Ahhh, the age old question…should you ask for customer reviews?
Reviews (especially good ones) are important. Think about anytime you have gone online to buy something and the first you did before deciding to make the purchase or not was…look at the reviews. We’ve all ordered from Amazon and reviews DO make a difference, do they not? So yeah, reviews/ratings/testimonials do matter.
They especially matter when you’re first starting out in your business and want customers to feel confident in making a purchase from you. And yet, it’s when you’re just starting out that reviews may be the hardest to get.
I’ve heard of all sorts of tricks for this; have friends/family buy something from you and give a good review. Or offer customers a discount on a future purchase if they review your product. Personally, I never contact an individual customer directly after a purchase, because I feel it’s a little tacky – but that’s just me. I want them to leave a review because they feel compelled to do so…not because I made them feel obligated.
Now I’m not judging anyone who asks for reviews, how they manage their business is…their business…not mine. I just don’t feel comfortable doing it myself. I may make a general statement on occasion (an after purchase auto-reply of sorts) that says if a customer is happy with their product, feel free to leave a review. However, that’s generally about as far as I will go. Doing it this way has taken me some time to build up a decent amount of reviews, but that’s OK with me.
So all that being said, how DO we ask for reviews?
There’s a few, tactful ways, to do so.
- Use an automated system; Set up your email software to send an auto-reply email a few days after a customer makes a purchase from you that asks them if they were happy with their purchase and if so, you’d love it if they left a review. Include the link where they can do that easily.
- Give an incentive; I’ve seen some sellers send out emails where if a customer gives a review, they get a discount off their next purchase. Or they make a general post about it on social media. Either way is nice because it’s not very invasive. Customers won’t feel pressured in any way – they can just ignore the email/post if they choose to.
- Get the reviews ahead; Before you put a product live, reach out to a few of your best customers who you won’t mind giving a freebie (or a very good discount) to and ask them ahead to try the product out. Tell them you want an honest review of the product that you can share with potential customers. Then when you list the product live, you can add those reviews along with it. Customers who are interested in the product will see those reviews and it will give them added confidence in making a purchase.
Those are a few of the ways you can ask for reviews without being too in-your-face. If you’re selling on a marketplace check what their rules are for contacting buyers directly and asking for a review as some may frown upon it – but if it’s your own website, you can do this tactfully with no issues.
The truth is, if your product is good, it won’t be difficult to get great reviews. On Etsy, I pretty much never ask for reviews but have managed to maintain a ‘Star Seller’ status, not just because customers like my products but also because I give good customer service. Keep in mind, both matter.
Bottom line; if you offer your customers a high quality product and great customer service, not only will the reviews pour in…but your sales will too. It may take time, but keep at it…you won’t be disappointed.
Until next time…
