One of the best ways to get people to visit a retail business is to have plenty of positive reviews online. It’s a fact that most people take a look at online reviews before patronizing out a new business. According to Inc.com, a whopping 91% of people report that they regularly check online reviews, and 84% say that they trust online reviews as much as a recommendation from a friend. To top it off, 68% of those looking at online reviews form an opinion about a business quickly, usually after reading 6-8 lines of a review. Let’s take a look at a few ways you can start getting those all-important reviews, and also make sure that the reviews people see for your business will get them in your door!
Do a Great Job – It seems like a no-brainer, but sometimes it is a good idea to remind yourself that the way you do your job and interact with your customers is absolutely vital to the success of your business. Make sure you and your staff are well-trained in customer service techniques. Knowledge about what you sell is also of utmost importance, so stay informed about the products on your shelves and how to use them. Sales reps from the various suppliers you use are an invaluable resource, so make sure to stay in contact with them and use the training materials they have available. Everyone who works in your store should know how to talk intelligently to your customers about what you are selling. When a customer feels that the store staff is knowledgeable, friendly, and willing to help them in any way they can, you will generate many positive reviews!
Ask for Reviews on Social Media– Use your social media pages to ask for online reviews. Make sure your social media information is on all receipts given to customers. You may even want to print up an extra bag-stuffer or flyer to hand out asking customers to give you a review on your Facebook page. However, do not offer incentives for reviews! You can run surveys from time to time to see what people are thinking about your business and offer an incentive for their time in completing the survey, but that is completely different from offering an incentive for an online review.
Use Review Management Tools – Many tools have surfaced in the last few years to help businesses manage their online reviews. These tools let you send out invitations to review your store via email or text. Try ReviewTrackers, TrustPilot or Grade.us.
Get a Google My Business Account – Google is where it’s at for online business reviews. Once you get a GMB account, online reviews will begin to flow in naturally, and you can also use the tools above to ask for more reviews. Remember, do not incentivize reviews, and don’t try to get them all at once. Too many reviews in a short period of time may look suspicious, even if they are all legitimate. Most review tools like the ones mentioned above will let you specify a certain amount of review requests per day so you don’t get too many at once.
Receiving positive online reviews is a very important part of doing business these days. The good news is there are quite a few things you can do to facilitate getting those reviews and to make sure the reviews are positive. Pay attention to the quality of service you are giving your customers, take a little time to ask for reviews from your customers, and then watch those great reviews start rolling in!
