Whether you like to admit it or not, we’re all guilty of falling into trends. People have this tendency to follow the behaviors of the masses, which is why things like man-buns, tube socks, and bedazzled jeans were popular well past their expiration date. This concept is known as social proof: people generally believe a group of people are more informed or “hip” than they are.

So what does this have to do with how customer reviews can generate leads? Well, reviews are the social proof for your customers. When your leads see that a horde of people have already tried your product and have great things to say about it, they’re likely to believe them. And why wouldn’t they? If you have over a thousand people saying your product is great, it’s probably something to write home about! 

But we haven’t even scratched the surface of why online reviews are so great. Below are some of the major benefits of online reviews, along with some tips on how to get the best reviews from your customers.

Read a bit more on how to make reviews work for you.

5 Benefits of Online Reviews

Really, there are only upsides to getting more reviews for your brand and products. Here are just a few benefits of online reviews.

1. They Make You More Visible

Almost all search engine algorithms, whether it’s Google, Bing, or Facebook, love to see a business with a lot of reviews. So the more reviews you have, the higher you can rank in search engine results. This is mostly because these algorithms try to give their users a result that will completely meet their needs. Since reviews can show our history of meeting your customer’s needs, search engines will see you as an authority in your industry. And better yet, you’ll be seen by a lot more people.

2. They Make Customers Trust You

Not only will search engines trust you more, but a collection of positive reviews will make it easier for customers to trust you as well. Most customers will look at your reviews before even considering your product. So only having a handful of reviews or a below-4 star rating can seriously damage your chances of turning leads into customers.

This comes back to social proof. If only a small amount of people seem to trust you in their reviews, you’ll have a very hard time keeping new people around.

3. They Directly Impact Your Sales

It’s a no-brainer that more customers would mean more sales, but there’s data to prove it. Companies that use reviews in their marketing strategy see an 18 percent increase in sales compared to those that don’t. If your leads like what they see in your reviews, they’ll be more than willing to drop some cash on your product.

4. They Give you a Chance to Interact with Customers

Reviews are just as informative for you as they are for your customers. You can read your reviews to find out what the general perception of your company is. By responding to customer reviews, you get a chance to have real interaction with customers, something that isn’t easy to accomplish when the shopping experience is completely digital. And who knows, what you learn from your interactions may inspire you to make some changes to your products and how you market yourself.

5. They Give You Free Advertising

Every company’ dreams of their customers saying nice things about the brand. Those dreams come true in online reviews. These reviews often share captivating stories and unique experiences with your company that interests your leads. More people will see your company’s name and products as they read through your reviews, all the while increasing your brand awareness.

5 Ways To Get More Online Reviews

Sometimes the tricky part isn’t getting people to buy from you, it’s getting their opinion. Here are five helpful tips to help you know how to get more online reviews.

1. Post On Social Media

This works great if you have a healthy following on social media. You can simply write up a post asking your loyal customers to leave a review. Because chances are, if they have the free time to scroll through social media, they can spare a couple of minutes to tell you what they think about you. Plus, a customer that is loyal enough to follow you probably has some good things to say.

2. Offer Rewards For Leaving a Review

Sometimes people need an incentive, so offering a reward for a positive review can be an effective strategy. It shouldn’t be an offer that puts you in financial jeopardy. Instead, make it something simple, like a $20 Amazon gift card to the first five people who leave a review, or a 10% off coupon for their next purchase from your store.

3. Run An Email Campaign

When customers have made a purchase, they often leave their email information with you. This gives you a list of contacts who have already purchased from you and likely have something to say. You can automate these emails to go out as part of a campaign to gather customer opinions or after a customer’s product has been delivered.

4. Find Happy Customers Using an NPS Survey

NPS surveys tell you how satisfying a customer’s experience with your brand was. The data collected from these surveys can inform you about how likely a customer is to recommend your brand to a friend. From there, it’s easy to find out who the highly satisfied customers are, and you can send those specific individuals a request to leave a review. There’s a much better chance they’ll say something positive.

5. Make the Review Process Simple

No one likes to be given a chore, and that’s what a review will feel like if the process is over-complicated. Make it as easy as possible for the customer to leave a review. Some ways you can do that are:

  • Send them a link to the review site.
  • Give simple instructions, like leaving a 5-star review and a one-sentence summary of why they were satisfied.
  • Clearly let them know how long the review process will take, so they understand the time commitment involved.

Get People to Find Your Site

If you have any kind of presence online, you need to incorporate online reviews into your marketing strategy. It’s one of the many things you should be doing to increase your visibility. Lucky for you, Big Leap knows how to make the most of your reviews.

Contact us today to get help with your digital marketing strategy. We’ll work with you to create a plan that’s customized to your needs and will get the right leads to your digital doorstep.

Jack Greaves
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