Clever Ways to Ask for Reviews

It's no secret that online reviews are important. They help potential customers make an informed decision on whether or not they’d like to do business with you, and can even have an impact on your search engine ranking. Getting reviews can be challenging, and outright asking for reviews can be rather tricky. You don't want to be too pushy, but you also don't want your request to be so forgettable that customers neglect to leave a review altogether. Here at ReplyDesk, we’ve put together a list of 12 clever ways to ask for reviews, complete with review request templates that you can fine-tune for use in your own business. Rest assured that these aren't your average, boring review requests. These templates are creative, attention-grabbing, and most importantly, effective.

Why should you ask your customers for reviews?

The simple answer is that reviews are one of the most important factors that come into play when potential customers decide whether to do business with you, or take their money to the competition. In fact, 72% of consumers report that positive reviews can make them trust a business more. As an added bonus, more reviews can help you rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs), which can lead to more website visitors and, ultimately, more customers.

Positive reviews help build brand trust

As mentioned above, shoppers primarily use reviews to help them decide whether they want to do business with a given seller or store. Additionally, reviews can also help establish your brand, and build brand trust over time. This is because reviews from other customers provide a sort of social proof that others have had a positive experience with your business, which goes a long way towards building confidence in your brand in the eyes of prospective buyers.

Many consumers find reviews to be helpful when making a purchase

According to a survey conducted by BrightLocal, an industry leader in search engine optimization and online reputation management, 98% of consumers read online reviews for local businesses. As you can imagine, that number is likely to only go up when we’re talking about businesses that are exclusively online. Consumers these days are not only interested in getting the lowest price – they’re looking for a superb buying experience from start to finish, and trust other shoppers to tell them if a business offers the whole package. All this to say that if you’re not already asking your customers for reviews, you definitely should be!

Getting more reviews can improve your SEO and CTR

In addition to helping you build brand trust and strengthen your customer relationships, reviews can also help improve your SEO. This is because reviews are a form of user-generated content (UGC), which is known to help improve SEO. Moreover, reviews can help improve your click-through rate (CTR), which is another important factor for SEO. This is because reviews are often displayed in SERPs alongside your listing, which can help your listing stand out from the rest.

Customer reviews are helpful in understanding customer needs

In addition to helping you improve your SEO and CTR, reviews can also help you better understand your customers’ needs. This is because reviews provide valuable feedback that can help you identify areas of your business that may need improvement. If you see that a lot of your customers mention the same issue in their reviews, you’ll be able to pinpoint the source of the problem much more easily, and be able to address the issue in the best possible way.

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The different types of reviews you can get from customers

Before you start asking your customers for reviews, it’s important to understand the different types of reviews that customers can leave. Below are the three main types of reviews you can receive from customers:

Product and service review

This type of review is a buyer’s review of the product or service that was purchased. Product and service reviews are usually left by customers on your website, on product pages, or on review sites like Google, Yelp, and TripAdvisor.

Company and brand review

These are reviews that mention your company or brand name, and detail a buyer’s experience with your company or brand. They’re usually left on your website, social media profiles, or business directories.

Experience and support review

This type of review is focused on the customer’s experience with your product or service, as well as the support they received from your team. These reviews are particularly valuable for potential buyers, since they give a glimpse into what their experience will be like if they require support after they’ve made their purchase.

12 Creative Ways to Ask Your Customers for Reviews

Asking your customers for reviews doesn’t have to be difficult or awkward. In fact, there are a number of creative and clever ways to ask for reviews that will not only increase your chances of getting a positive review, but will also make your customers feel valued. Below, we outline 12 clever ways to ask for reviews from your customers, so that you can reap all the wonderful benefits of customer reviews for your business.

Seek out reviews from your social media communities (LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube)

If you have an engaged social media following, why not leverage this following and get reviews from your community? You could post a status update asking customers to leave a review, or even create a specific hashtag that customers can use when posting reviews.

Use follow-up emails and surveys to capture post-sales reviews

After making a sale, you can send a follow-up email to your customer as a personal way to ask for reviews. You could even include a link to make is easy for customers to leave feedback about their experience. Although it may seem tempting to omit the option for bad reviews, make sure you give customers the option to leave an honest review, whether it be a positive, negative, or neutral one.

Add a personal touch to your order with a handwritten note

A handwritten note is a great way to add a personal touch to your customer service, especially if you’re shipping out a physical item to your buyer. Consider including a note with each order as a personalized way of asking for reviews from your customers. This option gives you a lot more leeway, allowing you to ask for reviews on your website, social media pages, and more.

Follow up on the purchase with the customer via Zoom call, and ask if they would be open to doing a testimonial video

If you’re selling products or services online, following up with customers after they’ve made a purchase is always a good idea. It shows that you care about your customers’ experiences, and is a great opportunity to ask customers for reviews. This personal approach enables you to ask customers if they’d be willing to do a testimonial video, which you could then post on your website or social media channels.

Swap testimonials and reviews with other businesses

If you’re struggling to get reviews, why not swap testimonials and reviews with other businesses in your industry? This is a great way to get feedback for your business, and it can also help to boost your credibility.

Include a review request in your next customer newsletter

If you have a customer newsletter that goes out to your established customer base, consider asking for reviews in your next issue. This is a great way to reach out to your customers and ask for feedback about your products, services, and brand.

Include a call-to-action in your email signature

If you’re already sending emails to customers or clients, why not ask for reviews in your email signature? This is a great way to increase your chances of getting reviews, and it’s also a very subtle and clever way to ask for feedback.

Use SMS alerts to keep your customers updated on their order progress and to request reviews

If you’re using SMS alerts to keep your customers updated on their order progress, why not use the same avenue to ask your customers for reviews? Customers are much more likely to be happy with their purchase if they’ve received regular updates about its progress, making this a great way of asking for feedback.

Use social media to increase customer engagement by asking customers to leave a review on your business page

If you’re looking for ways to increase customer engagement on social media, why not ask your customers to leave a review on your business page? This is a great way to get honest feedback about your products or services, and can also help boost your credibility.

Add a link to a review website on your company's website

Make it easy for your customers to leave reviews and increase your chances of receiving feedback by adding a direct link to an external review website on your company’s website. This will make it easier for customers to leave their feedback, resulting in more feedback for you overall.

Give customers a discount or freebie in exchange for an honest review

If you’re struggling to get customers to leave reviews, why not offer them an incentive that will nudge them towards leaving feedback? You can offer them a discount on their next purchase in exchange for their feedback, for instance. These methods are great ways to incentivize customers to leave reviews, with the added bonus of boosting your chances of getting positive reviews. Note that this method should not be employed on ecommerce marketplaces, as it is oftentimes against marketplace policies to incentivize buyers to leave feedback.

Add review request to your invoice

If you’re looking for a way to increase your chances of getting reviews, why not add a review request to your invoice? This is a great way to remind customers to leave feedback about their purchase, and is a subtle way to ask for reviews.

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When to ask customers for reviews

The best time to ask your customers for a review is when they’re most likely to be satisfied with your product or service. If you sell items online, this would be a few days after they’ve received their order. Ideally, this gives them a few days to reach out to you with any issue before they receive an email asking them to review the product they purchased and their overall buying experience. Many online sellers find it difficult to do this manually, and instead opt for services such as ReplyDesk to automate the process of reaching out to customers to ask for reviews.  

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The best places to showcase your reviews

Once you’ve collected some reviews, it’s important to showcase them in the right place and give potential customers the opportunity to see them. The best places to showcase your reviews are:

Your website:

Include customer testimonials on your website, preferably on your homepage or your pricing page.

Social media:

Share reviews on your social media channels, such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Local listings:

Include customer reviews in your local listings, like Google My Business and Yelp.

Email signature:

Add a link to your Google or Yelp review page in your email signature so potential customers can easily find you on these sites.

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Review request template

If you’re sold on the idea but are still not quite sure how to ask for reviews, we’ve put together a list of templates to help get you started. These templates give you a starting point to create your own clever ways to ask for reviews, so you can start reaping all the benefits that real customer reviews provide!

Email review request template

“Hi [Customer Name],

Thank you for being a [customer/client] of ours. We’re always looking to improve, and one way we do that is by getting feedback from our customers.

It would mean the world to us if you took a moment to leave a review of your experience with us!

If you have a minute and want to share your experience, please leave us a review on [Google/Yelp/Facebook, etc.].

Thanks again,
[Your Name]”

SMS review request template

“Hi [Customer Name],

Thanks for using [Our Service]. We’d love to get your feedback so that we can always keep improving!

Would you mind leaving a review on [Google/Yelp/Facebook, etc.]?

Thanks,
[Your Name]”

In-app review request template

“Hi [Customer Name],

Thank you for using [Our Service]. We’re always working on improving, and one of our most valuable resources is the feedback we receive from our customers.

Would you be willing to leave a review of your experience with [Our Service]? We would really appreciate it!

Thanks,
[Your Name]”

Handwritten note review request template

“Dear [Customer Name],

Thank you for choosing to be a [customer/client] of ours. We’re always looking to improve, and one way we do that is by getting feedback from our customers.

Would you be willing to leave a review of your shopping experience with us? We would really appreciate it!

If you have a minute, please leave a review on [Google/Yelp/Facebook, etc.].

Thanks again,
[Your Name]”

Receipt review request template

“Hi [Customer Name],

Thank you for your purchase from [Our Company]. We hope you’re happy with your purchase.

If you have a minute, we’d appreciate it if you could leave a review of your experience with us on [Google/Yelp/Facebook, etc.].

Thanks,
[Your Name]”

Online review request template

“Hi [Customer Name],

Thank you for your recent purchase from [Our Company]. We hope you’re happy with your purchase.

If you have a minute, we’d appreciate it if you could leave a review of your experience with us on [Google/Yelp/Facebook, etc.].

Thanks,
[Your Name]”

Customer satisfaction survey review request template

“Hi [Customer Name],

Thank you for your recent purchase from [Our Company]! We hope you’re happy with your purchase, and we’d appreciate it if you could take a few minutes to fill out a survey about your experience with us.

Your feedback helps us improve!

Thanks,
[Your Name]”

Swapping reviews with another business review request template

“Hi [Business name],

Would you be interested in swapping reviews? We’ll post a positive review on your site in exchange for a positive review on our site.

Let us know if you’re interested and we’ll send you a link to our site.

Thanks,
[Your name]”