey/
https://spiegel.medill.northwestern.edu/_pdf/Online%20Reviews%20Whitepaper.pdf
