The Power of Customer Reviews: How Social Proofing Drives Sales

• Introduction
• How do reviews help people and businesses?
• Why do people write reviews for products and services?
• Where to submit/find customer reviews?
• The best practices for writing the useful  reviews
• Smart ways to ask for reviews from customers?

Introduction

What is the first thing you do when you have to buy something online? Most people dig through online platforms to learn about other people’s experiences with the products or services they are intending to buy. Online reviews significantly impact buyers purchase decisions.

Research shows that more than 9 out of 10 customers read reviews before making a purchase decision (Bright Local 2020). This makes reviews a critical factor in buying decisions.

If other people appreciate a product or service offered by a business, potential customers are more likely to buy it. Thus, incorporating authentic, positive reviews can social proof your business and show your worth to the audience.

The use of social proof can be found in several areas of online and offline marketing. There are typically six types of social proof, including expert, celebrity, user, the wisdom of the crowd, the wisdom of friends, and certification.

In this article, we will primarily discuss user social proof, in which current users recommend your products and services based on their experiences with your brand, such as reviews on the site, appreciation on social media platforms, etc. Let’s dive into how customer reviews as social proof can help boost your sales.

How do reviews help customers and businesses?

Customer reviews are as important for businesses as they are for people looking for reviews to buy products and services. Good reviews encourage more people to buy a company’s products and services. Bad reviews let a company or organization know the flaws in their products, services, or processes, so they can find ways to correct or improve them.

The people who take the time to sit down and write a review or record a video give much more information than we get on the manufacturer’s site. As a result, customer reviews help people make informed and rational decisions.

Not only this, but reviews also save you from buying the wrong product and help you find exactly what you need in the vast sea of competing options.

Whether you are running a B2B or B2C business, a SaaS company, an eCommerce shop, or a local store, reviews are significant for all kinds of businesses. Here are some examples of customer reviews.

Benefits of customer reviews for potential buyers

Help buyers gain authentic experience.

Help buyers to make informed decisions.

Make buyers feel confident in their purchase decision.

Help buyers to gain genuine, authentic experience.

Simplify comparing different products or services

Benefits of customer reviews for businesses

Help businesses increase brand awareness.

Help businesses identify flaws in their products and processes so they can improve or correct them.

Positive feedback encourages businesses to provide better services to their customers.

Negative feedback allows businesses to learn and improve their products and services.

A powerful tool for increasing business SEO and search engine rankings

Why do people write reviews for products and services?

People usually leave reviews for two reasons: either they are really happy and satisfied with the product or service they received, or it was an absolute disaster.

• Expressing disappointment when they were not satisfied with the product or services

• Expressing gratification when they had a positive experience with a company’s products and services

• Getting a feeling of gratitude for helping the community

• Getting recognition for sharing knowledge

Where do you usually find Customer Reviews?

The general practice is to display customer reviews and testimonials on a company’s website. They may be displayed on the home page, the About Us page, the Thank You page, or a dedicated page. Many brands, like Amazon, use reviews on their product pages.

Ecommerce stores often invite their customers to submit videos and images along with their feedback, which is an effective way to get reviews as well as to market products. There are also multiple review sites like Google Business Profile, Yelp, Better Business Bureau, G2 Crowd and more. Read here more about the top review sites for B2C companies.

What are the best practices for writing useful customer reviews?

Reviews affect the credibility of a business as well as the purchase decision of a buyer. But not all reviews get the same weight from customers. If a company has too many good reviews, it doesn’t mean people would love to buy from them. When positive reviews of a business appear with a few negative reviews, it reduces buyer’s skepticism, and they will rely more on your business. There are some key common features that can help make your reviews helpful for others. Let’s find out the best practices for writing useful reviews.

Give your personal opinion

Your reviews should speak about a first-person experience with a brand, product, or service. No one will be interested in learning from you how others experienced it. Write reviews about the personally bought or used product or service. For instance, here is an example of a mobile review

 Be specific and detailed

The more general you appear, the less useful your reviews will be. People can get general information from the manufacturer’s website as well. From the review, they want to know how your experience with a particular product or service was. It is also keep in mind that you may need to follow different guidelines for submitting reviews depending on where your review is posted. For instance, companies like Google and Amazon give clear guidelines on the type of content that can be published in their reviews. Here is an example of a smart phone review by an expert

Relevant and useful

 Reviews must be relevant, precise, and useful for the readers, who will probably make a decision on the basis of them. It is important to provide details in the review that are relevant only to the user. You want the readers to understand how your experience with a specific product or service went. Your reviews may include the following:

How often do you visit the business or order the product from a specific brand? Share if it was your first time or if you frequently buy products from the reviewed store or company.

Avoid getting personal or writing staff names in the reviews. If you have a complaint against a staff member, it is always better to complain personally instead of using review platforms.

Make sure to mention the quality of customer service along with the quality of the product. If a restaurant served great food but you had to wait a long time, you want your reader to know it. You should also mention what time of day it happened, if the restaurant was overcrowded, if the staff ignored you or was rude, and so on.

Personal information

When you include personal information in a review, it will make your review stand out, and no one will doubt its authenticity. The use of your real name and contact information will make it more credible in the eyes of the readers. Also, if your readers have any follow-up or comment questions, they can easily reach out for help. If your goal is to get a response from the organization, then you simply must provide your contact details along with the review.

However, sometimes you want to maintain your anonymity to avoid punishment or other such impacts. For instance, when you are writing reviews for places where you are currently or formerly an employee, you want to remain anonymous, so it totally depends on the situation. However, while writing a review for a product or service, the more authentic you appear, the more readers will appreciate and benefit from it. So it totally depends on the situation.

Add pros and cons

Every coin has two sides. If there are only positive reviews about a product, it often makes things confusing for the readers, who get skeptical about such reviews. On the other hand, a negative review can damage a brand’s reputation. It doesn’t mean you should avoid writing about your bad experiences with a product, brand, or organization. However, it is always good to follow a balanced approach by adding a list of pros and cons.

• Online reviews should typically highlight both the pros and cons of a product, service, or even brand, so shoppers are able to understand the key selling points as well as its market strengths and weaknesses.

• Try to include both the positive and negative aspects of your experience with a product, brand, or organization.

• Explain what the place was like and the services you received.

 Check your grammar and spelling errors

Make sure to check your review for grammar and spelling errors before posting it. It should be written in a simple and lucid way. For instance, use complete sentences, refrain from using abbreviations and exclamation marks, and most importantly, avoid insults and profanities in reviews. One should check spelling and grammar and avoid excessive capitalization and punctuation. In general, a paragraph is more than enough for a review.

Avoid general commentary

Certain cultures and locations may become the subject of public debate due to recent events or news coverage. While your opinion is valuable, local review sites are not a place for social or political commentary. Blogs or social networks are more appropriate for those types of conversations.

What is the right time to ask for feedback from the client?

It is often said that you strike the iron when it is hot. There is a right time to do certain things, and when it comes to asking for feedback from customers, here is when it is best to ask for customer feedback.

Immediately after the live conversation ends: Every time a live chat session ends, it is appropriate to ask how their chat experience was.

After a successful transaction: when the client makes a successful transaction check out, you can request that they share feedback.

Follow up on the service ticket resolution: When the service ticket is resolved, it is an opportunity to get real feedback from the client.

After a product demo: After the product demo, you can ask for feedback about their experience of the demo as well as the audience’s impressions of the product.

How to ask customers to share reviews and feedback?

Having stellar reviews is a way to get more customers. A few words of appreciation from your happy client can have more impact on a potential client than an entire website. It can convince a person to buy your products and services, not to mention that customer reviews are the top local SEO ranking factor. However, you need to use some smart tactics to convince your customers to share feedback or reviews about your brand, products, or services.

Here are some smart ways to ask for reviews from customers?

1. Getting customer Reviews In person

The easiest way to ask for reviews is in person. It gives you a chance to connect better with clients and persuade them to share their experience in the form of a review (on the given review platform, such as Google Business, Facebook, etc.

How to ask for feedback and reviews from the customer in person?

Your customers will often be happy to express their experience with your business, product, or service. All you need to do is strike up a conversation with them at the right time and in the right way.

Suppose a customer buys a smart phone from your mobile store. After selling a smart phone to a client and providing them with all the support services, you may ask them to rate your store on Google Business or share reviews. Also, help them know how to do it. If possible, request that they share the ratings or feedback on the spot, so you are sure that your customers have shared the feedback.

Similarly, when people leave your restaurant after lunch or dinner, you may ask them politely to share feedback on your website or rate your restaurant over Google reviews or social media.

Also, when people visit your local store, retail outlet, or business premises, you can ask them to rate your business and share reviews when they are leaving.

Best practices to follow to ask for reviews in person

Here are some tips for asking for reviews and feedback in person:

• Choose the right time: One should preferably choose a time when clients had a positive experience with a business, for instance after completing a buying process or while having a casual conversation with the staff about after-sales services.
• Be polite and genuineOne must be polite and genuine while asking for reviews from customers. Don’t force clients, if they are not willing to share the reviews as it will create bad impression of your business.

• Explain the importance of reviews to your potential customers: Sometimes you need to explain the importance of reviews to your customers by following up with satisfied ones. You may explain that by sharing their customer experience via Google review, Yelp review, or Facebook, they can help potential customers.

2. Getting customer reviews over phone

1. If your company relies heavily on customer service, you and your staff will have lots of opportunities to call customers and solicit feedback. For instance, if a customer expresses satisfaction with your services, it is the right time to ask them to share feedback and ratings for your business.

“I’m delighted we could assist you today. We’d appreciate it if you reviewed this experience on [the review platform of your choice] if you have the time and don’t mind doing so. Customer accounts are, of course, the ideal method to demonstrate that. People really prefer to know that, should an issue with our services emerge, they will receive the support they require.

Best practices to follow to ask for customer reviews over the phone

Making a call and directly talking to a customer to get their feedback is becoming a popular practice nowadays. However, it is important to consider the best time to ask for customer feedback. Here are some of the best practices to follow to get customer reviews over the phone:

• Ask for customer reviews when they are already expressing satisfaction with your product and service.

• If a client is busy, ask them the best time to connect with them.

• People are always on the go. They usually don’t have time to write a review for the company, so it is important to be short yet convincing when you make a call to the customers to get feedback.

• It is important to read the atmosphere during the call before asking for reviews from the customers.

• You may ask customers to film their feedback so you can post it on your website. However, some customers won’t feel comfortable being recorded or filmed. If they are not comfortable with recording testimonial but they are eager to leave a review, direct them to your reviews page.

3. Getting customer reviews through text/ SMS

Text communication is the easiest way to ask for reviews. Moreover, your customers won’t feel disturbed if you just text them to review your business. They can reply to the text at their own pace. There are also many SMS review request services that can set up automatic review and rating texts after appointments and purchases.

Nowadays, companies all over the world utilize SMS texts for a variety of purposes, including giving information, promoting products and services, asking for feedback, and more.

With a 98% open rate, or nearly all SMS messages are opened and read within 15 minutes of delivery, businesses are frequently using SMS for communicating with clients.

How to ask for feedback and reviews from the customer using SMS?

• Asking for the customer’s number: There are plenty of ways to ask for the customer’s number. For instance, you may offer promos and discount offers, or you can offer rewards for signing up for your exclusive programs.

• SMS template: Use an SMS Template that includes a business review request

• SMS marketing tool: Invest in an SMS marketing tool to send request-review SMS in bulk. SMS marketing tools enable you to send review requests to several individuals simultaneously within minutes.

Best practices to follow to ask for reviews through SMS

· Personalize your messages: Personalized SMS is an excellent way of nurturing healthy relationships with existing and potential customers. It makes your communication feel more human and increases response rates.

· Provide a link to a review form: People are always on the go, and they don’t have much time to review an online business. It is important to make the process short and easy for the clients. In order to make it easier, you should provide a link form that redirects the customer to your preferred review platform, such as your business’s website, Google reviews, Facebook, and other social media sites.

· Keep messages short and clear: SMS only allows 160 characters, so it is important to make them clear and catchy. It should ideally begin by thanking customers for doing business with you, followed by asking them about their experience with your organization.

SMS Customer Review Templates

Follow up after a recent purchase.

Following up after a recent purchase when customers are excited about their new purchase is a great way to get a review from the customers. They may be less likely to write a review later, when excitement for the product has faded.

Ask new customers for first impressions

New customers may feel excited when you ask them to share their first impression through feedback

Thank You for taking the time to review [Business Name]! Your feedback helps us improve the services we provide.

4. Getting customer reviews through Emails

Emails are great tool for business to ask for reviews and ratings and so much more. More than 91% of consumers open their email on a daily basis, and 58% of consumers check their email before doing anything else online. So there are higher chances of your review request being noticed by your customers.

How to ask for customer reviews or feedback in the mail?

Some customers may write reviews on their own, however, you may inspire your customers to contribute to the reviews by emailing review requests to your customers directly.

You can request feedback from client through email in two ways: by adding a request with your dispatch email or by sending a separate email a little while after the purchase. The link to the review platform should be included right in the email.

One of the ways to get respond to your review request is to involve your employees in the process. You can emphasize the importance of client feedback to your staff and ask them to send personal emails to customers to get reviews and feedback.

Best practices to ask for customer reviews through email

• Personalize the email: Make sure to address your customer by name and sign off by including the first name of the customer support team member who is reaching out.

• Make it easy for the customer: The best practice to encourage customers to share feedback through email is to include a “review us” link in the email signature of any transactional emails, customer service emails, etc. The recipient needs only click this link to be taken to the page you’re requesting a review for, such as Google or Facebook.

• Show politeness and gratitude: Be polite and precise in your mail. Always thank the recipient for their business. Also, make sure to check your mail for grammar and spelling errors and correct them if any.

• Encourage customers to share feedback: You may provide incentives to the clients for sharing feedback such as free points to your next purchase, a discount, etc.

Email Customer Review Templates

5. Getting customer reviews through Thank You Page

Your website’s thank-you page is where users are taken after completing the conversions. The page usually has buttons to Print, Shop More, or give feedback. A stellar thank-you page is an ideal platform for requesting customer feedback. Post-purchase thank-you mails are great places to ask for reviews. Most businesses nowadays opt for automated thank-you emails.

An automated thank-you email is sent automatically to the customer based on a trigger. It is usually sent for new signups and newly completed purchases.

When the trigger event occurs, the system automatically sends a premade thank-you email to the customers.

Here are two simple and catchy requests for reviews or feedback in your after-purchase thank-you pages:

“Thank you for your purchase! We’re glad that you loved the product, service, experience, person, etc. If you enjoyed your shopping experience, tell us (and others) about it!”

“Thank you for your purchase! We hope you’ll help us share your kind words with all of our customers! [link to review platform].”

6. Getting reviews through Social media

Social media reviews are powerful testimonials that can affect how new users perceive your business. . A huge 68% of users will often go straight to social media to find reviews and information about products before purchasing

How to ask for feedback and reviews from the customer on social media platforms?

In order to get customer reviews on social media, the first and foremost question in mind is that which social media platform should be targeted to get reviews from the client.

For this, it is recommended to check your Google Analytics and notice from which is sending you the most traffic and getting reviews on that platform first.  Google and Facebook have been most effective for businesses across all industries. LinkedIn reviews are huge for B2B businesses.

There are different steps to asking for reviews on different social media platforms. Read our guidelines on how to ask for reviews on social media to increase brand awareness.

Best practices for asking for reviews on social media

Provide excellent customer service. The key to getting excellent reviews is to provide great service to customers. Always make efforts to provide quality products and services to customers.

Use timing to your advantage: Ask for reviews shortly after a purchase or any other positive experience with your business. When clients buy a product in person from your store, you can ask them to provide reviews and ratingson your Google Business Profile, Yelp, Facebook, or any of your preferred social media platforms.

Choose the right platform, Find out which social media platform is most relevant to your business and where your customers are most active.

Engage and respond. Engage with customers who leave reviews on your website by responding promptly, politely, and professionally. Always thank the customer for sharing the feedback, whether it is positive or negative. This shows you value the feedback of the customers.

Final Thoughts

There are many ways to ask for feedback or reviews from your customers. However, choosing the most effective method and/or platform will depend on many factors. It is recommended to research which platforms are commonly used for customer reviews in your niche industry. One should look for platforms that provide insights into review management analysis.

It is always recommended to have a strategy to get and deal with customer reviews and feedback so as to get the most benefit out of them. Here are some final tips to get customer reviews and feedback using different platforms:

• Reviews are a way to empower your customers to help others make smart buying decisions, so don’t hesitate to ask for them.
• Be polite and genuine when asking for customer reviews. Don’t force it.

• Follow the best practices for each customer feedback method.
• Keep it easy and convenient for people to leave a review.
• Always respond to reviews promptly, politely, and professionally, good and bad!

The above-mentioned tips will help you maintain a steady stream of good-quality reviews, which is essential for your reputation, ranking, and revenues. However, the most important tip is to keep improving your products, procedures, and services to enhance the customer experience, which is the ultimate way to get positive feedback and boost your sales.