How to Get More Product Reviews For Your Business
In our last post, we covered why product reviews are important for buyers and sellers. One reason is that 63% of customers are more likely to make a purchase from a site that has user reviews.
Once you have a system in place to capture your reviews, you may think your work is done. However, that’s just the beginning. While you’ll occasionally receive reviews without asking, most of the time you’ll need to do just that. Ask.
Check out these tips on getting more reviews.
Show Reviews on Your HomePage
Making product reviews visible to customers not only helps increase sales, but it also puts the idea in a visitor’s head to write a review after purchase.
Green Virgin Products does this well. The Tampa, FL-based seller of green cleaning products uses reviews throughout the homepage. At the top of the header, the company displays the Shopper Approved reviews sticker, showing the number of reviews from all sources. Above the fold, in the lower right corner, the Google Customer Reviews rating (4.8) is displayed.
Scrolling down the homepage, website visitors see several featured products with the number of stars they’ve received.
Here is how Los Angeles, CA-based sock of the month club Say it With a Sock includes reviews on its homepage:
Ask With an Incentive
According to YotPo, a leading customer review software, post-purchase emails are the #1 way to get reviews, with an average customer response rate of 8.1%.
We would all prefer a higher response rate than 8.1%, right? Offering an incentive helps.
Genius Pack, a New York, NY-based maker and seller of innovative travel products, offers two ways to write a review and get discounts:
Send Your Request at the Right Time
Timing is everything, right? It makes sense that certain times are better than others to ask for feedback.
Yotpo shared this data on the best and worst times (across all industries) to send emails requesting a review:
You can also check the best and worst times by industry, which vary. For example, when asking for reviews of fashion items, the best time to ask is Wednesday at 3 p.m. The worst time to ask is Thursday at noon.
Make Emails Mobile-Friendly
You may be surprised to learn that 56% of Yotpo reviews come from mobile. It’s part of the upward trend in using mobile devices. It can be easier to respond to a review request when you have a few minutes between appointments or when you’re out and about.
PowerReviews, another leading review software provider, shared a case study where one of its customers worked with PowerReviews to update and implement a new, fully responsive and mobile-friendly post purchase email. The company saw a 23% increase in the amount of reviews written on all devices in the months following the update. In addition, the number of reviews written on a mobile device increased by 107% in the first month, and increased 203% in the second month.
Post Reviews on Social Media
Enthusiasm is contagious, especially when it’s genuine. Posting some of your great reviews on social media generates more excitement for your products, and leads to more reviews, and more sales.
Check out this review posted on Twitter, by Bozeman, MT-based Good Karmal, maker of artisan caramels wrapped in quotes, and one of Oprah’s Favorite Things.
Here’s an example of a review re-posted on Facebook, from Paleo Treats, a San Diego, CA-based maker of Paleo desserts:
Moving Forward
Product reviews are an important part of your marketing and sales efforts. Obtaining great product reviews requires putting some processes in place, including automatic post-purchase emails. In addition, including reviews on your website and re-posting those reviews on social media will help you gain more reviews and sales. Spending a little time on product reviews will yield a great return on your investment.
