[3-minute read]
Opinions are like mouths: everybody’s got one. The more new generations strive for individualism, the more they follow other people’s opinions. It is not only true in society as a whole but more particularly online and in ecommerce. People want to know what other people think before they make a buying decision.
What is the last product you bought online? How did you decide to buy it? You probably read a glowing Google review of the product or the business that sells it. Perhaps a good friend told you about it or you read an article on social media. In a world where we cannot touch, feel, or smell what we buy, other people’s experiences become increasingly important.
If you run an ecommerce business you’ll also know that you seldom hear about people’s positive experiences unless you ask for them. If there’s something wrong, you will no doubt hear about it very, very quickly. But let’s focus on the positive. It can make you feel self-conscious asking customers for reviews, but if you make it easy and accessible for them, they’re normally happy to oblige. These reviews are worth their weight in gold.
Please, sir, I want some more
Have you heard the saying, “It’s not what you ask for, but how you ask that matters”? ReviewTrackers publishes a blog on different ways of asking for reviews. It covers different channels including email, text message, and checkout as well as social media pages. It also discusses practical examples of how to ask nicely for people to air their opinions. Google and Sprout Social collaborated to publish this guide on how to build a better reputation with reviews. If you follow their advice, it will help you strengthen your Google My Business presence and improve your SEO rankings whilst improving your reputation.
Make it work for them
In the fintech space, it’s quite difficult to get clients to review products. Clients are normally too busy running their businesses to take the time to voice their opinions. Truevo found a way around this by turning customer reviews into ads that speak about the business as well as Truevo. Have a look at this one on Instagram. It shows that incentives can transform reluctant reviewers into marketing campaigners who work for both parties. By doing the design, sourcing the image, and posting on social channels, Truevo gave Pull Inn Pubs enough exposure to make it worth their while. We also made it as easy as possible for the business to give the review. The business owner just had to say yes.
Keep your ears to the ground
People talk about brands on social media all the time. They discuss products and services and share their experiences. There might be prolific brand advocates out there who you don’t know about yet. That’s why it’s important to invest in some social listening tools. When an advocate’s post lights up on your dashboard, retweet, repost, and re-use the content. It is much more powerful and authentic than anything you can create.
Dos and don’ts
There are a few of things to keep in mind when working with reviews. Never, ever buy positive reviews. It can really come back to bite you. It can also tarnish your brand tremendously if people find there is anything that’s not authentic about your brand. Encourage honesty when you ask for reviews. If you offer an incentive, make it very clear that your client should be as honest as possible, whether their opinion is positive or negative. Make it very clear that the incentive is not meant to sway their review in any way.
Timing is everything
It might be a cliché, but it can’t be more true for reviews. Don’t get pushy by asking for a review too soon after a client purchased your product. Give them a moment to experience the product and form an opinion about it. If you realise that people are constantly moaning about an aspect of your product or service, engage with them about it. Create a feedback loop where you do your best to improve the product based on constructive guidance from your customers. Ask them to use it again and see if their opinion has changed (only do this if you really have improved your offering!). If you’ve swayed their opinion, they might become your biggest supporters.
Customer reviews have the power to make or break brands. Whether you’re collecting reviews via text message, social media, email campaigns, or on your website, you can amplify your brand’s reputation with positive reviews. If you run an online ecommerce business, Truevo would like to hear your opinion on the payment products we’ve developed specifically for you. Why don’t you reach out to us here? We can’t wait to hear what you think.
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