s more people search online for services, customer reviews reign supreme. “There’s no doubt that when someone is trying to find a new company to use, they research them online,” says Jess Miller, CEO of Prestige Apparel.
“That's your potential customers’ first impression of your business. If you don't have great reviews, they’ll move on to the next company that does.”
- Jess Miller, CEO of Prestige Apparel
If you’re not working to get more reviews, from leveraging online platforms to incentivizing feedback, we’ve got actionable steps you can take, starting today.
Customer Reviews By The Numbers
If you don’t think you should prioritize getting customer reviews for your shop, consider these important statistics:
1. Over nine out of 10 customers (95%) read product reviews before purchasing.
Plus, 58% of these shoppers say they’re willing to pay more for products or services with good reviews. That shows reading online reviews has become an important part of the shopping process.
“Reviews help people get to know who you are and what you’re about before calling or reaching out to you. If your reviews are good, you’re more apt to get that first order.”
- Howard Potter, CEO of A&P Master Images
2. Ninety-two precent of B2B buyers say reading positive reviews makes them more likely to buy.
That’s why it’s so important to prioritize adding reviews to your marketing strategy. “If you don't ask, you won’t receive any reviews,” Miller says. “Without any reviews, you’ll get looked over for a company that does.”
3. The average buyer reads 10 reviews before trusting your business.
However, about 31%, especially younger buyers, read more than 10 reviews before buying from you, so the more reviews you can garner, the better. “We simply tell prospects to check out our social media reviews and see what other customers say about us if they’re unsure about jumping in,” Potter says.
4. Seven out of 10 consumers use rating filters when searching for businesses.
The most commonly used filter is for shops with four stars and higher. That’s why giving every customer a great experience ensures you get those four- and five-star reviews.
5. Eighty-five percent of buyers disregard “older” reviews.
You might be surprised to learn that older doesn’t mean a year or two – these buyers think reviews older than three months are irrelevant.
About 40% of customers only care about reviews posted in the last few weeks, so this is another incentive to ask every customer for a review after you’ve completed an order. As you consistently get new customer reviews, your SEO improves – showing your business to prospects searching for you.
“When sourcing a potential business to fulfill branded merchandise needs consumers will use online search to seek options. Often, search results showcase reviews, which can attract or deter prospective customers.”
- JP Hunt, head of partnerships at Inktavo
Ultimately, positive customer reviews can affect how prospective customers perceive your business. Good reviews help people trust you and feel comfortable placing that first order. “Reviews serve as third-party testimonials and generally are a trusted source of information,” Hunt says. “Consider online reviews a ‘first impression’ of your business for all new prospective customers.”
7 Ways to Approach Customer Reviews
Tap into the full potential of customer reviews with these seven impactful strategies, designed to amplify your brand reputation, engage customers and drive business growth.
1. Just ask, every time.
While this sounds obvious, many business owners will tell you their staff doesn’t ask every customer to offer a review after a completed order. You can ask for reviews during the sales process, in person, in your order packaging, in followup emails – or via several different touch points.
However you choose to ask for reviews, make it a consistent part of your process, with everyone in your business on board.
“It can be as simple as saying to your customer, ‘If you’re happy with our work, would you mind writing a quick review on what you think of our shop and products?’” - Howard Potter, CEO of A&P Master Images
Bonus Review Tip:
Miller’s shop uses several different ways to ask for reviews, including social media and email. For example, she inserts this request into an email she sends clients to alert them that their order is done and ready for pickup:
“Thank you for being an amazing customer. We're always excited to bring ideas to life. If you enjoyed your experience with us, please review us on Google, Facebook and/or Instagram. Reviews are a great help to small businesses and are greatly appreciated! When you support a small business, you're supporting a dream!”
Miller’s team also places a sticker on top of the last shirt they pack up for our customers to see when they open their box. Part of the verbiage includes, “Leave us a review If you loved your order.”
2. Get visible on online platforms.
Double-check that you have accounts on review platforms like Google, Facebook, Yelp and Better Business Bureau, so your customers have a place to review you. That way, you can easily send a link to customers after you complete an order. Some businesses even use software allowing clients to post a review without having to navigate through many sites.
Stay active on the social media spaces – like Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram or Twitter – where your customers hang out. Regularly respond to customer comments, share your latest positive reviews and post links where customers can leave a new review.
3. Share positive reviews on your site, social media, emails and marketing materials.
Monitor review sites regularly to grab shining customer reviews that you can then use on your website and social media accounts to amplify their visibility. This helps increase your brand reputation and reach.
“Leverage online reviews by copying content and posting as testimonials on your website and social media channels. The goal is to leverage reviews on all channels for maximum exposure and impact.”
- JP Hunt, head of partnerships at Inktavo
Sometimes, this reminds other happy customers to leave a review. When you post reviews, provide a link to let other customers easily post a review too.
“Anywhere you can show your reviews will benefit your business. Not everyone looks at just one place for reviews. Any place you can showcase how awesome your business is, the more people will notice you and be more apt to use your services.”
- Jess Miller, CEO of Prestige Apparel
4. Respond to all reviews, even negative ones.
It’s a great idea to assign an employee or two to monitor review platforms, so they can respond to all positive and negative reviews that pop up. Thank delighted customers for their business and for sharing their opinions.
If you tactfully address a negative review, you can defuse a situation with an unhappy customer. You can also show prospects how you promptly address situations and handle customer feedback. Customer reviews can help you make improvements to their buying experience, or products and services, so reading everyone’s feedback is beneficial.
5. Consider using out-of-the-box video reviews.
“Video reviews are the most effective review format as video content can communicate clearly and persuasively,” Hunt says. “Consider asking for video reviews, or capture them for yourself during pick up or ask for permission to go on site at events to showcase how your product and services are used in the real world.”
6. Incentivize your review process.
We’re not talking about giving customers incentives to review your business. That’s because most platforms’ guidelines prohibit offering discounts or other rewards to customers for offering a review.
Instead, create an employee review program that incentivizes your staff to ask customers for reviews – and they can receive points toward prizes or rewards as customers leave those reviews.
7. Train your staff to offer top-level service.
One of the best ways to inspire great reviews is to offer a great customer experience, as well as amazing products and services.
“If you’re good at your craft, customers will naturally review you and the positive word will get around. That’s why we have customers in 15 states and five countries!”
- Howard Potter, CEO of A&P Master Images
Get In The Customer Review Game Today
The bottom line is that your marketing efforts should also include soliciting reviews from customers. Here are some quick ways Hunt suggests working a customer review request into your process. Include it in:
● Email or SMS order shipment notifications
● Post-delivery emails or SMS notifications
● Post-delivery thank-you emails or SMS messages
● Dedicated post-order review request or feedback emails or SMS messages
● Asking for a review, if you’re delivering an order in person.
“If you don’t actively ask and seek out reviews, then you’re likely to receive few or no reviews at all,” Hunt says. “It’s best to develop a simple strategy for encouraging reviews as part of every successfully delivered order. Make it easy for customers to leave reviews by providing links in email order confirmations, box stuffers and follow-up emails!”
