by Joseph Heller, CEO & Founder of The/Studio Technologies
No offense, but you’re not exactly the most unbiased source when it comes to how awesome your products really are.
Photos, great descriptions, and quality design can go a long way in building trust with a potential customer & encouraging them to buy… but nothing beats social proof.
Good customer reviews can improve sales, SEO, and trust. In fact, studies have shown that 92% of customers read online reviews before buying, and reviews drive an average 18% uplift in sales.
Your customers are the ultimate experts on how awesome your products are, and getting good reviews can have a total snowball effect. Especially for new customers, a few great reviews can be the difference between placing an order and clicking somewhere else.
Here’s how to get more customer reviews on your boutique website:
Remind people to leave a review.
Let’s be real – remembering to leave a review of the necklace they bought two weeks ago isn’t the top priority on your customer’s mind. Send an email (or two, or three) to remind them to leave a review of their recent purchase on your boutique’s website. Try to time it well – they may not be ready to leave a review the same exact day they receive the item, but then again, it might feel pretty out of the blue to receive a reminder email 3 months after getting it.
Offer an incentive for leaving a review.
Make sure your customers know what’s in it for them if they leave a review! Offer a small incentive, like a 10% off code, free shipping on their next order, or a giveaway entry for a free product. Don’t require it to be a 5-star review – it’ll make your reviews seem less authentic. Simply ask for an honest review. With products like yours, you have nothing to worry about!
Make it easy to leave a review.
Leaving a review should take your customers as little time and effort as possible. If they have to create an account or add in a bunch of personal info or hit a specific word count… they might click away and never think about it again.
Also, make sure the instructions are clear – if there’s a way to do so from the website, email them a link to the exact place they need to go. If you’re collecting reviews on your own, tell them to reply to your email to send their thoughts. If you’re looking for reviews on Google or your Facebook page, send them a link with instructions.
Respond to reviews.
Whenever a customer takes the time to review your business, respond thoughtfully and quickly. Seeing that your business truly cares about how the customer feels – good or bad – will help potential customers trust you more as well as motivate existing customers to leave a review.
Joseph Heller is the CEO & Founder of The/Studio Technologies, which operates TheStudio.com and SuppliedShop.com. The/Studio is a Silicon Valley venture backed startup that is focused on democratizing manufacturing and supply chain for SMBs. TheStudio.com makes it easy for companies to make custom manufactured products and SuppliedShop.com helps small retail stores buy inventory directly from factories.
