MOST CUSTOMERS CHECK OUT online reviews to see how happy (or ticked off) your customers are and to find out what your product or service is really like before buying. And this spells a huge opportunity. According to Matt Frary writing in Forbes, “Customers spend 31 percent more with a business that has excellent reviews.”
It’s simple: Beyond building a loyal base of these ideal clients, thrilled customers are the folks who can help you attract even more clients to your business and get them to spend more. In its simplest form, this happens through online reviews. But how?
Here are six steps:
1. Create a short customer satisfaction survey. This gives you valuable insight into what your customers liked (or didn’t) about their experience or your products or services. It also helps you understand who’s the happiest about your business and what they’re happy about. Doing this doesn’t have to be hard. Try a 10-question Google Survey.
2. Don’t let your own fear drive your questions. Imposter syndrome is real. Waaaaaaaay too many petpreneurs pre-judge their own offerings, which can shade your survey questions and create a self-fulfilling prophecy. For example, someone may not think anything about your price point … until you ask whether it’s “too expensive.” Suddenly, to them, it is because you’ve suggested it is. Instead of asking about price or other things you may be afraid to hear, focus on basics like the value, quality and overall experience of working with you. Give them space for a one- to five-star rating and an open-comment box to describe why they feel this way. This helps you get their deeper perceptions without coloring it for them.
3. Automatically trigger your survey after purchase. Consider enclosing a request for survey participation on your receipts. And never underestimate the value of a good incentive for survey participation.
4. Approach your happiest clients about doing a review. Once the surveys start rolling in, create a second email or outreach that goes out only to the happiest customers. (Some studies suggest that customers believe reviews more readily if not all of them are perfect, so consider reaching out to those who gave you three-plus star ratings instead of just five-star reviews.) The gist is the same for everyone: You’re asking those most satisfied with your offering to help you help other pet guardians by leaving a review.
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5. Make it easy and tell them where to go. Satisfied customers may have goodwill built up toward you, but they’re busy too. Being respectful of their time can help you get far. Make reviewing you take as little time as possible by including some direct quotes from their survey (or even a full copy of it) that they can copy and paste from. Also, be sure to let them know which social review platform you’d like them to use. Give them one to three choices and link directly to each for them.
6. Say thank you. They feel recognized, and it ensures they’ll keep coming back to you time and time again.
