Use online reviews to attract new customers

A good review from a customer is much more than just a pat on the back. Every positive online review should be seen as an opportunity to help grow your business

If someone says something positive about your website, service or products, why wouldn't you want to shout it from the rooftops? 

Bloomtools Latest Function

Your testimonals and shopping cart products can now have ratings next to them! The ratings are coded in such a way that Google will understand the ratings, and in some cases can display them in their search results. BrightLocal found in their latest consumer survey that 88% of consumers trust ratings as much as personal recommendations. It is clear that these reviews directly influence the attitudes and purchase behaviours of consumers, now Bloomtools allows you to add this great tool you your own website. Embrace the full potential of this with the help of this latest update and these handy strategies... 

1. Make reviewing incredibly easy

To inspire a client to take the time to write a positive review, you not only have to provide great service, you need to remove as many obstacles from the reviewing process as possible. Only genuine customers should be able to leave a review, but once signed in, it should be as simple as entering some text and choosing a star rating.

2. Be loud and proud when displaying reviews

According to MarketingProfs, 85 per cent of customers read online reviews for local businesses before they decide to make a purchase. So if you don't have your reviews displayed prominently, it's likely potential customers will turn to a competitor's site that does. You can also highlight some of the best and most useful reviews on your social media channels to build the trust of your site and brand (especially Google +).

3. Ask for reviews on product pages (and don't be too selective)

Having reviews on your product pages is not only great for encouraging buyers, it can also help boost your SEO rankings for 'long-tail keywords + review' a commonly searched-for configuration. Ask for product reviews on the product page, and if you get a few negative ones, don't panic. It can actually make you appear more trustworthy and honest just remember to respond to the author and try to resolve the issue.

4. Offer rewards or incentives

Good reviews can reap big rewards, so it's well worth providing potential reviewers with an incentive. Offer a small gift voucher or the chance to get on a priority mailing list as a way to thank reviewers for their time and willingness to engage.

5. Send encouraging (not pushy) emails

An email marketing campaign is a great way to reach out to recent buyers to ask them for a review, but be sure to set up email marketing triggers that will allow customers plenty of time to get to know the product beforehand so they don't feel pressured or harried. Even worse are emails that arrive asking for feedback before the item has even been received.