You have great sales, your customers are happy with your product, but they aren’t leaving online reviews. How do you ask them to spread the word about their positive experience with your organization? Here we share a few ways you can approach this could-be-awkward conversation with confidence to enhance your company’s online reputation.

Let them know what a positive review means to your business.
Be open and honest about how a simple review will help your business. If you have a brick-and-mortar store, tell them as they check out or leave your store. If you have an online store, include a link to your review sites in their order confirmation email. When you give your customers multiple ways of knowing that a review benefits your business, it can encourage them to write about their positive experience with your company.

Be specific.
After a customer receives a product they ordered online, ask them how they like the specific product. If they attended one of your events or visited your place of business, ask them about that experience. People can give more detailed feedback on specific instances rather than broadly asking them about their sentiment towards your business. Reviews that mention specific events or products are also likely to give potential customers more insight into your business, culture, and offerings instead of vague, boilerplate feedback.

In addition to asking about a specific instance, be clear-cut on where an online review would be most beneficial. Research which online profiles are frequently visited and prioritize reviews based on those platforms. These include popular sites like Facebook, Google, or Yelp.

Offer an incentive.
Many organizations don’t like to give away products or services for free, but we encourage you to consider the return on investment to offer an incentive to those who leave reviews for your organization. Whether a review enters your clients into a giveaway or offers them a discount for a future purchase, incentives often are a great way to receive online reviews.

Share on social media.
Another technique for gathering customer feedback is asking for reviews on your social media sites. Your followers are already fans of your business, so why not just ask directly? Many times, supporters don’t realize the importance of leaving a review or simply don’t think about it. Posting on social media about the significance a review holds for your organization encourages your loyal patrons to spend a few minutes sharing their experiences with others.

How do you ask for customer testimonials? What strategy has worked best for your organization? Let us know in the comments below!

Have you heard of SmallThanks? It’s a marketing kit Google provides your business for FREE. This resource is easy to use and a fun way to share great reviews across your social media platforms. Something as simple as sharing a positive Google review with your audience can turn your customers into advocates.