How to get more reviews for your business

In today's digital commerce landscape, trust is everything – especially when it comes to building customer loyalty.

Edelman found that 67% of consumers must trust a business before they continue buying from it. And Salsify discovered that 46% of US consumers will even pay more to buy from a company they trust.

These stats show that consumers are looking for much more than brand names, quality and convenience – they're looking to establish a long-term, trusting relationship with a reliable business.

This prompts the question "How can a business establish trust?" The quick answer: Capture more customer reviews. Why? Because 88% of consumers consult reviews when discovering a local business and 46% of consumers say they trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.

This article will explore how merchants can get more reviews, covering the following topics:

• Why customer reviews are essential
• How to ask for online reviews
• Review platforms to consider
• How to get Google reviews
• How to get reviews on Facebook
• Other important considerations when trying to get more positive reviews

The importance of building online customer reviews cannot be understated. Above all, online customer reviews have the same trust-building power as word-of-mouth recommendations – except with a wider reach because they exist online.

Establishing trust isn't the only reason online reviews are a critical part of a business-building strategy. Reviews also contribute a rich narrative about your business from the customers' perspective.

When a new customer researches your business, they're not just looking for a high star rating; they're also looking for experiences, stories, and reassurances that they're investing their money wisely.

Now that we've covered why reviews are critical, let's dive deeper into some of the many ways businesses can efficiently ask for more reviews:

An old-fashioned face-to-face chat works wonders when asking for reviews. Train your employees to have a quick conversation with your customers and ask if they can spare a minute to leave a review.

Let's say you own a pizza place. As your customers finish their meal and compliment the food, say: "We're glad you loved our pizza. It'd be great if you could leave a quick review online when you've got time. It'll help us reach more pizza lovers like you." A simple in-person request goes a long way. Remember to direct customers to the specific channels where you're trying to capture more reviews.

Creating cards that say "Leave us a review" is a good way to help people write about their experience. Hand out the cards as customers leave, and remind them to drop a review. Alternatively, you can include these cards in delivery boxes and bags. Incentivise customers to leave a review by adding a promotion to the card.

If you run a flower shop, for example, design a branded card and include a friendly message like "Enjoyed your bouquet? Help us spread the joy by leaving a review." Then add a QR code linking to where customers can leave a review.

Another idea is to send a follow-up email or text to your customer after they order, asking them for a review. Walmart uses this approach every time a driver completes an online delivery. Here is an example:

Walmart's text is short and includes a direct link where customers can easily leave a review. The message also includes a way for users to opt out if they aren't interested in submitting feedback.

It's smart to engage customers on platforms they often use to research local businesses. And where do consumers spend a lot of time? Social media. Statistics show that 75% of Internet users use social media to research products.

Local Boston hair salon Shona Stylez uses this approach to capture more reviews and improve brand awareness. Here's an example of one of the salon's Instagram posts:

Not only does the salon ask for a review, but it also incentivises customers to leave one with a $5-off coupon for a future purchase. Plus, the salon includes a direct call to action by asking customers to "Click the link in bio". This makes it easy for people to know exactly how and where they can leave a review and get a coupon.

Adding a reminder on your website or displaying a sign in your shop asking for reviews can go a long way. Put it in a prominent spot, and don't be afraid to make it creative.

A local ice cream shop in Glenwood Springs, Colorado called Sundae does this. The shop has signs on every table reminding customers to leave a Google or Yelp review.

Even as new review tools pop up, Google remains the primary site where consumers go to read reviews. BrightLocal found that 87% of consumers in 2022 said they used Google to research local businesses.

Because Google plays such an essential role in consumer business research, you need to make it easy for them to leave a Google review. Below are some steps to follow to capture more Google reviews.

By claiming your Google Business Profile, you control the information that appears about your business on Google, including the business name, address and operating hours. Once you have an active listing, your business will be visible on Google and customers can start leaving reviews.

Here's how to claim your business listing:

1. Visit Google's Business page at google.com/business.

2. Click on Manage now.

3. Enter your business name and click on it.

4. Follow the prompts to claim your business. Verify ownership by phone, email or post.

5. Review your business information, make necessary updates, then submit your listing for review.

Once you have control of your business listing, you'll want to drive more traffic to your Google reviews page – especially from happy customers.

Do this by creating a Google reviews link shortcut and sharing it on your website, in emails and text messages, and across your social media accounts. Using the short link, you can also create a QR code (like the ice cream shop Sundae did) for customers to leave a Google review.

Here's how to create a Google reviews link shortcut:

1. Find your place ID. Google provides a Place ID Finder tool you can use. Type your business' name and address into the tool, and it will show your place ID.

2. Create a URL. After you get your place ID, you can create a URL that will direct users to the review submission page for your business. Simply copy your place ID and paste it at the end of the link below (directly after the "=" sign).

   https://search.google.com/local/writereview?placeid=

3. Add the URL to your site. Once you have your URL, you can embed it on your website. The HTML for a text link would follow the format below. Just remember to replace your-place-id with the ID you identified in step #1.

That's it! With this shortcut, your customers are just one click away from reviewing your business.

Another idea to encourage more people to leave a Google review is to create an entire page on your website reserved for Google reviews.

A dedicated Google reviews page makes it easier and more convenient for customers to share their experiences.

To create a Google reviews page on your site:

1. Get your Google reviews link by following the steps that Google provides.

2. Create a new page on your website, and label it "Google reviews" or something similar.

3. On this new reviews page, add instructions for how customers can leave a Google review, then embed your Google reviews link.

Make sure the Google reviews page is easily accessible from your website's main navigation so it's easy to find.

Google is a popular place to find reviews, but consumers also look to Facebook when using social media to find recommendations.

Data shows that Facebook has 19% of all online customer reviews, just behind Google, Yelp and Tripadvisor, making Facebook an integral place to capture reviews. Follow the steps below to set your business up to capture more Facebook reviews.

The first step is to make a Facebook business profile. This is where customers can find out about your business and leave reviews.

To do this, you'll need to sign in to your personal Facebook account, click on the Pages section, then select Create New Page for your business. From there, you'll enter your business name, category, and other relevant details. You'll also upload a profile picture and cover photo representing your business. Finally, fill out the About section and publish your page.

Once you have a live Facebook business page, you're ready to enable the reviews tab so that customers can leave Facebook reviews.

Enable this from the Settings section of your business page, then click on Templates and Tabs. There, you can switch on the option for "Reviews".

Here's an example of what the Facebook reviews tab looks like once it's live, from a Pizza Hut in Norridge, Illinois.

Once you've enabled reviews, you can create a direct link for customers to review your business. The URL should follow this format:

Remember to replace YourPageName with your business' Facebook page name:

Share this link on your website, in emails or text messages, or on other social media platforms to ask customers to leave a Facebook review.

Another good way to promote your business on Facebook and potentially get more reviews is to suggest check-ins.

When customers visit your physical location, encourage them to "check in" to your business on Facebook. When they do that, their check-in will appear on their feed and can be seen by their friends and followers.

This increases your visibility and credibility as more people publicly share that they're using your services or products.

Now that you've set up your Facebook business page for success, don't forget to encourage your customers to use the page to leave reviews.

Regularly create posts that ask your followers to share their experiences with your business. Or you can run a more formal campaign and offer an incentive in exchange for feedback.