If you own a business of some sort, you know that it can be hard to get customers coming back again and again. That’s why it’s so important to have happy repeat customers who will also be willing to tell others about their experiences. And with the rise of various online review platforms, it’s easier than ever to get testimonials from past customers. Even if they just happened to be passing by when they saw your business and had time to take a few seconds out of their day to leave an online review. Even if they don’t have time right now and won’t be able to in the future, either.
Here are some benefits you might not have thought about that come from providing your customers with an online customer review platform and asking them for feedback on everything from the service they received at your business to the quality of what they were offered as a customer.
Build Brand Reputation
Any business that uses online review platforms to gather feedback from customers will see an immediate increase in its brand reputation. People will see the reviews and appreciate that they gave the business a try. They might even decide to add the business to their lists of preferred brands and retailers.
And that’s especially important if you’re a small business that isn’t well known, or a large enterprise that doesn’t have the same name recognition as a big-box retailer might have. Online reviews, especially from customers who had a positive experience with your products and services, can dramatically increase your brand reputation.
Develop New Customers
You might already have customers who have tried your products and services or have even been a customer for several years. But have you ever asked them if they would be interested in trying out a complementary product or service that would benefit them even more than the one they already use?
If you have an online review platform, you can ask past customers if they’d be willing to be beta testers for a new product or service that you’re developing. You might even offer them a discount on their next order if they agree to try out your new offering. And you can offer them something extra, like a gift with their purchase, that they can share with their friends to help you get the word out about your new product.
Help Grow Your Business With People Skills
You might not realize it, but getting past customers to leave reviews of your company is a great opportunity to learn more about your customers and their needs. It might sound weird, but asking past customers to let you know what they think about your service is a great way to find out what they like and dislike about your business. You can use those insights to adjust your products and services to better meet the needs of your past customers and continue to grow your business.
Build Trusted Relationships with Repeat Customers
It’s important to remember that you’re not just getting one-time reviews from customers. Instead, you’re getting them to leave you reviews on various review platforms. You can easily collect reviews from each new customer you get by having them leave a review on your online review platform. And you can collect them from every new customer you get in the future, too, as long as they have an account with the review platform. By having your customers leave you reviews on your online review platform, you show them that you appreciate their business. You can send them a thank-you note or even gift them with a free product or service that you offer to all customers who leave reviews on your platform.
Develop Company Culture and Teamwork
Another important benefit of asking your customers to leave reviews is that it can help you develop a company culture. When you’re asking your customers to review each other, you’re reminding your staff that reviews are incredibly important. You might even have a system in place where staff members are assigned reviews to write. This can help you develop a company culture, teamwork, and accountability.
Increase Sales
Reviews are the most important sales tool you have. Even if you have a great product and a great store experience, if your customers don’t leave many reviews, you’re missing out on the best sales tool you have.
Bottom line
The bottom line is this. Having a customer review in place gives you better insights into what your customers want and how they interact with your business. You can use that feedback to make your business even better. And, you can also use it to increase sales by offering customers gifts with their purchases or gifts if they leave a review on your online review platform. As you can see, there are many benefits of having an online review in place. So, what are you waiting for?
