How to Collect Reviews Without Breaking The Rules

There’s no denying that collecting reviews is good for business. Here’s our guide on how to do it the right way.

How to Collect Reviews Without Breaking The Rules

Just like most things, there are different ways for collecting reviews. Here’s how to collect reviews without breaking the rules.

• Claim Review Spaces - Not all potential customers are going to go to your website, so make sure they can learn about your business no matter where they're researching making a purchase. Here are some popular review sites people use to learn more about a business or a product:
  • Yelp - Make sure your business is registered and up-to-date. Regularly monitor communications coming from this profile, responsive business owners are highlighted with an average response time and response rate that could encourage readers to become customers.
  • Facebook - Claim your business's Facebook Page so potential customers can find and learn more about you without leaving the social network. Facebook rewards high levels of responsiveness, so monitor and engage with incoming messages.
  • Google - Use Business Profile to claim your business on Google so potential customers will find you if they're searching for information or searching directions in Google Maps. People also leave reviews using Google, which appear in the search results for your business.
  • Amazon - If you're an Amazon seller, claim and customize your Amazon page. Amazon presents different results for different searches, so your Amazon page should tell your business's story, including product details, testimonials, and reviews for shoppers.
  • Better Business Bureau - The Better Business Bureau is a highly trusted source of customer reviews. Claiming your business on the BBB gives you access to more candid customer reviews and you can become accredited on the site, which lends greater credibility and trustworthiness to you. 
• Optimize Your Content - Make it easy for people to leave reviews anywhere. Optimize your website, blog posts, social profiles, and emails to provide quick and easy ways to write reviews.
  • Set up website badges to quickly and easily direct visitors to your Yelp, Facebook, and Amazon pages to read and leave reviews
  • Optimize your website for mobile devices to accommodate people who come to your website when using their phone
  • Keep the asks brief when asking for customer reviews via email.
• Create Attractive Incentives - Your customers’ time is valuable, so give people a reason to leave a review. Offer incentives, such as discount or coupon codes, contest entries for bigger prizes, gift cards, or even cash, to customers for writing a review.
• Location, Location, Location - Make your requests where you want customers to write a review. For example, if you want reviews on Facebook, send the request with Messenger. Emails asking for a customer review need to link to exactly where they can leave the review. If you have to ask for a customer review cross-platform, make the request as integrated as possible.
• Respond To All - When you get a negative review, take time to respond thoughtfully, without being defensive, and try to come to a resolution. It's the right thing to do and it could help your business. Your customers are people and showing empathy and compassion can lead to more positive reviews.
• Share Your Reviews - Highlight and share positive reviews so other customers are inspired to do write reviews. On many reviews sites, business owners and site visitors can mark certain reviews as helpful and move them up on the site so more people can read them. Do this periodically so your company's page highlights the positive reviews. You can also share positive reviews on your social media pages to get your audience there involved. Social proof is a powerful marketing tactic. If customers see other people like them sharing reviews, they're more likely to do the same.
• Lead By Example - If you want customers to leave you a review, if possible, leave them one first to get customers to reciprocate your positive words. You can also recommend or endorse your customer on LinkedIn. Those help their branding and might compel them to leave your business a positive review. If they thank you for the endorsement, you could politely ask them for a specific review on a different platform. This strategy works best if you've built a relationship with the individual over through working together. If you endorse an unknown person for random skills on LinkedIn, it might seem creepy, and probably won't lead to reciprocation. 

If you want to know more about reviews, read our article, “How Online Reviews Can Impact Your Local Business” or contact us.

Tags: reviews, small business