Review Management 101 Step 4: Asking for the Review. Do it Fast & Make it Easy.

Review Management: The Art of Increasing and Maximizing Your Positive Online Reviews

Everyone loves positive feedback. From getting a shining performance review at work, a “well done” response on a great paper or assignment or even just a simple “thank you” can really make our day. Positive feedback reinforces that your ideas are appreciated, your services and products work well and that your brand is well-received by your customers. If you run a business, you know the value of positive feedback is what keeps you in business and generates new customers. But, asking for and receiving positive feedback isn’t always as easy as it seems. You may have a customer leave with a smile on their face, but that’s no guarantee they’ll leave a positive review. Here’s why positive feedback and online reviews are so important.

According to Invespro.com, nearly 9 in 10 consumers treat an online review the same way they do a personal recommendation. In addition, customers are likely to spend 31% more on a business with “excellent” reviews and 72% say that positive reviews make them trust a local business more, prompting them to take action. It’s no secret that seeing a business with at least four stars on Google, for example, will lend better to enticing new customers than one with a two star. In addition, with search engine optimization, more reviews will rank your business higher in the search algorithm. This gives you more exposure and credibility in your industry.

Everyone would love to have more positive reviews from customers, but it takes a little thought and planning on your end. In addition, automating the customer review process can really take your feedback strategy to the next level, streamlining your operations, generating more reviews and leaving you to focus on day-to-day business responsibilities. So, when should you ask for a formal review after getting positive feedback?

The short answer is as soon as possible. Asking a customer to leave a review when they’re hot, happy and your business is at top of mind is key. Customers are busy. Even if they remember the interaction they had with you or your services fondly, they may simply forget to leave a formal review or may think it isn’t necessary. Getting a customer to leave a positive review as soon as they step out of the door is key, as this is when they remember the interaction with as much detail as possible, including what they bought, who helped them and how they felt about the service. This is when they’re at their happiest because they either just bought a great new product or are extremely satisfied with their service.

So how can you get a customer to leave a positive review? Follow these few steps and you’ll be on your way:

1. Direct customers to the right spot with ease – don’t make it a hunt
No one likes clicking through multiple form pages or filling out endless text boxes with required character counts. Again, customers are busy. You need to make the process of leaving a review as easy and findable as possible. When you ask for an online review, direct a customer directly to the spot for leaving feedback. Don’t first redirect to your website or make them create an account with a third party review system. The less time it takes a customer to leave a review and the easier it is for them to find the place to do it, the more likely they are to give formal, positive feedback.

2. Make the process repeatable
Every customer should be taken to the exact same review process, again and again. You should have one standard review platform database that feeds in all your feedback, saves it and tracks who has and hasn’t left a review. Pointing customers to different review platforms or merely asking for verbal feedback may confuse new customers or incorrectly capture their feedback.

3. Automate the process – and use it
A great way to take your review strategy to the next level is by completely automating and streamlining the process. Using one, simple platform to send out review reminders, track reviews and painlessly collect feedback will make your life easier and make your customers even happier. One way to do this is by using Review Monkey, a browser based app that helps businesses and professionals increase their REAL positive online reviews. Review Monkey helps by “closing the customer feedback loop” after the sale has been made. Review Monkey works by creating a review funnel for your business after you sell a product or complete a service, asking the customer about their experience. Review Monkey automatically asks the customer to leave a review and gently follows up via text or email if they need reminding. If the customer had an issue with their experience, the Review Monkey software asks the customer to explain what went wrong, allowing you to fix the situation before they leave a formal review. In addition, the Review Monkey software tracks who has already left a review and who has opted out of receiving messages, allowing you to reach new audiences instead of targeting older customers.

Review Monkey helps by creating an overall positive impression of your business by increasing the amount of real, genuinely-happy reviews left for your products or services online. Review Monkey also helps you get ahead of the negative reviews before they’re published, allowing you to amend the situation before it impacts new business. Using a software like Review Monkey will make the process seamless and automatic, allowing you to get more reviews with little work or interruption to business processes on your end.

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Tags: Online Reviews, Review Management,