24 Oct 2017
Discover 10 effective strategies to encourage customers to leave positive feedback. Making the process easy and personal will significantly boost your online reputation and attract new clients.
You can do a lot to encourage positive feedback at all touchpoints with your customers.
It's an undeniable fact that published positive feedback attracts new customers to your business. In fact, 86% of consumers check reviews about a product/service/company from existing customers before making a purchase.
So how do you encourage existing satisfied customers to rate you (favorably) or even write a sentence or two about their (positive) experience with your company? The most important thing is to make it easy and quick for them to submit feedback.
Ensure customers can submit feedback easily and quickly.
Here are 10 tips that will make your existing customers want to write their opinion about your company.
No matter how good their experience was, few of your customers will proactively seek out a way to tell you. Make sure every customer knows where they can leave a review. Send them a link where they can do it. Be direct: send an email or SMS, hand out a business card, add a note to the receipt, or tell them in some other way: “We value your opinion. Rate us ‘here’.”
Messages thanking customers for their purchase or visit and asking for feedback will be well-received. Customize their content to make the message personal. This doesn't just mean including the customer's name; the rest of the content should also be tailored to their purchase or service received. If a customer feels the message was prepared just for them, they are more likely to respond.
Make your desired customer action as easy as possible wherever you can. Ensure an excellent customer experience at all their touchpoints. This will lead to a better experience and make them more inclined to leave you a positive review.
The first and last interactions will leave a lasting impression on your customers. How you greet a customer for the first time and how you say goodbye at the end influences their evaluation of their engagement with your company. Leave them with a positive feeling, and they will surely share their positive experience.
At the end of a purchase or service, give the customer a gift to encourage future purchases. Small gestures make customers feel more welcome and connected to your company, leading to better reviews.
You can't avoid getting the occasional negative review. However, by responding well to such reviews, you open the door to more positive ones. Customers will see that you value every piece of feedback and that their opinion is in good hands. It's best to sincerely apologize for the poor experience and invite them for another opportunity to make a better impression.
Of course, 'bribing' customers to write a good review isn't ethical. However, you can encourage them to write one with a motivator. This could be a discount on their next purchase/visit, a small gift, or another benefit that everyone who leaves a review receives.
One way to encourage customers to leave a review is to have every submitted review enter a draw for attractive prizes. The prize could be a gift voucher for your services or store purchases, entry into a promotion you are currently running, or another prize commensurate with the effort.
Companies that are active on social media receive more customer feedback than those that aren't. Social media users are more inclined to express their opinions and are more loyal to brands. Monitor comments and participate in discussions related to your company.
Leverage the social media platforms you use. Post interesting feedback, support it with photos (possibly those provided by your customers with their reviews), and encourage further communication. If your customers share their feedback, their followers will see it too, making the reviews more personal and thus more credible.
You have several ways to encourage customers to leave you positive feedback. Use these tips and get positive customer reviews that will boost your credibility in the eyes of potential customers.