The do’s and don’ts of asking for online reviews

Like any other sales tactic, there’s an art to using online reviews as part of your marketing plan. If you want to get the most out of your consumer reviews, you need to make sure that you’re gathering and managing them the right way. 

After all, the purpose of online reviews is to increase sales by way of instilling confidence and trust in your business, which means your approach to online reviews needs to be thoughtful. 

If you bombard potential and existing consumers with requests for reviews, or ask them six months after their purchase, the exercise may become more damaging than helpful.

The best online review tactics are dependent on your business’s unique qualities.

Your approach should revolve around the way people interact with your product or service, and with your business as a whole. It’s important that you look at the shopping process through the eyes of your consumers.

Consider the following two scenarios

One:

You contact a local courier to pick up and deliver a parcel. When the courier arrives, he'll ask you to fill out a review form before he’s even left the building. 

It’s unlikely that you’d comply with this request, as it’s impossible to know what the level of customer service is, or if the parcel will reach its intended destination intact and on time. 

However, if you receive an email confirming the delivery of your parcel, and you’re then asked to review your experience, you’d be equipped with more information (and therefore more willing) to review your experience.

Two:

Similarly, if you get a garden service in to spruce up your property, and then receive an email or SMS six months later asking you to rate their service, it’s highly unlikely that you’ll remember the details of your experience in order to give accurate feedback. 

But, if the business contacts you two hours after they’ve worked in your garden, and asks you to rate their service, you’re much more likely to provide a review due to the fact the experience is still fresh.

The above examples illustrate the most important point when it comes to review management tactics: what works for one business won’t necessarily work for another.

However, there are a few guidelines that apply across industries and businesses.

Do’s when asking for reviews

Identify the ways your consumers experience your offering

There may be several opportunities to ask your consumers for product/service reviews during the time they purchase your product, or use your service. This is important as it helps you generate reviews about different aspects of your business. 

Step into your consumer's shoes, and think about where on their purchasing journey would be the best time to be asked to write a review.

As a result, your online reviews will provide potential clients with as much information as possible about all aspects of your business, which paints your brand in a transparent, and therefore trustworthy light, which translates into more sales.

Ask for reviews in person

Asking for a review face-to-face is a powerful way to capture customer sentiment, as it’s quick and easy for someone to fill out a survey or provide feedback in the moment. (That said, this will only suit businesses who have in-person interactions with their consumers).

Tap into your repeat customers

If someone repeatedly buys your product or uses your service, it means they trust your business, and are happy with their experience. As a result, the reviews they write will be both positive and detailed. 

Set up a system that identifies someone as a loyal, and repeat consumer. For example, when they’ve made a certain number of purchases or have spent a sizeable amount, an email will automatically be sent through to them.

Ask more than one question

As we’ve mentioned before, search engines like Google give more weight to reviews that provide context. For example, a review of a local auto-repair shop that says: “Great place” doesn’t give potential consumers sufficient information to make an informed decision. 

A review that says “Great service and great prices, my car was fixed quickly”, equips someone with more information to form an opinion about the business. It also signals to Google that people are talking about, and interacting with your business, resulting in a higher ranking.

Pay attention to positive social media mentions

If someone posts a positive comment on your social media pages, it means they already like your business. Reach out and thank them for their post, and ask them if they’d be willing to write a review. 

Make sure to acknowledge negative mentions and reviews just as timeously. Often, these mentions can turn into positive experiences if dealt with quickly and courteously.

Don’ts when asking for reviews

Don’t bombard your customers with requests

Pestering existing customers to write a review of your business can turn them off. Frequent requests aren’t only irritating, but can easily turn a positive customer experience into an unpleasant one. 

However, follow up with your request for a review, but ensure it's done in a way that’s respectful of their time.

Don’t forget to personalise your review requests

Depending on the product or service offered by your business, there may be various categories of your business that can benefit from reviews. 

For example, if you're running a beauty salon from home, and you ask a haircut client how they rated your manicure skills, you’re inadvertently telling them that they’re not important to you as you forgot what service they purchased from you.

Don’t “blackmail” someone into writing a review

Never offer a reward in the form of a discount or similar in exchange for a review. This suggests to your consumers you don’t care about the authenticity of your reviews. What’s more, potential customers won’t trust them – which could mean you lose out on sales.

Online reviews are a powerful way to market your business and gain new customers. Make sure you’re following these guidelines to get your reviews working for you.

Reviews on Hellopeter have helped over one million consumers make better choices. Had an experience you’d like to tell us about? Leave us a review here.