We trust people who are like us! That is why testimonials and reviews from existing customers are one of the best things for any business. This is sure to boost reputation and credibility with new customers. For small businesses to make their mark on the Internet, a lot hinges on positive reviews , feedback and word-of-mouth. There is no better way to get a stranger to want to try your business out than by showing them how others have benefitted from your product/service and how much they enjoyed the entire experience!
Of course, this is a double-edged sword that could bring your business down if reviews aren’t fantastic. If you’re running an honest business and have slip-ups from time to time, customers are more interested in how you help to fix the problem rather than being perfect all the time. So, what we’ve done is to compile a quick list of tactics, a template of sorts. We hope that this is useful and helps encourage more customers to leave reviews of your business!
Incentivise It
People might be more keen to speak about a bad experience as opposed to a good one. So, maybe you can consider incentivising customers to leave reviews. This will help to even out the types of responses and reviews you receive. The incentive need not be anything too drastic. It could be a $10 voucher for a repeat visit or a free drink on the next visit. If you do wanna go big, you could have a contest for customers to win a desirable prize. The catch is that customers have to first leave a review of your business! Once that is done, their names are automatically added into the hat for the grand prize.
Get Personal
People like to feel rewarded when doing something for others. Sometimes, this reward doesn’t even have to be something big – it can be something small! Even a “holler-back” on social media works wonders. For example, if someone leaves a positive review on your page, why not type back a quick response? It barely takes a minute to thank them for their honest feedback. If you’d like to take things to the next level, you could even randomly pick reviewers and give them a small token or gift as a way of saying thank you!
Make It Simple
This is something that businesses tend to struggle with. If the process to obtain feedback from a customer is too tedious or seemingly tedious, no one is going to do it. Simple things like feedback forms via emails or on restaurant counters are sufficient. I’ve been to a restaurant where they handed me an iPad so that I could leave my feedback before leaving. Nowadays (with Facebook, Yelp, TripAdvisor or even Google reviews), leaving feedback online isn’t all that difficult. Sometimes, all your customer needs is some encouragement and a little nudge in the right direction.
Follow A Routine
When you’re just starting to reach out to customers for their feedback, it may be tedious and even time-consuming. A good way to get the cycle going is to create a system where it is easy for you and your employees to obtain feedback. It can start out with employees reaching out to customers before they leave your storefront, or reaching out to clients after deliverables have been achieved and timelines have been met. Once a procedure has been set, it’s easier to repeat this procedure with different people to take the load off your shoulders.
Be Genuine
People will know if you’re asking for feedback for the sake of making yourself look good online. They would also be able to see right through insincere business practices so there’s really no point pretending. However, if you do monitor your approach, body language and even intonation, your customers will be able to feel your sincerity right away. To end off, it always helps when a business is eager to listen to what customers have to say to improve the business!
This article was contributed by Influenshine, a company which helps businesses build brand awareness, increase website traffic, increase app downloads, convert leads to customers, manage their online reputation and build brand loyalty through digital marketing, PR and growth hacking techniques.
