Any good business owner knows that customer reviews can make a huge difference in the success of a company. It can be tricky convincing your clients to write a glowing review, especially since you’re asking them to take time out of their day. There are plenty of ways to get people to review your services, one of them being review incentives.
If you are interested in learning more, our guide is here to help. We’ll explore the benefits of review incentives and how they can improve your business.
Ready to learn more? Let’s go.
What Are Review Incentives?
Review incentives are as simple as they sound. Essentially, you’re offering rewards in exchange for reviews.
The most important rule that you need to follow is that the incentive needs to be completely disclosed. This means adding a line of text or a small badge outlining the promotion.
You’ll also need to provide the incentive regardless of whether the review is positive or negative.
Remember to research the review incentive policy of different review websites to ensure that you’re not doing anything that leads to penalties. For example, it’s illegal in the US and other countries to offer incentives for Google reviews unless the reviewer states they received compensation for the review.
What Are Some Review Incentive Options?
The most obvious option for a review incentive is a discount. Not only are companies already prepared to offer deals, but customers are accustomed to collecting and applying coupons.
You can either offer a cash discount or a percentage-based discount. Make sure you calculate the amount to ensure profit.
Another review incentive option is to add a bonus to their next order. By offering an add-on or small sample as an incentive for writing an online review, you’ll be able to introduce customers to a new product and keep a positive brand image.
Benefits of Review Incentives
One of the biggest benefits of review incentives is that you’re likely to get a positive review. This will help maintain or increase your current reputation and improve your business.
You’ll also have a happy customer on your hands, especially since they love to get freebies for only a small chunk of their time.
Another benefit is that once you have enough positive feedback, more customers will feel inclined to write reviews. This may not be a guarantee, but it certainly does help to have enough people review your business.
The Downside
Obviously, straddling a legal fine line is dangerous enough. But using incentives introduces other negative consequences, such as future expectations. If you use a review incentive, you could create an unrealistic expectation with customers that’s difficult to shake. Review = reward. No reward = no review.
You also may attract the wrong type of customer – one who preys on businesses by using a negative review as a blackmail opportunity. Using review incentives can simply change some customers’ perception of you. Think something along the lines of, “what do they have to hide?”
Transform Your Business for the Better
In order for a business to flourish, it needs to attract new customers and keep current customers loyal. One of the best ways to do both is through positive customer reviews. Businesses with few or poor reviews are sure to suffer, especially with how much power the internet holds.
The good news is that you have plenty of ways to convince your customers to leave a review. Hopefully, our guide helps you make a more informed decision about whether to use review incentives.
Looking to take your online business presence to the next level? Be sure to check out our services and contact us today! We specialize in reputation management and generating online reviews the old-fashioned way – by simply asking!