More than ever, online reviews are shaping people’s spending habits. Studies have shown that 82% of consumers read reviews when searching for local businesses, and 84% trust online reviews as much as they would trust a recommendation from a friend or family member. With these numbers in mind, you may be wondering: How can I make sure more prospective customers see my business’s online reviews? Answer: You can put them...
In your work email signature
When an option is this easy, you’ve got no excuse - just stick a hyperlink to your review site of choice in your email signature. It’ll put the idea in the minds of everybody you’re already doing business with, and it’ll more than likely get more reviews from your happiest customers.
In other marketing emails
If you’re not a digital marketing expert (yet), you may not be aware that email is the most cost-effective method out there, with $44 generated for every $1 spent. If you’re already sending out email blasts - whether that’s press updates, sale announcements, or anything else - it makes a whole lot of sense to add in a customer review section at the bottom. Call it “Our Customers Are Saying:” or “The Reviews Are In!” and highlight some of your business’s most eloquent, ecstatic five-star reviews.
On your website
Here’s where you really get to play around. You’ll know better than anyone how your company’s website works and how your customers interact with it, so use that knowledge to your advantage. Which pages on your site get the most traffic - your homepage? Your product pages? Checkout? Does a dedicated “Testimonials” page make sense for you? Whatever you decide, putting your reviews on your website turns them into a crucial element in any prospective client’s decision to do business with you.
On social media
Step 1: If your business doesn’t have a social media presence, get one. Step 2: Blast your customers’ best reviews all over your feed. Whether that means creating brightly-colored infographics for Instagram or tweeting out screenshots with a tastefully cheeky response, social media is more important for marketing than ever.
In ads
If you’re considering setting aside a budget for more paid advertisements, consider this too: ads with user-generated content - i.e. online reviews - are rated as 35% more memorable and 50% more trustworthy. That means that your potential customers want to hear from folks who have already taken the plunge. From including your GMB star-rating in your Google ads to starting a whole new advertising campaign centered around your customers’ reviews, you have a whole lot of options when it comes to getting those testimonials in front of your next customer.