Getting the Right Reviews: 5 Top Tips to Get Positive Testimonials
Reviews are paramount to a business success, the majority of potential customers will heavily research into a product, service and business before committing to a purchase. Therefore, having lots of reviews will help make you stand out from the crowd. United Gas & Power prides itself on being rated five stars on Trust Pilot. Here are our top tips to not only get more reviews but get the right ones too.
1) Identify the best time to ask
This will be when the purchase or service has been received, this could mean having to wait weeks even months, but it is best to wait. If you request a review after the purchase stage the customer will either fill in a very basic, un-detailed review which is no help to anyone or wait until the item or service has been received and if it has been poor, they probably won’t give you the opportunity to resolve and just leave a negative review. We advise to wait a week after the product has been received or the service has been completed. Also don’t just request the review, first ask how they found the experience etc then you can resolve any issues and the review should (hopefully) be based on the overall experience not just one potentially negative element.
2) Choose one platform
There are many methods of reviews; Google My Business, Trust Pilot, Which?, TripAdvisor etc. It is recommended to stick to one so that you can drive all your customers to it.
It is important to remember that not everyone will bother to take the time out to give you a review – very few people do. So, in order to ensure you capture as many as possible stick to one platform. Additionally, your type of business is probably more suited to one over the other, for example trade businesses do really well on Which? Whilst TripAdvisor suits eateries and hotels.
3) Embrace the negativity
A negative review is an opportunity to demonstrate how your business resolves issues and communicates with it’s customers. If a business has 100% positive reviews that will flag suspicion with a lot of people because like people no business is perfect. However, you will be judged on how you respond to negative reviews. It’s simple, never ignore a negative review, never delete them, and always respond in a calm and professional manner offering a suitable resolution remembering not to disclose any sensitive or personal information.
4) Incentivise (if needed)
If you are really struggling to get reviews and especially if you are a new business starting out (as you will really need to get the reviews in to prove you are a legitimate business) then you may need to consider incentivising. Decide on an attractive yet feasible incentive, one that won’t break your bank but that will get people putting the effort in to review.
5) Make the most of good reviews
Whenever you get a good review – really make the most of it. Share it on your social channels and if you can’t share a screenshot of the review and post it on your profile. You can also copy and paste the content of the review and use it in email marketing or a newsletter linking back to the original source so the recipient can check it is a real review.
UGP is a 5 Star rated “excellent” commercial energy supplier, offering great value renewable power to businesses across the UK. Customer experience lies at the heart of our business and we take great pride in our reputation. If you’d like to switch to a company that delivers an unrivalled level of customer care, as well as low cost renewable business energy, complete our quick form here and we’ll get back to you immediately!
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