With intense competition out there, you certainly want your small business to stand out so you can maximise your profit potential and get more sales opportunities. But how exactly can you attract the attention of more people and expand your customer base? Aside from establishing a solid online presence and dominating local search, there’s one thing you must do: get customer reviews. Google loves small business websites with customer reviews because it shows that the business is credible and trustworthy.
Various studies have shown that reviews, or positive word of mouth marketing, are a vital ingredient of a successful local business. Not only can they make your business more credible, they can also help boost your Google search rankings. As such, make sure to follow the tips discussed below, so you can greatly benefit from this particular marketing strategy.
Encourage your customers to leave reviews.
If people say good things about your business, then it is very likely that their friends, relatives, and acquaintances are going to want to buy your products or sign up for your services. As such, for every customer that you have serviced successfully, you should encourage them to leave reviews on your website. Their reviews will serve as proof that you are indeed someone customers can trust and rely on, that doing business with you can give them excellent value for their money.
There are different ways you can encourage your customers to review your business. Below are some of them.
1. Just ask. You might be surprised to find out how willing your customers are to say a few good words about your business by simply asking them. You can do this by sending them newsletters or leaving a note on your website.
2. Mailing postcards/flyers with QR codes. For those who didn’t know, a QR code is a machine-readable code that allows a person to visit a particular website by using the camera of his or her smartphone. Sending flyers or postcards embedded with a QR code will make it easier for your customers to view the web page you want them to review.
3. Website pop-up. Pop-ups are a great way to grab the attention of your customers and when used correctly, they can even elicit a positive action from them. However, make sure that you don’t overuse them. Otherwise, instead of helping you attract more customers, your pop-ups might turn them off.
4. Provide incentives. To encourage your customers to review your business, provide them with incentives such as discounts, freebies, or simple complementary gifts. By receiving something in return, your customer will be more inclined to indulge you and accept your request.
