Whether they're good or bad, funny or frank, customer reviews matter.  They give power to the consumer who are trying to get their voice and feelings heard by the brands they buy from.  Customer reviews help you as a business to grow and bring about positive change.

• Customer reviews can help you to attract new customers.
• Customer reviews can help you to build trust with your customers.
• Customer reviews can help you to improve your products and services.

Customer reviews can also help you:

• Find out what your customers want and need.
• Identify areas where you can improve.
• Stay ahead of your competition.
• Build a strong reputation.

Since lockdown and the rise of online shopping, reviews count more than ever before, especially for small businesses, as many potential customers don't know us and may prefer to trust a bigger brand over a family run business.

According to Investp, 90% of consumers read online reviews before they even bother coming into your website.  88% of people trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations and 72% will take action after reading a positive review.

Feefo said that products displaying five star reviews are up to 270% more likely to be purchased than those without reviews.  Plus 92% will only use a local business if it has at least a four star rating.  They can also help you get discovered and highlight the presence you have online.

Bad reviews make a huge impact, too.  Two in five consumers surveyed said they have been put off a brand or a retailer they might have shopped with by a single unfavourable review.  I know when I use customer reviews I change my filter to see all the 1 star reviews first, if I'm seeing the same complaint then it's time to move on, it's so much easier gaining an insight into a company by the negative reviews then the positive ones.

You might prefer focusing your efforts in social media or advertising to boost sales, but it is well worth giving some time to customer reviews.

But how do you get good reviews? Here are a few tips:

Make sure your products and services are excellent. This is the most important thing you can do to get good reviews.  If your customers are happy with your products or services, they're more likely to leave a positive review.

Make it easy for customers to leave reviews. Make sure your website has a clear and easy way for customers to leave reviews.  You can also ask customers to leave reviews when they're making a purchase or when they're using your products or services.

Respond to reviews, both good and bad. When you receive a review, whether it's good or bad, take the time to respond.  Thank customers for their feedback, and if they've left a bad review, offer to help them resolve the issue.

Be honest and transparent. Customers appreciate honesty and transparency.  If you make a mistake, own up to it and apologise.  Customers are also more likely to leave positive reviews if they feel like they can trust you.

Be active in social media. Social media is a great way to get in touch with your customers and encourage them to leave reviews.  You can post about your products or services, or you can ask customers to leave reviews on your Facebook page or Twitter account.

By following these tips, you can encourage your customers to leave positive reviews that will help your business grow and succeed.

Here are some additional tips:

Don't be afraid to ask for reviews. Don't be afraid to ask your customers to leave a review.  You can do this in person, over the phone, or even in an email.

Be specific in your requests. When you ask for a review, be sure to ask for specific feedback.  For example, you might ask customers to rate your products or services on a scale of 1 to 5, or you might ask them to leave a comment about their experience.

Make it easy for customers to leave reviews. As mentioned above, make sure your website has a clear and easy way for customers to leave reviews.  You can also make it easy for customers to leave reviews by providing them with a link to your review page.

Thank customers for their reviews. When a customer leaves a review, be sure to thank them for their feedback.  This will show that you appreciate their time and effort.

Use reviews to improve your business. Once you have a few reviews, take some time to read them and see what your customers are saying.  Use this feedback to improve your products or services and make your business better.

How DR Adept can help you get more customer reviews

We know that customer reviews are essential for driving sales and building trust with potential customers.  That's why we've built customer review capabilities into our content manager, which is supplied with all website designs we create and are hosted on our servers.

With our content manager, you can easily collect and display customer reviews on your website.  You can also use our built-in tools to manage your reviews, respond to comments, and resolve an issues that may arise.

Our content manager is the perfect solution for businesses of all sizes who want to get more customer reviews.  It's easy to use, affordable, and packed with features that will help you get more reviews and grow your business.

Here are some of the benefits of using our content manager to collect customer reviews:

• Increased sales: Studies have shown that websites with customer reviews generate more sales than those without.
• Build trust: Customer reviews help build trust with potential customers, who are more likely to buy from businesses that have positive reviews.
• Improved SEO: Google and other search engines take customer reviews into account when ranking websites in search results.
• Increased brand awareness: Customer reviews can help to increase brand awareness by exposing your business to a wider audience. 

If you're looking for a way to get more customer reviews, our content manager is the perfect solution.  Contact us today to learn more.

Further Reading:

• 4 way to use quite time to push your business forward
• 6 things to try when sales are low
• Boosting your seo ranking and why small businesses should do it
• Starting a business

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