Text-based communication offers a notable benefit in terms of boosting customer reviews. By engaging with SMS subscribers, you can enhance their involvement with your business.
However, it's crucial to adopt an effective approach when gathering reviews via text messages.
Encouraging customers to provide feedback through reviews can yield valuable insights into your company's products and services.
Acting on these reviews can improve the user-friendliness of your offers and enhance the overall customer experience, as it is the customer who ultimately benefits from these improvements.
In this blog article, we will discuss the techniques to solicit reviews with SMS to maximize the customer experience.
Table of Contents
Why customer reviews are important?
Customer reviews play a crucial role in your business since they impart authenticity and help build trust in your brand. Not only can this boost your sales by influencing other shoppers' buying decisions, but getting feedback from customers can also help you assess different aspects of your business such as:
Customer service
Internal processes
Products or services
Here are some more reasons why customer reviews are important:
01. Influence on purchase decisions
No doubt, we have been social creatures since the moment we come into this world, and we are interested in knowing what others say before we make our buying or purchase decisions. Much like we would ask friends and family for recommendations, review sites allow us to do this online with just a few clicks.
02. Trust and credibility
Reviews enable new businesses to stand shoulder to shoulder with more established competition, and potentially gain a positive niche in people’s estimation and expectations.
Look at it this way… which company would you rather buy from, one with fifty 3-star reviews or one with five 5-star reviews?
Voila! You just took the discussion away from the discount and price!
03. Feedback and Improvement
Customer reviews offer valuable feedback that can help you understand what is working well and what areas need improvement. By listening to customer feedback, you can identify pain points, address issues, and make necessary adjustments to enhance the customer experience.
04. SEO and Online Visibility
Reviews play a role in search engine optimization (SEO). Positive reviews can improve your online visibility, search rankings, and click-through rates. Search engines consider reviews as a factor in determining the relevance and credibility of your business.
05. Competitive Advantage
Stand out from your competitors by having a strong presence of positive customer reviews. A higher quantity and quality of reviews can differentiate your business and attract more customers.
Steps to collect customer reviews using business texting
01. Obtain customer phone numbers
First, you need to obtain the phone numbers of your customers who have made a purchase from you. You can do this by asking for their phone number during the checkout process or by having them opt-in to receive promotional texts from your business.
02. Craft a message
Next, craft a message that asks your customers to leave a review. Make sure the message is concise, friendly, and includes a direct link to your business's review page. Here's an example message:
Hey [customer name], we hope you're enjoying your purchase! If you have a minute, we'd love for you to leave us a review. Click the link below to get started [insert review page link].
03. Send the message
Once you have your message ready, send it to your customers via a text message. You can use a texting platform or service that allows you to send mass texts to multiple customers at once.
04. Follow-up
If a customer doesn't leave a review after the initial message, send a follow-up message a few days later. This message can be a gentle reminder, asking if they had a chance to leave a review yet.
Here's an example follow-up message:
Hi [customer name], we just wanted to check in and see if you had a chance to leave us a review yet. Your feedback is valuable to us! [insert review page link]
05. Thank the customer
Once a customer leaves a review, send them a thank-you message to show your appreciation. This can also help encourage them to continue to do business with you in the future.
Here's an example thank-you message:
Thank you so much for leaving us a review, [customer name]! We appreciate your feedback and are thrilled that you enjoyed your purchase. Let us know if there's anything else we can do for you.
06. Monitor and respond
Be sure to monitor the reviews that come in and respond to any negative feedback in a timely and professional manner. This can help show other potential customers that you value their feedback and are committed to providing excellent customer service.
Factors to consider when sending texts asking for customer reviews
When sending text messages for collecting customer reviews, there are several things to consider in order to ensure that your messages are effective and well-received. Here are some key things to keep in mind:
01. Timing
Consider the timing of your messages. You want to make sure that you're not sending messages too frequently or at inconvenient times. For example, avoid sending messages late at night or early in the morning.
02. Tone of the message
The tone of your message should be friendly and conversational. Avoid using overly formal or pushy language, as this can turn off customers and make them less likely to leave a review.
03. Personalization
Whenever possible, personalize your messages by addressing customers by name. This can help make your messages feel more personalized and less like generic marketing messages.
04. Clear call-to-action
Make sure that your message includes a clear call-to-action that tells customers exactly what you want them to do. For example, include a direct link to your review page and ask customers to leave a review.
05. Incentives
Consider offering incentives to customers who leave a review, such as a discount on their next purchase or a chance to win a prize. This can help motivate customers to leave a review and increase the likelihood that they will do so.
06. Compliance
Make sure that your messages comply with all relevant laws and regulations, such as the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) in the US. This means obtaining consent from customers before sending them marketing messages and including opt-out instructions in your messages.
Review request SMS templates
01. Asking new customers about their first experience
First-time customers can be an ideal opportunity to learn about your business’s first impression of new customers. In addition, the new user experience is also something potential customers will consider when they look through your customer reviews. Example:
Dear [Customer's Name], thank you for choosing our [Product/Service]. We hope you had a great first experience! Please share your feedback so we can serve you better in the future.
02. Rating after a recent purchase
Follow up with a review request when the experience of doing business with you is still fresh in a customer’s memory. This is a great way to get their detailed impressions while they are excited about their new purchase. As a result, they may be less likely to write a review later when that feeling has faded. Up to 80% of online reviews originate from follow-up messages after a purchase.
Example:
Dear [Customer's Name], we hope you're enjoying your recent purchase! Please rate your satisfaction on a scale of 1 to 5 by replying with your rating or visiting [Rating URL].
03. New updates
You are more likely to get a response to your review request text if you explain why, you are asking for it. For example, to generate SMS feedback, to inform the design of a new update, or draw attention to your business in the run-up to an update or announcement. Example:
Hello [Customer Name], we have recently updated our [product/service]. We value your opinion and would love to hear your thoughts. Could you please take a moment to share your honest feedback? Here's the direct link to leave a review [insert link]. Thank you for your time!
04. Response to social media mentions
Is a customer talking about you on social media? Texting to ask if they will share their thoughts in a review can help increase your review response rates. Someone who is already saying positive things about you.
Example:
Hey [Customer's Name], we wanted to thank you for mentioning us on social media! We're thrilled to hear about your positive experience with our [Product/Service]. Your feedback means a lot to us!
05. Reaching out to long-term customers
Long-term customers have a lot to share about how they use your business and how it has benefited them. In addition, reviews from these loyal customers can be beneficial to potential new users. This is because they can be assured that potential customers will still be happy with your business further down the line. Example:
Dear [Customer's Name], we wanted to take a moment to express our sincere gratitude for being a loyal customer over the years. We truly appreciate your continued support in choosing us as your trusted partner.
06. Review a location visit
You should run an SMS campaign to thank your customers who visit your store. How do you do that? At the checkout, you can ask shoppers to sign up for your SMS marketing. Once they do, you can show your gratitude and ask them to review the location visit.
This helps your customers develop a bond with your business and the probability of them buying in their next visit increases. Besides, you'll add one more subscriber to your list for future promotions!
Example:
Hello [Customer's Name], we hope you enjoyed your recent visit! Please rate your experience on a scale of 1 to 5 by replying with your rating or visiting [Review URL]. Your feedback is valuable to us!
What to do after receiving reviews from customers?
After you get reviews for your business from your customers you should reply to them.
Responding to reviews, both positive and negative, is equally important. Showcasing excellent customer service by addressing concerns and expressing gratitude for positive feedback can further strengthen your brand reputation.
Make sure you respond to negative reviews professionally, and empathetically, and offer solutions or assistance to resolve the problem. This shows your commitment to customer satisfaction and can help turn a negative experience into a positive one.
Don't forget to use the feedback received to make necessary improvements to your products, services, or business processes.
If you receive glowing reviews or testimonials, share them on your website, social media channels, or other marketing materials. Highlighting positive feedback can help build trust and credibility with potential customers.
Conclusion
For your business, every customer's feedback matters. The good ones can be used to encourage other visitors to your website to make purchases and demonstrate how your customers trust you. In comparison, the negative ones can be used to improve various aspects of your business.
Text messaging is an optimal way of reaching out to your customers and asking them to provide you with their feedback. Running an SMS campaign for this purpose is easy and cost-effective. Furthermore, doing so helps you develop a stronger and more trusting relationship with your customers, leading to your business's growth.