Word-of-mouth stands as the most effective way to generate more sales (see our networking guide). But, gone are the days when referrals would be passed on from one person to another manually. Today, the Internet has made it very easy for consumers to evaluate businesses through online reviews.

Some Interesting Facts About Online Reviews

According to a Zendesk survey, 90% of participants claimed that their decision to make a purchase was based on customer reviews. Another 86% said that their buying decision was largely influenced by negative reviews. And, there are plenty more interesting facts showing how important online reviews are to potential customers.

92% of users are more likely to use a local business if it has at least a 4-star rating. Also, 9 out of 10 online consumers trust customer reviews in the same way as personal recommendations. What’s more, 72% of people trust an online business more if it has positive reviews.

How To Use Your Review Section

As part of your online marketing arsenal within ehuhb you have access to an easy-to-use review section on your profile. This not only makes it easy for your clients to leave reviews but also makes it simple for you to reply to them too.

In addition, embedded within your review page, is special markup which tells Google and other major search engines that this page contains reviews about your business.

Accessing your review section is easy. To begin ensure you are logged in to your ehuhb account and click the main menu button.

Next click on the ‘Reviews’ link located under the ‘Sales & Marketing’ section.

This loads the review page of your profile. You can share your page easily using the social and sharing buttons or even deactivate your reviews should you not want to use this feature. Sending visitors to this page will allow them to leave reviews for your business.

But, what about replying to reviews? This is equally as simple. Beneath each of your reviews is a reply button. Click this to respond with your own message.

That’s all there is to it. Using your review section is as easy as that.

Tips On Getting Reviews For Your Business

#1: Message the businesses in your network

Have you completed work for any of the businesses in your ehuhb network? If you have, use the messaging system to ask them if they wouldn’t mind dropping you a quick review.

This is a simple and free way to start gaining reviews.

#2: Tap into Social Media Traffic

Social media can sometimes be a great avenue to explore when looking to get more customers to leave reviews for your business online.

Initially, people could drop a review and rating (on a scale of 5 starts) on Facebook. However, reviews and ratings were replaced with the new recommendations feature. That said, you can still use Facebook and Twitter to casually ask your friends and followers to drop a review on your ehuhb profile.

#3: Provide an Easy way for Customers to Leave Reviews

Writing up a review after purchase does not come naturally to most customers. In fact, the only time a customer will actively seek out where to leave a review is when they want to make a negative experience known. So, it is up to you to make it easy for your customers to leave reviews.

You will have better success by placing a ‘call-to-action’ review button on your website or alongside social media posts, which directs customers to your ehuhb profile page. Make sure the button is in plain sight where your customers will see it while placing an order or after they checkout. Using simple and clear words like ‘leave a review’ will increase the chances of getting a review from a customer who has just completed a purchase.

#4: Ask

Another way to get more reviews for your online business is to simply ask. Asking for reviews is actually one of the best ways to ensure you get them.

Since most customers rely on reviews when making buying decisions, they would like to pay it forward by detailing their experience for other future consumers to read. Because of this, any average online customer is likely to leave a review when asked to do so.

One thing to note; however, is that you have to be very cautious about how you ask for reviews. The rules on whether or not it is allowed to ask customers for reviews are a little murky, with some review websites permitting it while others do not.

The general consensus when it comes to online reviews is that you can ask for feedback provided you do not incentivize a customer. So, as long as you do not offer bribes in exchange for positive reviews or to have a negative one pulled down by the customer who posted it, you should be able to avoid being penalized by review websites.

For instance, setting up post-checkout pop-ups requesting for a review or adding a sentence or two inviting a review on every invoice you send out are acceptable ways of asking for reviews. This is how we recommend you ask for reviews on your ehuhb profile.

#5: Request for Reviews through Emails

Conducting an online purchase usually requires buyers to provide an email address. So, if asking does not yield results, then an additional email request can act as an extra incentive to get a customer to leave an online review. In general, sending out a follow-up email asking for a review can result in a response from at least 25% of all purchases.

#6: Reply to all Reviewers

Building a trusted brand does not end with you getting positive or negative reviews.

You should also make it a point to send a short and sweet reply to all reviewers expressing your gratitude on the review they left behind (this includes taking the time to constructively respond to criticism). A heartfelt thank you will win you some goodwill with your customers who will, in turn, talk about it with their friends, encouraging them to shop from your business and leave online reviews as well.

Lastly, the easiest thing you can do to get plenty of online reviews is to make customer satisfaction your first priority. Keep in mind that the reviews you get will only be as good as your business. If the services or products your customers get are excellent, they will be happy to leave a positive review, more so if you implement the tips mentioned above. And, the fewer the negative reviews you have, the easier it will be for online shoppers to trust your business.