How To Encourage Positive Customer Reviews (And Handle The Negative Ones)

The internet has radically changed how people shop. In that sense, customer reviews can make or break your business. Because, if you strive to be a serious company it’s crucial to have a positive online presence. 

From groceries to dental services, people have started relying on forums of consumers who were there before them. And since all products and services are becoming plentiful, good marketing techniques using online reviews could help you stand out from your competitors. 

Here are some useful tips that will help you achieve that, while also handling one or two bad comments in the process. 

The Echoing Power Of Customer Reviews

Let’s put things into perspective first. 

Stats indicate that 9 out of 10 customers read reviews before deciding to engage with local businesses. That’s quite a lot, you will agree. 

And when you consider that one single bad review could drive away 22% of prospective customers, the situation gets even more serious. 

Aside from influencing consumers a great deal, they have a strong impact on the company’s credibility. All of this ultimately leads to bigger profits. 

Here are some key reasons why you should dedicate some time to customer reviews:

• Customer engagement 

A place to leave a review allows people to engage with your brand. In turn, this leads to creating actual connections with your customers. After all, communicating with customers is one of the best ways to connect with them. 

These connections are proven to generate more revenue. 

• Sales booster 

Once your customer is on the website it’s half job done. Another half is convincing them that what you’re offering is worth their money and time. Customer reviews can help you with this.

Really, we are more likely to shop if someone (even a stranger on the internet) tells us they’ve also purchased the same product and liked it. If this person has shopped a few times, the better. 

One study, conducted by Harvard Business School revealed that even a 1-star increase on Yelp could push sales by 5-9% in the short term. 

• Credibility and reputation

A brand is only as trustworthy as its most vocal advocates. 

So companies need to promote the culture of reviews, even with some incentives like promo codes for the next purchase. A review page is, in fact, one of the essential elements of every website. So make sure to have it. 

Read More: Top 7 Essential Elements of Website Homepage

Of course, the reviews need to be credible. If your website has only five-star reviews, it would make customers doubt its genuineness. 

Typically, consumers tend to trust the combination of 4 and 5-star reviews. That said, prospective buyers tend to distrust products with customer reviews under 3, or even 4 stars.

How Can You Attract Positive Customer Reviews

Getting customers to give feedback could prove to be an impossible job. 

So, how will you get them to write glowing accolades that help you sell stuff? Let’s convert your customers into your best ‘influencers’ with these simple methods. 

Ask At The Right Time

Don’t ask customers to leave a review randomly. 

Ensure that you are asking THE question, at the proper time in their journey. Anything but that could lead to a potential negative review. We don’t want that. 

Instead, ask them when you know they are satisfied with the purchase. Another good time is when you know they’ve had enough time to enjoy the product.

Ask For Customer Reviews In Different Ways

There are many channels through which you can solicit a positive review. 

• In-person is always the best way to ask customers for positive feedback because you can feel their satisfaction with the product or service. 
• Use email marketing campaigns to target customers that have already purchased the product. 
• Use website prompts on products customers are browsing or adding to their wishlists. 
• You can even use product packaging to redirect customers to review pages. 

Make It Simple 

The more trouble it is to leave a review, the less likely it is that customers will do it. So make it easy for them. 

Whenever possible, guide them with a link to the right page, or create an easy way to enter the information needed. 

Let them know how much time they need to fill out the form. Lead with something like ‘it will only take 1 minute to complete this customer review’. In that case of course, make sure it actually takes 1 minute. 

Open Profiles In The Right Places

To receive a review, you need a profile on some common platforms (other than your website). For instance, Yelp, Google, TripAdvisor (for travel and tourism businesses), and Facebook are just some popular sites where people like to leave reviews. 

Offer Incentives 

Sometimes, customers need a little motivation to leave a review. Give them a reason to write it. 

Many brands offer discount codes or gift cards for their next purchase if the customer opts to write a review. 

Reply, Reply, Reply…

Ultimately, never fail to reply to customers who leave reviews. This is valid for both negative and positive ones. In the first case, don’t go on the defense but try to understand where the customer is coming from and try to solve their problem, if possible. 

Namely, recent stats show that the company’s response to reviews altered the perception of 56% of users.

Even a simple thank you for a positive review could lead to new sales. 

Thin Line Between Negative Customer Reviews And Valuable Insight

You’ve got a bad review? It’s not the end of the world. There is still time to turn it into something valuable for your business. 

Actually, customers are more likely to leave a negative review after a bad experience, than the other way around. Nonetheless, these are a useful tool to leverage to improve customer satisfaction. 

To do that, you always need to reply in a personalized way, trying to empathize with the customer. Admit that this is indeed a bad experience you sincerely regret, and offer the solution (if possible). 

By replying to all customer reviews, including all negative ones, you are fostering people’s retention. Even when they were ready to leave your brand. 

Further, asking customers for a way to rectify the wrong done to them, or offering some sort of discount and free vouchers for the next purchase could go a long way. 

Of course, this doesn’t mean you need to offer free things to people every time you receive a negative review. 

Ultimately, even negative reviews aren’t going away. It’s simply not possible to please everyone. But they can pinpoint areas in which your business can improve and represent a perfect way to communicate with your clients. 

In Review

To summarize, customer reviews can impact your company’s reputation, sales, and client satisfaction. Therefore, it’s vital that you nurture the culture of asking customers for reviews at multiple touchpoints. 

Even when you get a negative review, it can easily turn into a positive thing for your business. But only if you use these tips to turn them into an advantage. 

Otherwise, you stand to lose a lot.