In years past, you might have been advised on how to get more reviews online. “Hold a raffle. Give away free movie tickets. Offer a discount on future services.” All would have been great ideas to collect more online reviews at some point in the past. However, as you know the internet is ever changing, and so are guidelines from Google, Yelp and more importantly, the FTC (Federal Trade Commission). And if you were to do any of the above, you would be in direct violation of guidelines from all 3 beasts above. Clearly, this can be an ominous subject resulting in ignorance or uncertainty of how to follow the rules. The good news is, here at Review Wave, we’ve got your back.
Before we get into what NOT to do, let’s talk about what you SHOULD be doing. One of the best ways to get more online reviews is simple: just ask your customers. Just ask! The more you talk about it, the more it’s on their mind. Ask them yourself, have your staff ask, and put up posters around your business about your online reviews so it’s fresh on their mind. However, asking endlessly can get tiring, and if you have a productive and busy office, it can be unrealistic to ask every patient/customer! That’s where Review Wave comes in to save the day.
Review Wave sends out feedback requests to your customers for you. No work needed on your end! Imagine asking every customer every day for an online review without ever having to lift a finger. The tedious work of collecting reviews can be 100% automated (and streamlined for better results). And the results are spectacular when you consistently ask your customers for feedback and reviews. Not only do you get more reviews online, but you’ll also hear when your customers are unhappy…which is even more valuable.
Now that you know what to do, and how Review Wave can help, let’s talk about what not to do.
Do Not Incentive Your Customers to Leave Reviews
Google, Yelp, Facebook, and even the FTC all agree that you shouldn’t give your customers or patients an incentive for leaving you a review. They want reviews posted on their sites to be unbiased (and Yelp even wants them to be unsolicited). How do you follow their wishes to avoid penalties and fines? Simple: don’t give your customers any sort of reward for posting a review. No promises. No discounts. No freebies. You want them to post their review for the sake of spreading the word about how good your service is!
To find out more about how Review Wave can help you get more online reviews, and save you from getting into big trouble with the FTC, or getting penalized by Google, request a free demo!
