Did you know that almost 70% of online shoppers read from 1-6 customer reviews before purchasing? Figuring out how to get more customer reviews can occupy too much of a marketer’s time!
Increasing the quantity and quality of organic customer reviews can be a challenge for any brand – whether you’re new on the scene or an established brand looking to improve your customer experience.
Let’s take a closer look at five ways you can get more customer views organically to help increase brand trust and sales!
1. Make it as Easy as Possible to Leave a Review
Think about the last time you left a review online. Did it feel effortless? Or was the process so time-consuming or confusing you almost forgot what you were reviewing?
For many businesses, the fewer barriers to a customer leaving a review, the better. During the feedback process, audit any surveys in place to see if there are key drop-off points where forms need to be completed.
Offer the customer multiple options, focusing on your biggest sales driver. For example, many business-to-business (B2B) customers leave reviews on Google, G2, and Trustpilot.
But remember, not every potential new customer reads written reviews. For business-to-customer (B2C) brands, social media plays a much more significant role. Many prefer the human experience of user-generated content from content creators, such as in YouTube video reviews.
Encouraging brand ambassadors and customer engagement by asking them to leave reviews on social media is an excellent opportunity for growth and exposure.
2. Use Calls-To-Action (CTAs), both Online and In-Store
According to Hubspot, a personalized call-to-action can increase customer engagement and conversions by 202%. A call-to-action encourages the visitor to take further action before disengaging. Examples include:
- Funnel CTAs at the beginning, such as Get Started
- Informative CTAs throughout, such as Learn More
- Purchase CTAs to close a sale, such as Buy Now
For the ultimate customer experience, use CTAs where appropriate to encourage users to leave feedback. Feel free to plant the seed throughout the customer journey where it feels right instead of leaving it until the end.
It will help the customer feel more connected. By generating feedback at different stages of the buying process, you can easily spot critical areas for improvement.
Check out this brilliant example from Hawaiian Airlines:
Source: hawaiianairlines.com
On the left-hand side of the Hawaiian Airlines homepage, there is a vertical “feedback” CTA. The clever placement and bold color make it easy for existing customers to leave feedback. And for new site visitors, it adds a personalized touch and creates a great first impression.
3. Create a Well-Structured Customer Experience Feedback Survey
Creating a compelling customer experience feedback survey is vital. A badly-structured survey can turn people off leaving a review, resulting in dropouts and even negative comments about the survey itself!
When creating a feedback survey, it’s important to take note of some best practices:
- Refrain from overwhelming customers with too many questions.
- Keep it simple and focus on the key areas where you’d like to receive feedback.
- Provide an open-ended question at the end of the survey so that customers can leave detailed comments about their experience.
- Take note of any potential bias in the wording to ensure the customer feels valued and allowed to express their opinions without judgment.
- Consider multiple-choice questions or questions using the Likert scale method to keep the questions easy to answer.
4. Engage Actively on Social Media
Social media is one of the best places to engage with customers, build communities, and encourage reviews. Platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook allow you to interact with customers in real time, creating a natural dialogue. This gives your business a human touch that leads to not only more reviews but also greater brand loyalty.
Always build relationships with your existing customers before asking for reviews. This shows that you value their opinion and are invested in their experience.
Customers love attention. Responding to all reviews online can encourage others to leave reviews, both positive and negative. Respond positively to negative reviews, offering to rectify the situation where you can. Also, be careful not to rely on generic replies, as this can create a sense of dishonesty.
Brand Advocacy Programs
Creating brand advocacy programs for your top customers is a great way to increase social engagement and grow your organic reviews. Brand advocacy programs invite customers to become advocates for your brand and share their stories and experiences with others.
Brand advocacy programs can be managed using software such as BrandChamp. One example is a loyalty program, where customers receive rewards, such as discounts on free merchandise, in exchange for new leads or referrals.
The software helps you create activities for your members to participate in, keep track of referral sales, and showcase available rewards. This helps foster customer relationships and create more trust in your brand while driving value back to the customer.
5. Increase Visibility of Existing Reviews
As a short-term solution to drive sales, consider incorporating existing customer reviews on your homepage for visibility. There are three main ways you can do this:
- Add a few select reviews to your homepage – The best option for small or niche businesses.
- Use a dedicated plugin to display reviews from other sources – One example is Widget for Google Reviews.
- Add code to your website that displays real-time reviews – Trustpilot reviews let you do this.
Further, share customer reviews and stories on social media or in a blog as success stories for your brand. Depending on the brand, customers will also feel seen and valued!
Organic Reviews Go Beyond the Customer Experience
Facilitating customer reviews is great for the customer experience. It gives customers a platform to express their opinions and experiences, which in turn encourages further sales and growth. But it goes beyond that.
Legitimate customer reviews and feedback also provide valuable insights into how customers view your company and any opportunities for improvement. With these insights, you can make informed decisions on how to improve customer service, product quality, and brand image.
For more tips on developing your brand, check out our article on the value of customer loyalty.
Why do Organic Customer Reviews Matter?
Organic customer reviews are a powerful tool for any business. Reviews provide an opportunity to gain valuable insights into the customer experience. They allow the customer to provide honest feedback about the product or service that your business offers.
Organic reviews also help build trust and credibility, which can lead to increased sales and long-term customer loyalty. Positive reviews can influence potential customers’ purchasing decisions, while negative reviews can help you identify areas of improvement.
What are the Legalities of Customer Reviews?
It is essential to be aware of the legal implications of customer reviews, as there have been many documentations of unethical practices in the past. From fake reviews to incentivizing positive reviews, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has announced it’s looking into cracking down on fake reviews by implementing new policies and guidelines.
For example, room-sharing site Roomster faces legal action from the FTC for creating fraudulent positive reviews and listings while suppressing negative reviews on its platform. This type of mistake can severely damage a company’s sales and reputation.
In summary, companies must ensure that they give customers a fair and honest representation of their product or service. Any misleading statements of any kind could result in legal action.
