How To Get More Customers To Leave Reviews! (5 Proven Strategies)

Why are reviews are important

Increased revenue.

• 90% of consumers now read a review before making a purchase decision. By having a better online reputation through more reviews you’ll get chosen more by customers. Each star increase increases revenue by 7%.

Show up first in search results.

• Google reviews now make up 15% of the google search algorithm. (Moz)

Getting Google Reviews is a very critical component for ranking your business locally on Google. Not only do reviews help establish your brand’s credibility, but they can also help to increase your online visibility on the Google map pack, leading to more monthly phone calls, bookings, direction requests, and business conversations.

Are Reviews Meant For All Businesses

When’s the last time your business received a 5-star review?

I spent some time advising a restaurant owner on the value of having more reviews and how they would positively impact his local search results. I then showed him how to quickly and easily get more reviews for his business listings.

Did you know that your business’ online reputation can affect its seo?

Now, according to BrighLocal, 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄𝘀 are the 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗱 (𝟯𝗿𝗱) most important Ranking Factor when it comes to Local SEO, behind only  Google Business Profile (GBP) or GMB and On-page ranking factors.

So it will be well worth it to your bottom line to ask your clients (especially after they have just bought or experienced your unique transformation), if they wouldn’t mind leaving a review; then ask what the easiest way for them to receive the link is, and send them the link that way!

Once again, reviews are critical to your business for many different reasons including the fact that they build 𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗳 for your business which in turn builds 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁.

According to Safari Digital, businesses with online reviews are trusted by 𝟳𝟯% of consumers because reviews on your GMB, Facebook, Yelp or any other peer to peer review platforms are an extremely effective way to boost trust, 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰 and 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀.

Make sure to actively leave your review links directly on these platforms and don’t forget to add the link to your reviews on your website as well. 

Are Giveaways a good way to get reviews?

Let’s talk about giveaways – a tactic that can definitely boost your review count, but like anything, it’s all about the execution.

Giveaways have the potential to be a two-sided coin. On one hand, they can attract a crowd, but sometimes that crowd might be more interested in the freebie than in your business. However, fear not, because with a touch of strategy, giveaways can certainly rake in genuine reviews and meaningful connections.

Here’s how to make giveaways work wonders for you:

• Know Your Crowd: Pick a giveaway prize that speaks the language of your audience. If it resonates, you’ll attract folks who genuinely care about your offerings.
• Review Hook: Make leaving a review a requirement for entering the giveaway. This way, you’re not just fishing for reviews, but angling for opinions from folks who actually care.
• Rules of the Game: Lay down the rules clearly. State upfront that a review is a must to participate. No surprises – just clear expectations.
• Flaunt the Prize: Let the giveaway prize and your products/services dance in the limelight together. Create a natural bond between what you offer and what they could win.
• Quality over Quantity: Encourage meaningful reviews over a flood of generic ones. Let participants share their experiences – the more authentic, the better.
• Show off the Love: Once the giveaway dust settles, spotlight bits of those reviews on your social media. Not only does this highlight their authenticity, but it’s also an invitation for others to chime in.
• After the Hype: When the giveaway curtain falls, keep the spotlight on those who left reviews. Express your gratitude and perhaps even sprinkle some exclusive discounts their way.
• Honesty Prevails: Lay it bare – value genuine opinions over sugar-coated ones. Encourage participants to spill the beans, whether it’s praise or constructive critique.

While giveaways can be your review of rocket boosters, they aren’t the whole rocket. Mix it up – engage with your customers directly to nudge them toward reviews, spruce up your website with those inviting call-to-action buttons, and above all, deliver a customer experience that naturally sparks those positive vibes.

Avoid Incentives to Your Customers

So you can’t incentivize a “positive review” but:

However, the policy does not mention giveaways or gifts, but Google has taken action against companies incentivizing reviews this way. 

If you have a little box of $10 Gift Cards for customers at check out that clearly states “leave us an honest review and take a card” I don’t think that would violate anything and would still be “organic”.

Customer satisfaction Survey to Get Reviews

Survey your customers. You can conduct a survey in-house. Simply call and ask

1. “How was your most recent visit to our clinic?”
2. “Approximately how long was your wait time?”
3. Were all your questions answered that you had?

On a scale of 1-10, where 10 means the best, how would you rate the office in general?

Did you know that up to 70% of customers will leave you a review when asked?

Those who give positive scores – say this, “Thank you for the positive feedback. If you have a minute, please give us a google review. This will allow us to become a thriving XYZ company in the area.”

How Do We Get More Reviews

When people are spending more money, the wisdom of crowds (and their reviews) appears to have a greater impact on purchase decisions. “Based on data from the gift retailer, when reviews were displayed for a lower-priced product, the conversion rate increased 190%. 

However, for a higher-priced product, the conversion rate increased 380%,” the Spiegel report found.

1. Make it about them. Most people just send an automated “Would you be able to give us a review?”. Instead say something like, “We would love to share your story, as I know it would help people looking at the program learn if it would be a good fit for them. Do you have a few moments to take us through before and after?”. Switch the focus from you to them.

2. Ask during milestones or positive moments. Very few teams I work with have a process in place to ask for reviews when someone calls them out on social media (positively) or has a positive interaction with your support team or hits a key milestone with you. It’s an opportunity to capture the customer when they are already happy with you. 

3. Give benefits to them (if possible). If you have B2B customers, highlight how their testimonial will be on your homepage, which gets 50,000 views a month, and you will have their logo or title link out to their website. Give them another tangible benefit. 

Final Thoughts

Do not skip our strategies if you want to improve the presence of your business on Google and increase your sales through positive reviews.