Over 89% of customers search for reviews prior to purchasing a product or service, making it essential for brands to make customer feedback a priority. Reviews and ratings are immensely influential in both influencing purchase decisions and impacting how customers view the brand. Fortunately, there are multiple ways for brands to collect feedback from their customers, so that potential customers can get the information they need to make the right decision. Gathering customer feedback not only helps to understand their experiences, but it can also help brands to expand their customer base.
Here’s how to increase customer reviews and ratings to bolster your brand’s success.
The best time to request reviews from your customers is right after they have completed an interaction with you. This could be after they have received an item or completed a visit. If you have your customers’ email addresses, you can send them a follow-up message to thank them and then link them to a review page, such as Google, Yelp, or your own website. By doing this, you can ensure that your customers’ feedback is collected and that it is easily accessible for potential customers.
Here’s an example of a follow-up email sent from a spa to its customers.
Emails don’t need to have flashy design elements to be effective. The primary purpose of these emails is to solicit customer reviews, so it’s best to keep the content and design simple. Target, for example, combines the rating and review functionality in their follow-up emails, creating a streamlined experience for customers.
Direct Mail
If you don’t have the email addresses of your customers, or you’re looking for a different way to get customer reviews, then direct mail may be the answer. To send a postcard, you’ll need the mailing address of your customers. These days, mailboxes may be less crowded than inboxes, so this could be a great way to reach out. On the postcard, include links to your website, Google, or Amazon where customers can leave their reviews. As an alternative, you could include a QR code that customers can scan with their phone and it will take them directly to the site where you’d like their reviews.
This direct mail piece is a clever way of asking customers to leave a review and rewarding them for doing so. It incentivizes customers to give their honest feedback by providing them with something in return. This is a great way to get customer feedback and show appreciation for their time and opinion.
The postcard succinctly outlines each step of the process, making it easy for users to understand what action needs to be taken to complete it. By providing clear instructions, the postcard removes any obstacles that may otherwise prevent users from accomplishing the task.
After making a purchase or visiting your business, you can distribute direct mail to customers in various ways. You can include them in packages being shipped to customers, or place them in the bags you give to shoppers at your physical location. This gives customers the opportunity to stay up to date with your business and any promotions or discounts you may be offering.
Special Offers
Rewarding customers for their feedback can be an effective way to get more customer reviews and ratings. Offering incentives such as free products or discounts can be a powerful motivator for customers to leave their feedback. If you have the budget for it, then this can be an effective way to encourage customers to leave reviews and ratings.
Free product and service
Discount code to use on a future purchase
Entering a competition
Social Media
If your brand uses social media, you can take advantage of those connections to solicit honest customer reviews. You can send direct messages to individual customers, or post content in your newsfeed that asks for reviews. To incentivize customers to provide feedback, let them know their reviews may be shared on your social media accounts. This can be an exciting opportunity for buyers who don’t mind the attention.
Conclusion
If you are looking to increase your customer reviews and ratings, then it is important to try out different approaches. This could include email campaigns, direct mail, social media engagements or special offers. Experiment with each approach to see which works best for your business.
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