Reviews can make or break a business. With a click of a button, potential customers can learn everything they need to know about your company and whether or not it’s worth their time. Good customer service is the first step, but there are a few other methods for eliciting good reviews from your audience. Try using one or more of these techniques and watch the good reviews pour in.

1. Express genuine interest in your clients 

When running a business, a dozen items crowd your daily to-do list. By not allowing these responsibilities to become more important than customer satisfaction, you can forge meaningful relationships that produce excellent reviews. To achieve positive feedback, any business owner should prioritize customer happiness. Studies have shown that when determining which businesses to shop at, reviews from other customers play a major role in the decision-making process. These reviews may be seen through Google, Yelp, or social networking sites like Facebook, and they can be a factor in whether or not someone decides to eat at your restaurant or buy clothing at your store. 

To make the most of reviews, express genuine interest in your customers by following up after a business exchange. This can be as simple as an email that automatically appears in their inboxes a few days after a sale, inquiring about the sales experience. Customers should know that your company is invested in them. Businesses can also accomplish this by training employees to check in with buyers, ask what they need, and/or go out of their way to offer solutions. 

When customers feel they’ve been seen as more than just a transaction, they’re more likely to walk away feeling good about their experience with your company.

2. Make it easy to leave a review 

Customers are just as busy as you are, and leaving reviews can be an inconvenience they just don’t have time for. To increase the number of reviews your business gets, make sure that leaving them is a quick and straightforward process. 

When working with an agency to design your website, ask that the review template be readily visible. Designers can even place it right on the homepage. Web designers can make this section bold or colorful, to draw customers to it immediately. Navigation choices like this can help lead customers in the right direction and increase the likelihood that they choose to provide a review. 

3. Create incentives

Humans are simple creatures, and we’re not hard to sway if someone’s dangling a carrot in front of us. If you’re looking to boost your company’s reviews, try offering a reward to those who leave them. Driven by a prize, you may see an influx of valuable feedback. The incentives offered don’t have to be extravagant, either. Something as simple as a coupon could spark interest and generate good reviews. 

It’s important to note that you shouldn’t make the incentive conditional on whether a review is positive. The purpose of a review is to communicate with other customers and to tell companies how they can do better in the future. Clients should be encouraged to speak freely, expressing their concerns as well as their praise in the public forum of a review section. 

Remember that even “bad” reviews are critical to a business’s success. These will keep you notified about what needs to be improved so you can implement positive changes in the future. 

4. Prioritize customer engagement 

Customers want to be seen and heard. Much like following up after a sale, interacting with reviews can make a customer feel that a company actually values them. Whether a review is good or bad, you or another company representative should take the time to reply. If a review includes effusive praise, thank the writer for their comments.

For reviews that are less than glowing, take the opportunity to address the customer’s concerns head-on. Express compassion and empathy, demonstrating that customer experience matters to you. If applicable, find a way to solve the customer’s problem so that they walk away with a better impression of your business. 

If someone writes a two-star review complaining that someone on your staff was rude, jump on this chance to speak with your employee and reiterate the importance of good customer service. To show the reviewer that their thoughts matter to you, respond by apologizing, extending sympathy, and describing the course of action you plan on taking to ensure similar events don’t happen again.

On the other hand, if you receive a five-star rating proclaiming the burgers at your restaurant are the best in the city, take time to thank your happy customer. This show of gratitude will demonstrate graciousness and show potential customers reading that you’re polite and grateful. Ignoring it entirely might come across as rude. 

When reviews become a one-way opportunity, you’re missing out on a chance to show customers you care. Reviews should be a conversation between business owners and the public, where businesses can handle concerns and hear their strong qualities applauded.

5. Share other reviews 

Social media should not be disregarded as an advertising tool. It’s a great space for customers and businesses to interact, and social media posts have the power to change users’ attitudes  toward a brand. Today, social media is one of the most impactful marketing vessels for reaching consumers. Businesses should take advantage of this by sharing customer reviews via social media. 

When businesses share good reviews on social media, a dual purpose is served. For one, you remind other customers that leaving reviews is an option. They might even be inspired to leave one themselves! Secondly, customers see that your business genuinely cares about its patrons.

Customers appreciate engagement, and social media is a great way to make this happen. By taking to social platforms like LinkedIn or Instagram and sharing positive reviews from other customers, you show that you read the feedback customers give your business. Perhaps more importantly, you show that you appreciate the people who leave it. 

Why care about bad reviews?

If you’re confident in your business model, it can be tempting to disregard negative reviews. However, an extensive collection of glowing reviews will do nothing but good things for your company. Potential customers often turn to reviews to decide which businesses to patronize, so paying close attention might stop you from losing business. 

As for the bad reviews, they aren’t all from petty people just looking for excuses to complain. As a business owner, you should try reflecting on the problems people share so you can stay aware of your weaknesses and start the process of correcting them. When you begin to take less positive reviews as opportunities for improvement, your business will go from good to fantastic. 

Building a strong collection of customer reviews can be challenging, but using the techniques listed above will make it all the easier. With any luck, this article will teach you to value all customer feedback and turn reviews into a powerful marketing tool. If you feel your current company website lacks the functionality or appearance necessary to garner good reviews, consider By the Pixel to help. Our expert web developers, designers, and content writers will join forces to create a compelling, user-friendly custom website that inspires your customers to leave a good review.