Whether you love to see the words of adoring fans or see the websites as a minefield of cowardly keyboard warriors, online reviews are a fact of life for businesses today. Customers are more likely to trust each other’s experiences than what the business says about itself: your product might be truly incredible and five-star worthy, but if you’re relying solely on your homepage, you’re at risk of losing to competitors who have earned four stars and a handful of #foodporn tags.
Here’s how to encourage your customers to take to their keyboards and get reviewing:
IN PERSON
Asking for feedback after the transaction can help make your customers feel valued – no one wants to think their opinion doesn’t matter after the credit card’s gone through. Have yourself or a staff member ask them about their experience, and if they’re a happy camper ask if they’d be willing to review you online. Let them know it’s quick and easy.
BY EMAIL
If a customer made an appointment or reservation you’ll have their email address on hand. Send them a cheery message saying hi, checking in and asking if they’d like to share their thoughts with the world. This approach is effective as the review form is just a click away and can be saved for later. Personalise the email and don’t be spammy.
USE FLYERS OR TABLE TALKERS
Everyone has a smart phone on them these days, and most review sites will have a mobile app – leave a suggestion to review where your customers can read it. Many of the platforms will have examples to download, or design your own (we’d be happy to help!). Don’t use a QR code. Ever.
Whether you want to boost up your Urbanspoon love or work your way to the hit list of a more obscure site (click here to see how we tackled the Guinness Black List for a client), sometimes all you need to do is ask. Keep it subtle with one of the above (or get pushy with a few, your call) to stand a better chance online.