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It can be difficult to ask for things: dates, raises, permission... it's no different when it comes to customer reviews.
But the secret to success is knowing how to ask for a review.
That’s especially true if you’re a business owner trying to generate more reviews and drive engagement with new and existing customers.
Reviews can be game-changing in building a lasting reputation for your business. They can often be the deciding factor for prospective customers weighing their options between competing businesses.
That’s why asking for reviews from happy customers is so important.
Asking for a review can feel awkward, though, if it doesn’t come naturally to you. Without knowledge of the skills and best practices associated with this unique art, you may come across as too solicitous and have customers ghosting you.
Sure, asking for customer reviews can be daunting, but knowing how to ask for a review effectively can make all the difference in building your business's online reputation.
By the end of this article, you'll walk away with the tips and tricks to asking for reviews from clients past and new, easily and effectively.
👉 Jump to the templates now
If you’re eager to build your business reputation through positive reviews, let’s dive right in!
Why online reviews are so important for small businesses
Fact: 9 out of 10 customers look through a company’s customer reviews before trusting the business. So why do these reviews matter so much to potential customers? And why should they matter to you?
Here are six eye-opening reasons to encourage customer reviews:
1. Reviews build trust
In 2022 alone, 2.4 million Americans reported being scammed online. One of the most common categories for these scams was online shopping scams. So, naturally, customers want to ensure that your business is legit before shopping with you.
And how can they do that? By reading authentic reviews to see what other people had to say about their customer journey with you.
Customer reviews serve as social proof for potential customers, showing that others have shopped with you and were satisfied with the positive experience. This can build credibility for you and help new customers to trust your business.
2. Reviews boost your reputation
If your business has many positive reviews, it gives you a good reputation in the consumer market.
When new customers see that so many others have had a great experience shopping with you, you leave a positive impact on them, and they’re likely to choose your company over competitors.
3. Reviews improve your SEO
For new customers to come across your business, your website must be visible online.
That’s where SEO (search engine optimization) comes into play because it helps your business profile rank higher on search engines and be visible to prospective customers who are looking for your product or service.
Search engines like Google take reviews into account when ranking websites, so having a lot of positive reviews can help to boost your visibility online.
4. Reviews are great for customer engagement
Having a place to share customer feedback can be a positive way to engage with your loyal customers, build a community online, and strengthen customer relationships.
Keep in mind that you should respond promptly and politely to positive and negative reviews to show your customers that you value their opinions and are willing to make changes to satisfy the unhappy customers better.
5. Reviews help you improve your business
Not only do client reviews help you expand and be more visible online, but they can also impact your business operations.
Through customer reviews, you can learn what customers like and value about your business and what they are unhappy with.
This type of customer feedback will help you refine your operations, products, or services to serve your customers better, giving you a competitive advantage.
6. Reviews increase your sales
Ultimately, all of these benefits can lead to more sales for your business.
With a positive reputation, a strong online presence, and happy customers, attracting new business and retaining existing customers becomes easier.
So, if you're not already focusing on getting online reviews for your business, now's the time to start!
But where?
The best places to get positive reviews
You might be wondering where the best places are to get customer reviews for your business.
Well, there are a few different platforms that are popular for reviews.
Here are some of the best places to get customer reviews:
Google reviews are among the most important ones. This is because it's the search engine most people use, holding 86% of the search market share. Having a lot of positive Google reviews can help to improve your visibility and credibility online.
Google reviews not showing up? Here's why!
Yelp
Yelp is another popular platform where you can ask for reviews, especially if you have a restaurant, bar, or another local business. About 76 million people use Yelp to read or leave reviews about local businesses monthly.
It's important to note, however, that Yelp has strict policies about asking for reviews, so be sure to read their guidelines carefully.
Facebook is a great platform for getting reviews because it's where many people spend their time online.
Having positive reviews on Facebook can help you build brand awareness, trust, and credibility with potential customers.
TripAdvisor
If you're in the travel or hospitality industry, TripAdvisor is a must-have platform for reviews. It's one of the most popular travel review sites and can be a great way to attract new customers.
Better Business Bureau (BBB)
The BBB is a trusted source for consumers looking to verify the credibility of businesses. Positive reviews listed on the BBB site can help establish your business’s legitimacy and make potential clients feel more confident in hiring you.
Industry-specific sites
Other popular review sites may exist depending on your industry.
For example, Houzz is a popular site to ask for reviews for home improvement and design businesses, while Angi is a popular site to write reviews of contractors and other home services, along with plenty others.
Ultimately, the best place to get online reviews depends on your local business and industry. It's important to do some research to find out where your customers are most likely to leave reviews and focus your efforts there.
And, no matter where you're getting reviews, make sure to respond to them (especially the negative ones) in a professional and courteous manner.
How to ask for a review (for Google and any other review site)
So, now you know why you need customer reviews and what other review platforms you should focus your efforts on.
But, you might still wonder how to actually ask for Google reviews without seeming rude or pushy.
Here are four approaches you can use to encourage your customers to write a review immediately on your Google Business page, with ready review request templates.
1. Be simple and direct
For example, you could write your satisfied customers a text or email saying:
“Hi [customer name],
It was great working with you! We would love it if you could take a few minutes to post a Google review for our company. Your feedback helps us to improve and attract new business.
Thank you!”
2. Be personalized and appreciative
Your review request could look like this:
"Hi [customer name],
We wanted to thank you for choosing our business to shop for [service/product]. We really appreciate your business!
If you have a few minutes, we would be so grateful if you could leave us a review on [platform name]. Your feedback will help us improve our products/services to better serve you in the future.
Your reviews mean a lot to us.
Thank you!”
3. Provide an incentive
For example, you could say:
“Hi [customer name],
Thank you for choosing our local business for [service/product]. We're so glad you had a great experience! As a thank you, we're offering a [discount/freebie] to anyone who leaves us a review using this Google review link.
If you're interested, you can use this link to make a Facebook review and let us know about your shopping experience.
Thank you!”
4. Add it into a follow-up email
This makes your review request seem more natural. For example:
“Hi [customer name],
It's been a few weeks since we worked together and we just wanted to check in and see how everything is going.
If you have a few minutes, we would be so grateful if you could leave us a review on [platform name]. Your feedback helps us to improve and attract new business.
Thank you!”
This Company Got 1,330% More Online Reviews
"If you want to grow your business, then you should implement NiceJob."
-Victoria Westcott, Co-Founder, Oak Bay Clean
Best practices to follow when sending a review request
Well, you might be doing everything right. For example, you might deliver high-quality products or services for your customers in a timely manner and send your satisfied customer a nicely worded review request email. But you might still not be getting reviews from many of your customers.
Here are some other best practices to follow on how to ask for a review from customers to make it more likely to receive a response.
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Make it easy: The easier it is for customers to leave a review, the more likely they are to do it. Provide clear instructions on how and where to leave a review, include a direct url for the review page, suggest a review template, and consider using a review management tool that automates the process.
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Personalize your review request: Customers are more likely to leave a review if they feel like you care about their opinion. Personalize review requests by addressing customers by name, thanking them for their business, and explaining how their feedback will help you improve.
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Time it right: Timing is important when it comes to asking for reviews. Ideally, you'll want to ask customers for a review shortly after their purchase or service, while their positive customer experience is still fresh in their minds. However, you don't want to ask too soon, as customers may not have had time to fully evaluate their experience. The exact time frame depends on the nature of your product or service.
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Be genuine: Avoid using generic or overly sales-y language in your review requests. Instead, be genuine and authentic in your approach. Let customers know that their customer feedback is valuable to you and that you appreciate their time and effort.
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Respond to reviews: When customers do leave a review, make sure to respond to it promptly and professionally. Thank them for their feedback, address any concerns they may have raised, and show that you're committed to providing excellent service.
By following these best practices, you can improve your chances of getting more and higher-quality customer reviews.
What not to do when asking for a review
When you ask for reviews, there are a few things you'll want to avoid. Here are some common mistakes to avoid when asking customers to write a review:
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Don't be pushy: Being polite and respectful when asking for a review is important. Don't pressure customers into leaving a review or make them feel guilty if they don't want to. Remember, reviews should be voluntary and genuine.
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Don't incentivize too much: Offering a small incentive, such as a discount or a freebie, can be a great way to encourage customers to leave a review. However, offering too much can come across as bribing or unethical. Stick to small token incentives to avoid any ethical concerns.
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Don't ask for a positive review: While you obviously want positive reviews for your business, asking customers to leave a positive review can be a big turn-off. It can make your business seem desperate or manipulative. Instead, simply ask for a review and let customers know that their honest feedback is valuable to you.
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Don't ignore negative reviews: They can be tough to handle, but ignoring them is not the solution. Make sure to respond to negative reviews in a professional and courteous manner, and use them as an opportunity to improve your business.
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Don't violate review site policies: Different review sites have different policies when it comes to asking for online reviews. Make sure to read and follow these policies carefully to avoid any penalties or negative consequences.
Overall, the key is to be polite, respectful, and ethical when asking for reviews. Focus on providing excellent service and letting your happy customers talk for you. And remember, even negative customer feedback can be valuable if you use it to improve your business.
Automate your review request process
There are a lot of tools out there that can help collect online reviews while making the process of requesting reviews quick, easy, and painless. Here are a few of the best options:
NiceJob
NiceJob is an all-in-one reputation marketing platform that makes it easy to request customer reviews. In fact, once you set up your NiceJob account, you can fully automate your review requests, track your reviews and ratings across multiple platforms, and showcase your best Google reviews (and more) on your website and social media platforms!
Paid plans start at: $75 USD per month
Podium
Podium is another popular reputation management platform that allows businesses to request customer reviews via SMS or email. It also gives you review monitoring features and management tools like online booking and messaging.
Paid plans start at: $459 USD per month
Compare NiceJob vs Podium
BirdEye
BirdEye is a review management platform allowing businesses to request customer reviews via email, SMS, or social media. The platform offers other features like review monitoring, management tools, and customer surveys.
Paid plans start at: $389 USD per month
Reputation
Reputation is a comprehensive reputation management platform that allows businesses to request online reviews, monitor and manage their online reputation, and engage with customers across multiple platforms. Reputation also provides business listing management, customer surveys, and sentiment analysis features.
Paid plans start at: Not provided, but you can request a custom quote.
Wrapping up
Mastering the art of asking for reviews is key to building trust, boosting your reputation, and driving more sales for your business.
By following these strategies, you can gather authentic customer feedback that not only enhances your online presence but also provides valuable insights to improve your services.
Ultimately, if you decide to automate your review process, the best tool for sending any review request will depend on your specific needs and budget.
However, NiceJob is a top option to consider due to its ease of use, comprehensive reviews, referrals, repeat business, and social proof features, and, of course, affordable pricing.
With their reputation marketing platform, you can streamline your review generation process and improve your online reputation with minimal effort.
How Can Reputation Marketing Transform Your Business?
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