How To Get Those Coveted Reviews and Referrals

Reviews. You know you want them, you know you need them. But how do you entice your satisfied clients into leaving those five stars?

Don't just sit and wait. Use this plan to actively go after reviews and referrals. Then put those reviews to work by using them in these three key areas.

Why Online Reviews Matter

This probably goes without saying, but good online reviews are the gold-standard for a strong, healthy business. Here are some reasons it's worth the effort to collect them.

Potential customers rely on them.

The stats about online reviews are astounding. 72% of customers won’t take action before they read some reviews. More than half of consumers say they won’t use a business if it has less than a four-star rating. 15% of users don’t trust businesses without reviews. (Source)

Reviews aren't just a cherry on top. They're the proof that your business is worth patronizing. 

Search engines use them for ranking.

Google, Bing, Facebook, Yelp, and other search-based platforms want to ensure they're serving up the best results. As such, they use reviews as a signal for business quality. The number of reviews, how recently they've been posted, and how high the star ratings have become factors in your overall ranking.

So when someone searches for "best pizza near me" or "top realtors in my area," the sites with the best reviews are more likely to rank at the top of the page.

Good reviews insulate against bad ones.

If your first few reviews are bad, users will be more inclined to grab their pitchforks and share their bad experiences. But if most of your reviews are good, users are more likely to keep their negative feedback to themselves. We're not sure what the psychological name for this phenomenon is, but we call it the "misery-loves-company" rule.

How to Get Online Reviews

As soon as you get your oil changed, you get an email asking for a review. Your pizza delivery service will ask you to leave a review. Going axe throwing? Expect to be asked for a review.

Almost every service or experience will ask its patrons to leave a review. As a result, many people ignore the requests. Honestly, if you reviewed everything you did, bought, or ate, you'd never leave your computer! So how do you get your customers to leave a review without bothering them?

Provide a truly exceptional experience.

Before you even think about asking for a review, think about how you can be worthy of one. People are more inclined to leave a review for a service that truly blows them away. Be so good at what you do, and so memorable, that they won't forget to leave a review.

Prime your customers to leave a review.

When your customer says, "wow, you're amazing!" use this as an opening. Respond with, "Thank you! Honestly, it would be so great if you could leave a review online. Your review can help me grow my business, and I'd really appreciate that."

This is a subtle and polite way to plant the seed. You're not insisting that they do it then-and-there. Instead, you're making it feel like the review was their idea in the first place.

Make it easy.

A link is the easiest, most direct way to get reviews. More than likely, you'll want to start acquiring reviews on Google. Here’s how to set up a Google review link. Email or text this link to your customer. 

You can also include a link to a review platform in your email signature for easy access.

Make it personal.

There's nothing I hate more than those automated "review your experience" emails. I understand that they're convenient for the company. But they feel impersonal and data-grabby to me.

Instead, take three minutes to craft a personalized email for your client. Remind them about the level of service you strive to give, and invite their feedback. This makes it feel like they're returning the favor for the exceptional service you've given them. 

Here is a template. Feel free to spruce it up with personal details about the customer or their experience.

Hi [NAME], just wanted to thank you again for choosing our company. I enjoyed working with you and hope you are happy with the service. I’d like to ask you for a favor: Will you take a few minutes and write a review of your experience with me? 

Here is the link to leave a Google review: [link]

Thank you, [NAME]. I appreciate you taking the time to give me feedback, and I look forward to reading your remarks.

Please let me know if you have any issues or questions,
Kate

What Not To Do

Reviews can also make you look bad. If you violate the rules or cheat the system, you can have all of your reviews deleted or get penalized in the search algorithm.

• Don't ask for reviews from customers who have had a bad experience (duh!)
• Don't post fake reviews or have friends/family/employees leave a review.
• Don't request all of your reviews at one time. Space them out.
• Don't forget to respond to reviews, whether they're good or bad.
• Don't ignore other platforms (like Bing, Zillow, Yelp, or Facebook) once you've gotten a good number of 5-star reviews on Google.
• Don't mishandle a negative review. Here's how to address it with dignity (or get it removed).

What To Do Once You've Gotten Reviews

Woohoo, the hard part is over! Now, here are the ways to get more value out of those reviews.

• Add them to your website. We like to include a "testimonials"  banner, or create a whole page of reviews for our clients.
• Include a link to your reviews in your email signature. This serves to attract new agents, as well as to boost your reputability with new contacts.
• Turn reviews into text treatments and post them on social media.

Bottom Line

Getting your clients to leave reviews may feel like an uphill battle. But with a concerted effort, you'll have a strong online review base in no time. Just remember to ask politely and make it easy for your customers to leave their reviews.