Manage & Collect
10 Ways To Avoid Downfalls When Collecting & Using Reviews
February 25, 2021
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5 min read
Manage & Collect
10 Examples of Great Customer Surveys That Drive Better Responses
December 6, 2024
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8 min read
The first day of November signifies the countdown to Thanksgiving, and of course preparation for Thanksgiving traditions. Some are pretty out there, with Turkey Pardoning and the concept of a Turducken (think Inception for poultry). But others are warming, heart-felt and good, such as friends and family coming together, volunteering, and as the name implies a time for being thankful for the current year.
One way your business can offer and receive thanks is by asking for reviews. Because in essence, what is a review?
Reviews don't need to explicitly say thank you to be praising your business, services or products, but what should be explicit is the simple fact your business needs to actively collect, publish and manage your reviews.
Here's why.
In todays day and age, customers demand more. We expect the best, and we expect to be able to easily determine why something is the best. It's not enough to just be told a particular business' products or services are the best by that business alone. We gather opinions from trustworthy sources to then determine our purchase decisions, and more often than not with that little bit of research, we're happy customers. We're clued up, and we got what we wanted.
Reviews are those very opinions that can be easily left and sourced across the web, and can be the difference between a customer choosing to use your services - or your competitors.
Review stars instantly help cement customer trust with an initial search; guide buying behaviour when read on-site and on individual product pages; and ultimately drive sales and reduce return rates.
Although November marks the lead-up to Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving itself is also the first day of the holiday sales (read our post on how your business can prepare for Black Friday and beyond this year), so what better time to up your service, give your customers what they want, and collect that thanks.
So, how do you actually go about asking customers for their earnest thoughts? Collecting reviews with REVIEWS.io is simple for your business, simple for your customers, and completely rewarding all round.
You can send your customers an invitation to review your products or services via email, SMS, or using our In-Store app have your customers say thanks right there and then. Invitations can be fully-matched to your branding, making your customers' entire buying journey a consistent experience.
And what better way for your business to thank customers for leaving a review, than by offering them the chance to use a coupon with their next purchase, or win a gift card!? This not only demonstrates your gratitude, but it gives customers the chance to use your services again and leave another shining review. Smiles all round.
The best way to highlight all your valued feedback is to showcase reviews across your website. Shoppers can instantly see how happy, grateful and pleased other like-minded individuals were in an instant, as well as get a wealth of information about your individual products, without ever having to leave your site.
Keeping shoppers on-site by readily offering information at the click of a button not only increases conversion rates, but also produces savvier purchases and therefore less returns and disgruntled feedback.
By using one of REVIEWS.io's many badges or widgets, you can display your reviews across your site to meet yours and your shopper's needs.
Lastly, you can monitor and oversee every kind word (and not so kind word) your customers have to say within your review Timeline in the REVIEWS.io Dashboard. Being able to oversee all your incoming and past feedback from one place enables your business to focus more on your customer needs, and work forward from both praise and criticisms.
Although this post is centered around Thanksgiving - a time where we're grateful for the past year - gratitude is hard to reflect upon if it weren't for some bad or unfortunate experiences, which make the good times even sweeter and memorable.
Although your business is always aiming to go above and beyond, there will no doubt be a disgruntled customer just around the corner. And that's okay! It's still a time to be thankful - and you can be thankful for some negative reviews for a number of reasons.
Negative reviews highlight pain points - The most important factor negative reviews offer your business is insight. Any negative feedback you do receive should be taken on board. Customers can illuminate issues with your service or products completely unbeknownst to you, for you to then appraise and improve upon.
You can also reply publicly or privately to any review your receive. Having the opportunity to discuss problems with your customers, offer resolution, and thank them for their help can go a long way. You may even be able to turn a negative review into a positive, but fret not in you can't, your response alone has its advantages.
If shoppers see you're active in responding to customer complaints, you emphasise the fact you care about the people who make your business, and you don't stand still when there's an issue.
Negative reviews improve trust: Yes, you read that correctly, actually having a few negative reviews helps instill trust for your brand. Any negative feedback that you receive that you're unable to resolve and change into a more favourable rating, isn't the end of the world.
Sometimes an abundance of positive reviews can cause uncertainty. Why is everyone so happy? Are the reviews fabricated? No - but the seeds of doubt have been planted. 68% of consumers trust reviews more when they see both good and bad scores, so if you do have some mixed opinions, it could be working in your favour. Embrace the fact you tried your best, and embrace the positive perception shoppers will have.
There's so much to be thankful for this 2018, so make sure you give your customers the opportunity to say thanks, and showcase that purchase-affirming feedback everywhere shoppers look.
Along with preparing the perfect stuffing, the sweetest sweet potatoes and potentially a Turducken, review collection, publication and management should also be part of your holiday planning.
For more information, visit our website, or give us a call, and one of our friendly team will take you through a demo.
