Even at the stage of developing an online store, it is important to devise a strategy for promoting it. And in doing this it is wise to consider an important component of marketing: brand reputation. One of the most proactive ways you can manage reputation is through online reviews and testimonials. But how to collect customer reviews?
In this blog post we will tell you how to get real reviews for your online store. In turn, this will help you attract more loyal customers.
Table of Contents:
Main ways to get feedback for eCommerce sites
How do reviews affect your site?
As an SEO digital marketing agency, we have four simple suggestions around reviews, and to strengthen customer loyalty to your brand and online store.
Providing a QR code facilitates a quick way for your customers to leave feedback. It is easy for them to scan with a smartphone and takes up little space on point of sale (POS) materials. Generate a QR code with a direct link to the desired page for collecting reviews, such as your Google My Business page or another landing page with reviews.
Remember to place the QR code where it is convenient to scan it.
A trigger email is one of your best email marketing tools. It is sent in response to a targeted customer action, such as after purchasing a product. But what should you include in your messaging so that the customer wants to leave a review. Here are a few ideas:
SMS is a quick way to get in touch with a client who already knows you and made a purchase/order for a service. A more modern version of SMS is instant messenger apps, in particular, WhatsApp.
Send your customer an SMS or WhatsApp message encouraging them to leave a review on the site the next day after buying from your company.
An important point: before sending messages to customers, you need to get their consent to the mailing list. This can be done through the checkout page on the site or through the newsletter subscription form.
A non-standard (but effective) option for generating reviews is remarketing. It is relevant for those companies that see great value in the feedback of their customers and are ready to invest an additional budget in this. The ad should target people who have recently bought something from your online store.
This method increases the number of reviews rather than technically simplifying their collection. If you have the budget, you offer a souvenir product or, for example, clothing with your logo, in return for leaving a review.
One idea to gently encourage those who want to leave a positive review is to arrange a competition on the theme “the best review of the month”. The flow of positive reviews will not take long with this incentive in place.
New reviews not only increase the credibility of your online store. They affect other important components of promotion, from search engine optimisation to objection handling and the overall effectiveness of content marketing. Let’s take a closer look at the impact of reviews on all marketing metrics.
First, it certainly cannot be ignored. In the letter, you can offer to rate the customer experience on a scale from 1 to 10. If the user rates 7 points or lower, redirect them to a form in which they will explain what exactly they did not like and what help they need. You can then respond to this privately.
If the score is between 8 and 10 and the review will therefore be positive, direct the visitor to another form or landing page where they will leave their positive review.
If you receive a negative review on a third-party resource, try to avoid emotions and understand the situation. Criticism shows errors, but it is a tool for correction and improvement. Don’t forget to follow the following rules:
When choosing review platforms, you should prioritise those in the territories where your business operates and those that are affiliated with Google. These are the sites that act as “sources of feedback” for Google in determining reviews and in turn SERP rankings for your business. There are several popular sites where users leave reviews more often than others.
Positive reviews are an important factor in the health of your Google My Business profile and search visibility for your local business. And this is, therefore, one of the most important considerations in how online reviews affect business.
As an experienced online performance marketing agency we know that a systematic approach to marketing increases the efficiency of investments in web design and development of an online store. Effective work with reviews will help increase the credibility of your online store and sell more with a higher average bill.
If you are looking for a digital marketing agency in Bristol to help you develop your own tailored review strategy, book a call with us at Atomic Leap and we will help you take your marketing to the next level.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Nataliia Yuzhaninova is SEO manager of marketing agency Atomic Leap.
LinkedIn: Nataliia Yuzhaninova