Generating Customer Reviews: A Small Business Owner’s Guide
As a small business owner, you know that the reputation of your company is one of the most valuable assets. In today’s digital landscape, online reviews shape that reputation. Potential buyers are relying on what others say about products and services more than ever before. What people say about your business can have a direct influence on buying decisions.
Cultivating a positive reputation through customer reviews is essential to your company’s growth and overall success. Learn more about how to generate reviews and why it matters.
The Value of Every Review
Customer reviews often present as star ratings, but they are much more than just that. These tools offer authentic insights into the products or services offered by your company from people who have used them. Prospective customers trust these real-world experiences because they offer a look into what to expect when making a purchase or scheduling a service.
Positive reviews can reinforce trust in your business and boost its credibility. Additionally, they help to set your organization apart from competitors.
Research shows:
- More than 99 percent of shoppers check reviews before buying something online.
- 82 percent rely on reviews for local businesses.
- Over 80 percent of consumers place the same level of trust in online reviews as personal recommendations from family and friends.
A positive review can become a powerful endorsement, while a lack of reviews can serve as a deterrent. Ensuring a steady flow of fresh and favorable reviews is your ticket to building trust and maintaining it with customers.
Four Steps to Generate More Customer Reviews
Follow these steps to ensure that the reviews keep coming.
Create an internal incentive program
While businesses are restricted from paying customers to share reviews on certain sites, there are no restrictions on providing incentives for employees to ask for them. Creating an internal program that includes an incentive for a team member who requests that a satisfied customer leave a positive review can be your first step toward building your online reputation.
Encourage frontline employees to ask for reviews after engaging in positive interactions with customers. When a team member’s request leads to a positive review, make sure to provide recognition in some form.
Engage with feedback
When customers leave reviews, it’s important that the business responds. This effort demonstrates accountability and that the company leaders care about customers. Make sure to establish a plan that involves replying to all reviews, including those that are less-than glowing. Offer solutions to negative reviews and maintain a professional tone in all responses.
Optimize your profiles
Whether you’re requesting reviews through your Google Business Profile or third-party review sites, you need to make sure that all information listed in the profile(s) is accurate and up-to-date. Optimize the data to help would-be reviewers find your profiles easily and share their feedback.
Follow up with customers
Asking for reviews can push customers to take the next step, especially if you make it easy for them to do so. Consider creating an email workflow that sends a follow-up message to a customer who makes a purchase, requesting a review. You could also include a link to your top review site in your email signatures, include a QR code on product packaging, or set up SMS messaging to further increase the odds of engagement.
Manage Your Workforce and Boost Brand Credibility
Managing your customer experience—from first contact to follow-up—requires the right tools and a coordinated team effort. WorkforceHub helps streamline your operations by keeping your team aligned, organized, and accountable.
With features like talent management, employee engagement tools, and scheduling, WorkforceHub ensures your staff is empowered to deliver top-tier service—making it easier than ever to earn and maintain those critical five-star reviews. When your workforce runs smoothly, so does your reputation.
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Allie Blackham is the marketing content manager for Swipeclock, bringing over 15 years of experience in the content industry to this role. Her work has been published on Indeed, CareerBuilder, SHRM, and many other sites.
