How To Encourage Customer Reviews
You know you do good work for your customers. Heck, you spend half your day making sure they’re happy. But how do you convince potential customers that you really walk the walk when it comes to knocking their socks off? Step One: Get some amazing reviews from past and current customers.
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Here are a few methods to encourage your customers to write about you:
Follow up with a customer at the end of a project or contract via email. Customize the introduction based on your brand and voice, then give them one (or several) options to submit a review:
Custom Form
Create your own online review form, where you can collect information privately. This is good if you want to see how specific employees are performing, or ask for sensitive information. You can include a checkbox asking if the review can be shared publicly.
Send customers straight to your Facebook reviews page. Simply link to this page in your email, asking customers to click the link and write a review.
Google+
Ratings on Google are surprisingly important, as they can influence your search rankings. First, get your Google+ page verified so you can respond to reviews. Then, let your customers know how to submit a review of your business on Google.
Offer Guidelines
Sometimes, your customers will have great things to say about you, but they don’t know how to word it. Give them some examples or guidelines to help get the ball rolling. MindShare Consulting has a great post to get you started.
Write-In’s
Some industries or clientele are a bit more old-school. If your customers simply aren’t the type to leave online reviews, send them a letter with a pre-addressed return envelope, asking them to submit a review.
Ask In Person
Nothing beats a face-to-face interaction, even in the days of social. Host a party for your clients, or simply bring it up at your next meeting. You can either ask for a verbal review, or follow up the conversation with a personal email.
Extra Note:
While all of your customers are probably equally awesome, you want to be sure your reviews are reaching the right audience. Seek a range of reviews and testimonials so you can find your sweet spot. SumoMe has you covered in this post.
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