Last updated on February 3, 2020

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Aimee Millwood
Director of Content at Yotpo
June 9th, 2015
Table Of Contents

get more reviews

Let’s get real: getting reviews isn’t always a piece of cake.

You know reviews are important for marketing with user-generated content, building consumer trust, improving customer loyalty, and increasing conversions, but actually getting the reviews is another story.

Many people make the excuse that their customers just don’t want to write reviews. While it’s true that today’s consumers have notoriously short attention spans and a million other things to do besides write reviews, plenty of brands are succeeding at getting their customers to give input.

Your customers want to write reviews. You just aren’t asking them correctly.

It’s important to consistently take a dynamic and fresh approach to getting customer reviews and testimonials. Don’t just wait for the customers to come to you and the reviews to trickle in. Be proactive to get the most out of your efforts.

Simplify your reviewing process – make it engaging and stress-free – and encourage customers to review through a variety of incentives.

[Tweet “Your customers want to write reviews. You just aren’t asking correctly.”]

Keep in mind that mastering customer reviews is a two-part process: part one is getting the customer to write the review and part two is making sure the customer knows that you heard what they have to say (and that you want to continue the conversation).

We’ve compiled five important tactics (some basic, some a little more advanced) that will help to master both parts of the process and ultimately, to incentivize your customers and revitalize your customer reviews.

1) Make it easy for your customer to write and submit a review.

This is by far the most important step to getting more reviews. Customer reviews, whether positive or negative, are usually sparked by a moment of passion or inspiration – that light bulb feeling of having something to say that might interest other people.

Make sure that your reviewing process isn’t bogged down with details and multiple steps or else you may lose those customers whose inspiration fades in the face of a complicated reviewing platform.

Companies with simple review processes often have more customer reviews simply because their platform was easily accessible and they engaged the customer before they lost interest.

My dad told me he was recently trying to write a review on an eCommerce site and before he could actually write the review, he was asked to create an account, multiple passwords, and enter personal information – he ultimately gave up navigating the website and didn’t leave the review.

Consider streamlining your reviewing process for a wider result, or at the very least clearly outline what the customer needs to do in order to write a review so they know what to expect.

Catch customers in that moment of inspiration and don’t make it feel like work or any sort of commitment, and the reviews will come rolling in.

2) Don’t wait for the customer to come to you.

Just because they aren’t posting reviews, doesn’t mean that your customers don’t have anything to say.

Sometimes generating more reviews can be as easy as switching up how you ask.

Try using a post-purchase email that thanks customers for their support and asks them what they think of the product.

This follow-up email harnesses the post-purchase energy, when their opinion of the product is right at the top of their head, and gives them the momentum they need to post a review.

It also allows you to connect with the customer by keeping the tone of the email warm and lighthearted, and telling the customer you are grateful for their business, which encourages customer loyalty. Make sure it feels personalized, not salesy.

3) Incentivize your customers – creatively.

Encourage participation by creating customized competitions and campaigns that are fueled and inspired by their reviews – show them that what they’re saying is being heard and make posting a review a small price to pay for a shoutout on social media or their specific idea being put into action.

Integrate traditional reviews into other platforms of user-generated content and engage customers through a variety social media, streamlining your brand and encouraging sharing. For example, post a photo of your product on Facebook with a few specific questions and ask for opinions.

The casual platform combined with the direct questions will encourage responses from people who may not otherwise reach out. It’s not necessarily about what you ask, but where and how you ask it.

You can also combine review requests with coupons, or integrate them into a gamification strategy, to further incentivize their responses.

4) When your customers say something to you, listen.

Be sure to respond! This sounds like a no brainer, but when your customers say something to you, whether through a customer review, Facebook comment, Tweet, etc., respond to them as promptly as you can so they know that their input matters and is appreciated.

There’s no worse customer experience than asking a company a question and receiving radio silence on the other end.

Responding to all customers quickly and authentically makes you look like you’re on top of your game and reminds the customer that behind the company, there are human beings, which helps hone customer trust and loyalty.

It also allows you to further engage and communicate with your customers, which is the point of customer reviews to begin with.

You can even go so far as to quote positive customer reviews on other social media platforms with a grateful response attached. The review process empowers your customers, and responding to their reviews validates this empowerment and encourages future reviews.

5) Use negative reviews to your advantage.

No company wants to receive a negative review, but the good news is that negative reviews actually improve customer trust and believability. Negative reviews shown alongside positives ones makes the reviews look authentic and proves to the customer that they haven’t been doctored.

Negative reviews also offer a unique marketing opportunity, when handled correctly. Addressing the negative review and the upset customer behind it, can actually build confidence in your brand.

Make sure to answer the negative review promptly with a personalized response, one that faces their complaint head on and cites specific details, so it doesn’t seem like a standardized response.

Offer a sincere apology and ask for a second chance to have their business, potentially with an incentive. Once the wrong has been righted, ask them to write another review of their experience, which will show potential customers that you are willing to go the distance to take care of your customers and make them feel heard.

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