4 Ways You Can Encourage Local Reviews

by Ashley Hart | Jun 7, 2021

Reviews are important for all businesses, even more so for local businesses as people are often searching for businesses on their phone and deciding solely based on reviews (I know I have done that!) These tips can be applied to both online businesses and those with a brick-and-mortar store.

There are many benefits of local reviews with the most important being how they can seriously up the trust factor for a business. I have worked with various local businesses and have felt the struggles that businesses deal with when it comes to collecting reviews from local customers.

Here are four tips to encourage customers to leave you a review.

1. Include a card with their purchase

This tip is aimed at businesses that own a retail store or who visit a client in person. You can hand a business card to the customer either at the point of sale or when the job has been completed which has your link to review you on it. You then kindly ask the customer if they would take the time to leave a review about their experience with the product, service, or the staff.

2. Include a message on your invoice

Another way to encourage customers to leave feedback is by asking for a review on the invoice. It’s a smart idea to feature a link to the page where the customer could learn how to leave a review. E.g. “Love our service? Leave a review at domain.com/reviews”. I even go as far as to send a personal follow-up email a week or so after the final invoice asking them for a review. This gives the customer time to relax post-project/sale and give feedback.

3. Signage

If you own a retail store, signage around the store and checkout is a good way to encourage customers to leave a review. You can also employ a similar approach by using signage on your website and creating a dedicated reviews page.

4. Conversation

One of the most effective ways of getting a review is simply to talk to your customers. This can be face to face in their retail store, in a meeting, or online. Conversation is key to building a connection with your customers and motivating them to share their feedback. People know that reviews are important and if they had a good experience with you, then they want to help you. Just be sure to connect and make the ask.