8 Ways to Grow Your Online Reviews In 2022

There is no way around online reviews, especially now, when most customers prefer online shopping.

But there's no need to sweat! Online reviews can do a lot of work on your behalf! 

Without the presence of online reviews, customers will perceive your business as a little sketchy and they will be unsure if they can trust you and your quality. 

Today, customers rely on reviews for everything! Right from movies to food and even when choosing a location to live.

In fact, a statistic says that in 2020, 87% of consumers will read online reviews for local businesses. This is an 81% increase from 2019.

If that’s hard to believe, here‘s a question for you. What do you usually do while considering whether or not to buy something? You ask for recommendations from a few friends, and then do extensive online research, right?  

It is now faster and easier than ever to shop online without ever speaking with a sales representative. The internet has taken over the task of selling for you, which can significantly impact whether or not a customer purchases from you.

The reality is that your company's top marketers and sales representatives aren't your employees; instead, they're your existing customers.

Why Online Reviews Matter? 

In the current age of social media, online reviews have become one of the most influential forms of social proof.

Diners rarely visit a restaurant without first checking reviews on Google or Yelp. Travelers seldom plan a trip without checking Tripadvisor first. Customers rarely make a purchase without first researching what prior verified customers had to say about it on Amazon, Google, or other eCommerce platforms. 

In a nutshell, reviews are social proof in work. They have a tremendous impact on the research process of customers, driving purchasing decisions and behavior and even influencing overall brand perceptions.

What Is Social Proof? 

Social proof is a psychological and social process in which people follow the acts of others in order to reflect what is considered socially appropriate behavior in any specific setting.

People have typically looked up to various worthwhile sources as social proof. These usually include: 

• Thought Leaders

• Celebrities 

• Influencers 

• Credible Experts 

• Friends & Family 

These sources have a significant impact on people's decisions and behavior. Social proof is a marketing tactic that stems from our primal desire to belong.  

7 Ways to Grow Online Reviews 

While you will automatically receive some reviews without asking customers, review acquisition strategies are required to increase the number of customer reviews significantly.

Whether you're on a tight budget or can afford to spend a lot on review gathering, these strategies will help you increase your reviews in no time.

1. Ask Customers To Leave Reviews After Short Surveys

If you have pop-up surveys after a customer completes a purchase, you can follow them up by asking them to leave a review. 

Use statistics on how satisfied your consumers are to your advantage—in most cases, asking satisfied consumers to leave a review for your business results in favorable feedback. 

For example, if you have NPS (Net Promoter Score) Surveys: On a scale of one to ten, a net promoter score survey asks customers how likely they are to suggest your business to a friend.

You can encourage the customers who give you a nine or ten to leave a review.

2. Send a Dedicated Email Campaign

An email campaign is a great method to get customers to leave reviews, brands like Nike, Uber, and Lyft often employ it. 

Asking customers to review your product or service by email is a low-cost and simple process. For example, request reviews from clients shortly after they have completed a purchase. You can even offer small discounts on their next purchase for leaving reviews.

Keep the design and content of the emails short, simple, and direct.  

3. Offer Incentive To Increase Customer Reviews 

Coupons, promotions, gift cards, and other incentives are effective ways to persuade your customers to post reviews. Incentives also have the added benefit of driving repeat purchases. 

Rewards and loyalty programs are one of the best strategies for tracking & distributing incentives. You can incorporate points for reviewing and posting reviews on social media if you have a rewards program in place.

Contests are another excellent way to ask customers to leave a review in exchange for an entry. 

4. Be On The Sites Your Customers Are On

Make it a priority to ask customers for reviews on the sites where you want them to write a review. If you're sending out an email asking for a customer review, make sure the communication includes a link to the specific channel where they can leave their feedback. 

Send a request using Facebook Messenger if you want reviews on your Facebook Page. And, if you must solicit a customer review across platforms, make the request as seamless as possible. 

For example, include a link to your Yelp or Google Business Reviews page in your email signature or ask customers to evaluate their purchase from your Amazon store in a post-purchase email.

5. Use Your Reviews To Boost Sales

We've already discussed incentives! Customers appreciate getting something in exchange for giving something. 

You can use the reviews customers leave to then recommend and promote similar products that customers might like. You can also recommend related products to customers, suppose a customer buys a color protector for their clothes and leaves a review, you can then suggest a fabric softener that works well with the color protector. 

Accurate recommendations are things that customers receive from Amazon in exchange for leaving reviews. Amazon analyses your reviews to show you other products you might be interested in later.

6. Post Reviews On Social Media And Tag The Customer 

You can use social media to get more reviews for your products or business. Simply include a link to a product's review page in a post or story and collect feedback from your followers. 

Post and share your glowing new reviews on social media to urge your followers to write their own reviews!

When you share the review on your social media handles, try to tag the customer if possible. It will resonate with them and maybe encourage them to reshare it. 

7. Pay Special Attention To Negative Reviews 

You may believe that ignoring negative reviews is the best thing you can do, but this, however, is not the case. Here's a solid procedure to follow when dealing with negative feedback: 

• Apologize. 

• Reach out to the customer separately and ask them for more information.

• Explain how you intend to make things right. 

If everything has been resolved and everyone is satisfied, request that the consumer submit a new review. If you handled everything compassionately and adequately, you might have acquired a lifelong customer from a previously negative review.

8. Use A Review Management Tool 

Numerous review management tools are available to help you track and manage your reviews. Most review management platforms are capable of centralizing reviews from all different sources, including eCommerce sites. Your agents can easily track and respond to reviews from a unified inbox across channels. 

A review management software eliminates all tedious work by automating workflows, tagging, escalations, notifications, and much more. Most review management tools also provide suggested responses to reviews, allowing your agents to respond instantly. You can also get detailed information about your team's performance, as well as competitors.

You can know more about how to choose a review management software in this article!   

Conclusion 

You now have 8 excellent approaches to boost social proof and generate more product reviews. 

The easiest way to start growing your customer reviews at scale is by integrating them into your organization as a critical process. This begins with an active customer service plan and online reputation management. Begin by constructing from templates and soliciting feedback from your current clients.