Get your reviews strategy into shape - Feefo | Collect Genuine …€¦ · feedback: from customer aquisition and retention, to maximising business insight at every stage of the customer

Your guide to collecting, managing and leveraging the ratings and reviews of your customers.

Get your reviews strategy into shape

2Get your reviews strategy into [email protected] | 0203 587 7369 | www.feefo.com

Contents

Welcome ........................................................................................................................... 2

Why reviews?....................................................................................................... 3

Collecting reviews............................................................................................................. 4

Maximise your response rate........................................................................... 4

Keeping it real...................................................................................................... 5

Displaying reviews............................................................................................................ 6

Drivingtraffic.......................................................................................................6

Trust and conversions........................................................................................ 8

Managing & leveraging reviews..................................................................................... 9

Responding to reviews...................................................................................... 9

Maximising insight............................................................................................ 11

Who are Feefo?............................................................................................................... 12

Takeaways........................................................................................................................ 13

Welcome

Get in touch

Whether your business is already collecting reviews, or is looking to explore greater opportunities to get more out of feedback - this guide is for you.

This guide gives a top level overview - from the best way to collect reviews, toharnessingthebenefits.Formoreinformation,chattooneofourexperts:drop us a line on 0203 587 7369, or email [email protected]

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5. ADVOCATE Delivering positive experiences means clients and candidates are more likely to recommend you to others. Net Promoter Score® (NPS®) benchmarking helps you understand market position and establish brand promoters – to increase the quality and quantity of new business.

1. RESEARCHWhen consumers are researching businesses, customer reviews can help.VerifiedreviewscanhelpbothSEOandPPCcampaignsandcontribute to star ratings in Google search results – boosting your visibilityandwebsitetraffic.

4. EXPERIENCECustomers are invited to leave feedback at key touch points, allowing your business to understand their experience, gain critical insight and drive operational improvement to ensure a positive experience every time.

2. CONVINCEWith a fresh stream of genuine, independently verifiedreviewsacrossmultipleplatformsandchannels, feedback helps your business gain the trust of potential customers.

3. CONVERTVerifiedserviceratingsimpactconversionrates3, by showcasingexcellenceandbuildingconfidence;customerscan see the positive experience of others. With custom integration options, reviews can blend seamlessly with your website’s branding.

Why reviews?

Word of mouth is no new thing - and your customers are talking about your business, whether you're listening or not. Our latest consumer researchreveals that 74% of shoppers are influenced by reviews. By putting in place a robust reviews strategy, you take control of the conversation, ensuring you hearwhatcustomershavetosay,andmaximisethebenefits.

Aside from price, in our research, 66% of shoppers say that reading reviews is their go-to option for deciding on whether to buy something, and only 5% saythatreviewsdon'tinfluencethematall.

But it's not all about conversions. Used correctly, reviews can form a gateway toahostofotherbusinessbenefitsthatreachfarbeyondsimplycollectingfeedback:fromcustomeraquisitionandretention,tomaximisingbusinessinsight at every stage of the customer decision journey.

Here's how:

Your customers are talking; are you listening?

The Feefo Consumer Research Report


Collecting reviews

By the numbers:

68% of customers say they would leave an online review from time to time. 24% leave them regularly.

71% of customers say they would leave a review after a good experience, and only 52% after a bad one.

49% say that they would be motivated to leave a review if they were invited by a company.

Makeitclearyou'relistening;14%ofcustomersareputoffleavingfeedbackiftheydon'tthinkyour business will respond.

Invite your customers1Ask, and you'll receive. Almost half of customers say they would be more motivated to leave a review if they were invited. Not only does this increase the amount of feedback you receive, it also means customers have their say directly to you, rather than taking their review elsewhere e.g. social media

Add a personal touch2Take your invitation to the next level, by including customer details, such as their name and order information.Personalisationiskeytoengagement;75%ofcustomersaremorelikelytointeractwith a business that refers to them by name.1

Use a trusted third party3

Maximise your response rate

There are multiple options to consider when collecting reviews. Onlycollecting from authentic customers, who have used your business, ensures the feedback you receive is credible. That's important for driving powerful insights that can be relied upon to make business decisions.

Furthermore, the method you use for collecting reviews is crucial. Ultimately, your objective is to hear from as many customers as possible, while maintaining every opportunity to own the conversation.

Collecting reviews is your launchpad toincrediblebusinessbenefits

Source:TheFeefoConsumerResearchReport

Take out the leg-work of collecting reviews by using a reviews platform like Feefo. Customers are more likely to leave a review if your business uses a trusted third-party to collect feedback on your behalf,and40%saythatthisindependentverificationisanimportantfactorindecidingwhetherreviews are credible.2

1 & 2 The Feefo Consumer Report


Keeping it real

Openingyourbusinesstonegativereviewsmightseemlikeabadmove.Tryas you might to avoid them, problems happen, and the idea of a disgruntled customer leaving a one-star rating maybe worrying.

Butthegoodnewsis:negativereviewsoffermorebenefitsthanyoumightrealise, particularly in a time when fake reviews are making headlines, and trust is fragile. Attempting to censor or manipulate reviews to ensure only positives are displayed can have the opposite effect, and customers willsuspect foul-play.

Three-quarters of customers are worried about fake reviews

The positives of negative reviews:

81%ofcustomersseekoutnegativereviews on products and services in order to form a balanced opinion.

75%ofcustomerssaythattheyareworried about whether the reviews they read might be fake.

54%saytheywouldbesuspiciousiftheycouldn'tfindanynegativereviews.

95%ofcustomerswoulduseabusiness again if their issue was dealtwithefficiently.

The case for authentic reviews



Displaying reviewsLet your customers do the talking

Across your business, genuine reviews have the power to increase visitors to your website, and boost conversions when they arrive. Whether booking a holiday, making a purchase or requesting a consultation, the way you implementandleveragereviewscanhaveadramaticeffectonthenumberof people engaging with your business.

Thefirststepisgettingnoticed.Whenpotentialcustomersareresearchingtheir options, it's important that your business stands out in search engine resultspages(SERPs),andinpay-per-click(PPC)adverts.

'Winningtheclick'isonlyhalfthebattle.Onceon-site,buildingconfidencewithcustomersiskey:reassuringthemthatyouareareputablebrand,withfantasticservice;thatyourproductsarepopularwithothers;andthatyourreputation can be trusted.

Therearenobetterbrandambassadorsthanyourownsatisifiedcustomers,and you can use their reviews to gain the upper hand over competitors.

DrivingtrafficTurbo-boost your PPC campaigns

If your reviews platform is a Licensed Google Content Partner, reviews contribute to Seller Ratings. These appear in AdWords campaigns as star ratings, and according to Google, can boost Click-Through Rate (CTR) by as muchas17%.

To qualify, you need:

150 live reviews, collected by a Licensed Content Partner, such as Feefo.

At least 10 of your reviews must be in the user's Google interface language.

An average star rating of between 3.5 and 5.

Eligiblereviewsmusthavebeencollectedwithinthe past 12 months.



How about product ratings?

If you collect feedback at a product level, you will also be eligible for GoogleProduct Ratings.

Product Ratings are reviews based on an individual product rather than theservice or company as a whole. They can appear for products with a starratingfromonethroughtofive.

To be eligible for Product Ratings you need:

At least three reviews per-product for product

ratings to appear. A domain with at least 50 reviews across all

products.

Togetanin-depthlookintodrivingtraffictoyourwebsite,includinga step-by-step guide on improving Google AdWords Performance, download the PPC Whitepaper, from Feefo.

Get it now

But wait, there's more!

Products ratings appear in Google Shopping Ads:

https://en.business.feefo.com/resources/whitepapers/ppc-whitepaper/


Trust and conversionsIt all comes down to a simple equation

Simply put: if a customer trusts your business, they will be morelikely to make a purchase. The objective of any business is to build confidencewithpotentialcustomers,providingthemwithallrelevantinformation, reassure their decision, and win their business.

But rather than convincing customers with slick one-liners or fancy marketing, use the ratings and opinions of real customers to promote your brand and products. 66% of shoppers use reviews as their go-to toolformakingbuyingdecisions;andthewordofmouthisonlygettinglouder.

Building confidence

Persuading a customer to click the ‘buy now’ button can be tough, but the good news is, seven out of ten customers trust the recommendations of others. There are proven techniques to harnessing the power of customerreviewstobuildconfidence,andincreaseconversions:

Display trust signals on key pages1Placing service ratings next to a call-to-action, such as a 'buy now' button, has proven to increase clicks. For Feefo client, Monarch, an independent study revealed that the simple act of placing a their Feefo score on-site increased revenue by 3.01% per customer,andoverallflightbookingsby an impressive 2.94%

Integrate reviews on product pages2If you have an ecommerce site, integrating reviews across your product pages should be considered essential. For the Fragrance Shop, integrating reviews led to an increase in total sales of 9.4%. Reading reviews forms an important part of the customer decision journey - so make it easy for themtofindtheratingsandopinionsoffellowshoppers.

"Excellent jacket! My wife loves it!"

Display your accolades3Fromcertificates,toaccreditations,ifyourbusinesshasbeenawardedany accolades, be sure to prominently display them on your website. For example, Feefo's 'Trusted Service Awards' are annually awarded, and winning clients are able to display their winner's badge across their pages - demonstrating their commitment to outstanding service to potential customers.


Managing & leveraging reviewsMaking the most of what your customers have to say

Reviews can provide more benefits than simply improving traffic andconversions. Managed correctly, they can form a gateway to improved customer relationships, helping your business deliver exceptional experiences, improve retention and create loyal brand advocates.

Responding to reviewsIt'salwaysgreattohearfeedbackfromyourcustomers:Ifpositive,ithelpsconfirmyou'redoingagreatjob,andaddsanothertestimonialtothepool.If negative, it is an opportunity to put things right. But whether positive or negative, it's critical that you respond to your reviews in the best way.

Positive reviewers are likely to be loyal brand advocates that recommend your business to others.

All reviews are public - as are your responses. It's important to show you acknowledgesatisfiedcustomers,notjust those with a problem.

Thank the customer1Your customer has taken the time to leave their review. Thanking them for their feedback can go a long way to making them feel appreciated.

Identify opportunities2Pull out the positives from their review. Whether the fantastic service, the quality of a product, or theassistanceofamemberofstaff.Itshowsyou'relistening,andnotjustarobot.

Leave a lasting impression3Show you value their review, by taking action. Whether replying to say you will relay their comments totheteam,orsuggestingsimilarproductstheymightlike,forexample.Signoffwithanametoadda personal touch.

Positive reviews can still contain an opportunity to address an issue, however slight.

Appreciating your customers' feedback can encourage them to leave further feedback in future.

The importance of replying to positives:


A negative review is an opportunity toaddressadissatisfiedcustomer'sissue, preventing them from taking it elsewhere.

Handled correctly, a negative review can actually be turned into a positive, as you resolve the situation.

Potential customers read negative reviews, and will note how you handle the complaint

Responding allows your business to take responsibility and ownership of the situation.

Respond quickly and appropriately1Addressthereviewofflineifpossible.Thatway,whenyoucometorespondtothereview,youcandiscuss the solution - not the problem. The tone of the review should guide how you respond. Whether formal or informal, the tone should be mirrored.

Thank them for their feedback2Acknowledge their review by thanking them for leaving it. This shows you appreciate all feedback, whether positive or negative, and take it seriously.

Identify and empathise 3

4If your business is at fault, apologise. If not, explain what has happened - but do not make excuses. Highlight any attempts to get in contact via phone or email, to demonstrate to other shoppers the lengths you are taking.

Leave the right impression5Demonstrate the steps you have taken to resolve the issue, and provide any further action that either you, or the customer, should take.

Take action

Showyouappreciatetheirconcerns,byhighlightingtheissuestheyhaveraised.Empathisewiththeir situation and acknowledge their frustration. If they have provided incorrect information, correct them respectfully.

The importance of replying to negatives

For a masterclass in handling negative reviews, check out the Feefo 'Handling negative feedback' guide.

Get it now

Need more information?

https://en.business.feefo.com/resources/whitepapers/deal-negative-feedback/


Maximising insightMaking the most of what your customers have to say

Onceyouhavebegun tocollect reviews, it's time tostartputtingthem to use in driving reliable business insights. Individually, a review is one customer's opinion. But analysing all of the feedback you receive as a whole reveals valuable information about every aspect of your business.

Reporting and analytics

The Feefo analytics and reporting suite containstoolsdesignedtohelpyoufilterkey insight from your reviews.

Create detailed, custom reports on review performance, across every level of your business.

With 'Insight Tag' technology, create custom categories to monitor themes within your reviews, allowing for unprecedented sentiment analysis.

Net Promoter Score benchmarking allows you to identify brand advocates and detractors, as well evaluate your market position.

Navigating the reams of reviews you receive can be time-consuming. But by using tools to break down the feedback your customers leave, you have the ability to unpack a wealth of information that goes far beyond an overall rating. Your customers will leave valuable insights into their shopping experience, the quality of products, what they thought of the service - and near limitless additional sentiment, depending on your business.

Get more out of your feedback

The Feefo reporting suite


Who are Feefo?Feefo exists to help businesses connect with customers, and put their feedback to work in making more informed decisions. Collecting only authentic reviews, Feefo puts businesses in control with an award-winning suite of tools to analyse, report and leverage feedback, to fully understand what their customers have to say.

At a glance:

Used by 4,000 clients, across every sector and industry.

More than 40 million reviews collected to date.

Feefo collects a review every 2.4 seconds.

Maximising feedback, with a response rate of up to 25%.

Feefo helps both businesses and customers make better

decisions, by ensuring all reviews are authentic and

credible.

Trust

Investing in innovation, with Feefo, clients have access to the latest review technology

and developments.

Innovation

Feefo technology and service is backed up by some of the most prestigious awards in

the industry.

Excellence

Feefo are experts in helping your business listen to, and maximise the benefits, of what your customers have to say.

To book in a consultation, and discover what Feefo can do for yourbusiness,simplygetintouchon02035877369,[email protected]

Ready to get started?

Get in touch

mailto:sales%40feefo.com?subject=


Key takeaways

Reviews can deliver benefits at every stage of the customer decision journey

Reviews are a trusted go-to for customers looking to make the best buying decisions

Verified reviews can contribute to incredible SEO and PPC benefits

Ensuring reviews are authentic and credible helps to build trust with customers

Using reviews to build confidence can lead to improvements in conversion

It is important to correctly respond to reviews - whether positive, or negative

Correctly analysed, reviews can contain a wealth of valuable, actionable insights

Feefo Holdings Ltd, Feefo Barn, HeathFarm,HeathRoad,Petersfield,GU314HTwww.feefo.com | [email protected] | +44 (0)203 362 4209

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Get your reviews strategy into shape - Feefo | Collect Genuine …€¦ · feedback: from customer aquisition and retention, to maximising business insight at every stage of the customer