Customer testimonials are one of the best ways to build trust with your audience and boost conversions. You might be wondering though, what can you do to encourage customers to provide a testimonial?

Try these 10 proven ways to incentivize customer reviews:

1.  Simply Ask the Question

Perhaps the most effective way to get customer testimonials is to ask the question. Simple, right? The saying “it never hurts to ask” is very relevant here – you would be surprised at how many customers are willing to share a review when you ask them to do so.

This is especially true when your users are satisfied with your products or services. There is a good chance that they will be willing to write a positive comment about their experience or your business, but they likely won’t offer that up themselves. In other words, you need to ask them, in a friendly way, to write a review for your organization.

2.  Make the Process Seamless

If we know anything about consumers, it’s that they don’t like overly complex processes or jumping through hoops to make something happen. With that said, you must make the process for them to share a testimonial seamless and easy to follow.

Consider automating your review process or allowing them to complete it with the click of a button. For instance, letting them select the number of stars they would rate your brand after a transaction is a quick and easy way to get feedback!

You also want to avoid asking for reviews manually, since that will take up too much time and won’t be consistent. Every customer should have the same opportunity to share their testimonial, so the easier the process, the better.

Consider creating a form using Milk Video or automating follow-up emails to request reviews. This is one of the best ways to not only increase the number of testimonials you receive, but also to continue engaging with your customers. Check out the video below how you can easily collect client testimonials using Milk video

3.  Focus on Satisfied Customers

Satisfied customers are more likely to provide a testimonial, so try to focus on reaching out to these individuals. If you ask them privately to rate your business and they give you 5 stars, encourage them to share that review on a public platform.

Don’t ignore the ones that give you a poor review, though. This is a valuable opportunity to ask what you could have done better, fix the problem, and then ask them for a testimonial when they are satisfied. Think of it as a second chance to offer a positive experience!

4.  Offer a Reward

If you really want to incentivize your clients to leave you a review, it might be time to consider offering them a reward. Make it clear from the beginning that they will be rewarded for their efforts and successfully posting a review, and you will see the number of responses skyrocket.

For instance, you can give customers a discount code for a future order or a gift card if they choose to leave a review. This process has multiple benefits, as it will also encourage them to shop from your brand again in the future!

Some businesses have gotten creative with their incentives and implemented charitable donation campaigns. Anyone that leaves a review can choose from participating charities to receive a donation – this is a great way to engage with your community while also showing your customers that you are supporting important causes.

5.  Create Profiles on Major Platforms

There are several major review platforms, and you should create profiles on all of them. That includes Yelp, Google, TripAdvisor, Angie’s List, and any other site that customers might use to find your brand. Creating these profiles will make it easy for people to trust the reviews they read and share additional testimonials.

6.  Provide Them with a Template

Some users may hesitate to share a testimonial because they are not sure what to say. Solve this problem by giving them a template – if you write some, or all, of the review for them, all they have to do is agree to share it.

Customers will be more likely to share feedback if it doesn’t require a lot of work on their part.

7.  Send a Personalized Request

When you ask a client to share a testimonial, they will be more likely to say yes if they receive a personalized request. For instance, if you send them an email thanking them for their purchase and politely ask them to leave a review, you will be more successful than if you send out spam messages.

Call them and ask for the review directly – or request it during the checkout process as they finalize their purchase!

8.  Time the Request Appropriately

Another way you can incentivize customer testimonials is to time the request appropriately. If you wait too long to ask the question, there is a good chance they’ve moved on and are no longer thinking about the experience they had with your brand. The opposite is also true, though – ask too soon and they probably have not had enough time to use your products and form an opinion.

As such, it is best practice to ask the customer for a review when they purchase the product but follow that up with an additional request a few days later. If your brand is service-based, consider asking when the service has been completed. 

9.  Incentivize your Staff

Did you know that incentivizing your staff to ask for reviews can also help you gather more customer feedback? If your employees understand the importance of reviews, they will be more likely to ask users to complete one.

Consider developing a bonus program – if it makes sense for your business – to encourage your marketing team to ask for testimonials.

10.      Thank Them Afterwards

You did it – you got a customer to share a testimonial! Your job doesn’t stop here, though, as you need to make sure to thank them afterward. Think about sending them a freebie or discount code to show how appreciative you are.