Did you know that nearly 9 out of 10 consumers worldwide (89%) read online reviews before buying a product? (Trustpilot, 2020)
If you ask us, that’s a huge figure.
And for some time now, reviews have become a hugely important part of the business for companies everywhere.
It’s precisely for this reason, and more…
I wrote a full article on how to get more reviews and social proof for your business, even if you have no experience in the field!
Plus, I’ve included valuable information about these concepts and how to respond to negative reviews so you don’t lose customers.
Sound good?
Then let’s see what you’ll learn from this article:
- Reviews and social proof: what does it mean?
- 3 reasons why reviews are important for your business
- How to get more reviews for your business in 2022
- Bonus: how to respond to negative reviews + example
What do you say, shall we start? 😃
Reviews and social proof: what does it mean?
As you may already know…
Reviews are public opinions that reflect the experience and opinions of consumers following the purchase of a product or service.
And now you may be wondering: “ok, but then what is social proof and what’s the difference between that and reviews left by customers?”.
Well, unlike reviews…
Social proof refers to a psychological phenomenon whereby consumers can be persuaded to buy a particular product or service as a result of the influence exerted by other people.
Specifically, when we talk about social proof, we mean:
- Reviews;
- Opinions of experts in specific fields;
- Behavior of famous people and/or influencers;
- Testimonials;
- Accreditations and certificates;
- News articles;
- Number of shares on a given social media platform;
- Friend recommendations.
In a nutshell, here’s the idea that “if people around me do something, maybe I should do it too”.
And if we’re being honest…
We’ve all thought at least once about buying a product (or even bought it), just because we’ve seen a famous person or someone close to us using it.
Here, a good example is Apple’s products and services.
As you’ve seen, they sell like hotcakes!
Why?
Well, precisely because of an accumulation of social evidence both online and offline.
From testimonials, credentials and press articles… to customer reviews and recommendations from everywhere.
Pretty cool, huh?
At the same time, people want Apple products for the image they create.
After all, you know how people think: having Apple products means you have more money and are cooler.
Now…
As you can see, reviews are part of the social proof phenomenon.
That’s why it’s important to know and consider both concepts.
But let’s see why!
Why is it important to give time and patience to these things?
3 reasons why reviews and social proof are important for your business
Lately, people are reading reviews and looking for evidence before they buy a product or service.
That’s why it’s important to get as many as possible!
Whether it’s testimonials, reviews or expert opinions in the field…
You need all these things to convince people to buy from you.
Plus, through reviews and social proof:
You enjoy more visibility
Whether it’s the position your website ranks in search engines or the visibility of your Google profile…
Reviews can help you get your business and the products or services you sell noticed.
For example, reviews are very useful for SEO, especially on Google.
Here, the algorithm takes into account the reviews you have when displaying your site in search results.
According to one study, online reviews account for 15.44% of ranking factors for Google.
Basically, the more reviews you have, the higher your business name will rank in search engines.
And that’s not all.
Another example relates to your business profile in Google My Business.
Here, people can see directly what your company’s rating is and what other customers think.
As a result, these reviews increase the visibility of your business and can help you attract the attention of potential customers.
Learn more about what Google My Business is and how to set up an account for your business here!
And speaking of customers, let’s get to the next point!
Attract customers and get more sales
Through reviews and social proof you can get more customers.
And as you know, more customers means more sales.
People’s recommendations and social proof give your business credibility.
It gives your potential customers confidence.
For example, a person who would see such reviews on a product they want…
Do you think they’d still be thinking about it?
Probably not.
Positive reviews and social proof always attract more customers and give people confidence in the products or services you sell.
Increase people’s trust in your business
The more evidence and real opinions you have from your customers…
The more confidence people have in buying a product or service from you, the more they trust you!
For example, in addition to the positive reviews you get…
You can convince people to buy if you show them how many people have bought the product or service before:
Here, it’s all about safety, trust and the guarantees you offer your potential customers.
You get the idea, right?
Now let’s see how you can get more reviews and social proof, even if you’ve never done it before.
How to get more reviews for your business in 2022
So far we’ve talked about the importance of reviews and social proof for your company.
Now.
It’s time to see what you can do to attract more customers and get more reviews for your business.
Let’s see what it’s all about!
Create review sections for your business
No matter what promotional channels you use and your company’s online presence, make sure people can write their review everywhere.
Specifically, here we’re talking about where your customers can leave a review.
Whether it’s an e-commerce platform you use, your Facebook review section, or your Google business profile…
It’s very important to create or activate sections where your customers can write their opinion.
For example, if you have a Facebook page for your business, our advice is to activate the reviews section.
You can do this by going to Page Settings – Templates and tabs – Reviews.
This way, your customers will find it much easier to have their say.
Your potential customers will also be able to read the reviews you receive and make an informed decision.
The same goes for the rest of the online platforms that allow you to have a dedicated reviews section, as well as your website.
If you have an online store and operate in the e-commerce industry, reviews are absolutely essential.
And by the way.
If you want to open an online store that sells in 8 steps, even if you have no experience, start with this article.
Now, let’s move on!
Ask your customers to leave you a review at key moments
Why?
Well, it’s not very easy to get reviews, and your business needs them.
The more reviews you have, the better your chances of attracting more customers.
Here, it’s important to understand that you need to ask your customers to write you a review at the right time, depending on what stage they’re at.
Specifically, the right times may be when people:
- Use your product or service;
- Buy from you again;
- Tags you in a social media post;
- Spend time on your website, looking for other products or services;
- Recommends you to another customer.
Here’s an example of an email received 3 days after the customer made a purchase:
These are just a few examples of when your customer might be happy enough to leave you a positive review.
Here, it all depends on the specifics of your products or services.
If it’s a service like Tazz By Emag, you can ask for a review as soon as the customer has received the order.
On the other hand, if it’s a course that the client will complete in 2-3 weeks, you’ll need to take that time into account and ask for their opinion after a longer period of time.
And now you may be wondering:
“Okay, but how do I do that? How do I actually ask them to write me their opinion?”
Well, with a simple email or social media post.
For example, you can email people after every purchase and ask them to leave you a review.
Here, don’t add a lot of text, but focus on what’s relevant.
Use a clear call-to-action button and tell them how much their opinion matters to you.
It’s also important to let your customers know how long it takes to leave you a review.
This will give them one more reason to consider your proposal.
Make sure people find it easy to write their opinion
As you can see, it’s not enough just to create the space to leave reviews…
But you need to give your customers the easiest way to do it.
For example, if a customer makes a purchase, and you ask them to enter 3 different pages or go through several steps to get to the section where they can leave you a review, they might ignore you.
That’s why it’s important to make it as easy as possible for your customers to write you a review, quickly and easily.
Our advice is to test the whole process your customers go through yourself, from the checkout to the moment they’re asked to write their review.
Send them a reminder
We know it can be difficult to get people to leave you reviews.
That’s why we think you should send a reminder to your customers a few days after the purchase date, depending on the products or services you sell.
As mentioned above, some products or services are used for a longer period of time, while others can be tested instantly.
Once you’ve decided how soon after purchase you’ll send them a reminder, if they haven’t already left you a review, move on to the next step.
Ask them how the product or service is or how they like the user experience.
Show them you care and get them to have their say!
Short publicity stunt!
Want to test the strategies that have brought over 40 million in sales to small and medium sized businesses?
Click below for details.
Ask your customers what they think in a video
If you have friends who have bought from you or even fans of your brand that you communicate with, ask them to share their opinion of your products or services in a video.
To do this, you can ask them to film a short video with their camera phone or invite them to your premises to do an interview or professional testimonial.
Here’s an inspiring example!
Now, let’s move on.
Give them something in return!
If you want to motivate your customers and get reviews as quickly as possible, give them one more reason to write their review!
Whether it’s a discount on your products or services or effectively a gift…
Use this strategy when you want to increase your number of reviews on a particular platform.
For example, the folks at Gravolo used this strategy recently, offering customers who write your review a 20% discount code.
Plus, as you can see, their offer has limited validity.
That means a customer who wants to take advantage of this discount will act very quickly.
Reply to each review
Regardless of your customers’ opinion, it’s important to respond every time.
You can do this to thank the person for their time as well as the things they wrote, even if the review is negative.
This way, you create a trusting relationship with your customers, show them you care, and get them to recommend you or buy again.
At the same time, studies say there is a direct link between businesses responding to all the reviews they receive and their increased ratings.
Now, let’s continue with two more things you should do to get more reviews.
Use positive reviews to attract more customers
Did you get more positive reviews on your website?
Post them on Facebook and Instagram!
Has a customer sent you a message thanking you and praising your products or services?
Make a printscreen and add the image to social media.
Use them in your email campaigns.
Add them to your landing page.
This way, you can attract more customers and show those you do have how much their opinion matters to you.
Now let’s see how you should respond to negative reviews you receive!
Bonus: how to respond to negative reviews + example
Negative reviews. Everyone hates them.
From the angry customer who’s forced to air their problem online, to you… the business owner.
And the statistics don’t look good either.
According to them, customers who have a bad experience with a brand are 2-3 times more likely to write a negative review than customers who have had a positive experience with it.
That’s why it’s important to know how to deal with a customer who leaves you a negative review online.
And yes, it will happen at some point, even if we want it to.
So…
Let’s see how you can respond to negative reviews in an elegant way so you don’t lose customers.
I’ve made a handy list for you that looks something like this:
- First, thank the customer for the review and apologize for the situation;
- Be as natural as possible. Don’t respond with text that sounds like it was written by a robot. Everyone has a different problem;
- Ask for more details and explain to your client that their opinion matters a lot to you;
- Offer some suggestions on how you might solve the problem;
- Assure him that you will take the necessary steps and offer him a discount or gift;
- Keep him informed of the changes you have made;
- Provide a way for him to contact you directly.
Here’s a relevant example that may inspire you:
“Hello, Cristian!
Thank you for this review and we want to apologize for the unpleasant experience you went through.
At Karen&con, we pride ourselves on our products and the high quality standards we aim to maintain.
That’s why we’d love to make things right as soon as possible and replace the product you received, free of charge.
At the same time, we’ll give you a 20% discount on your next order, no matter how much you spend or when you want to place it.
Please send us the details of your order to our email address (address) or contact us on our phone number (number).
We look forward to resolving this situation!
Kevin Cost,
Director the Karen&con.”
In conclusion…
Reviews and social proof are an extremely important part of both your business and your potential customers.
The more reviews you get, the more your chances of gaining people’s trust, increase.
In time, you’ll be able to sell more.
You’ll attract more customers, and your business will grow.
Then, in the end…you’ll see that it was worth it!
If you liked our article, you can get super useful information for your business, weekly. All you have to do is subscribe to our newsletter, here!
We look forward to seeing you!
