If potential customers are considering purchasing your products or using your services, there is a high likelihood they will search for your company name on Google to decide whether you are a provider worthy of their trust and money.
That is why it is absolutely crucial to fill the search results with positive stories and reviews.
When people actively search for your business online, you need to convince them that you truly are as good as you claim to be.
In this blog post, you will learn how to start collecting reviews – completely free of charge! You can read more about Reputation Management here.
The aim, of course, is to ensure Google’s search results are filled with as many positive reviews as possible when people search for your brand name.
Set up Trustpilot for free
See an example of a Trustpilot company profile here
Many people ask: “How much does Trustpilot cost?” Trustpilot is actually completely free if you just want a company profile and wish to allow customers to review your product or service. A quick and easy way to collect reviews is to create a free company profile on Trustpilot and ask your customers for their feedback.
Create your free company profile on Trustpilot here
How to collect reviews from Trustpilot
Once you have set up your company profile, simply copy the URL from your browser (see below) and send the link in an email to the customer you would like a review from.
It’s a good idea to start by saying that you hope they had a positive experience and explain why you would value a review.
That’s all it takes to get started with collecting reviews. Remember to do this regularly so you always have fresh, positive reviews at the top. 🙂 New reviews are most relevant for your customers, and they are also important for your overall TrustScore. Trustpilot places more value on recent reviews than older ones.
Set up Google My Business for free
See an example of a Google My Business (also called business profile) here
Google My Business is your company’s own profile and is displayed when people search for you on Google or Google Maps. You need a Google login to set up Google My Business, and anyone who wants to review you must also have a Google login. This is because Google validates that reviews on your business profile come from real people.
Set up your free business profile on Google here.
Note: If you do not have a Google account, you will need to create one first. You can do that here
How to collect reviews from Google My Business
There are basically two ways to collect reviews. The simplest method is to ask people to search for your company name and then click on “Write a review”. See the example below:
*NB: Anyone wishing to write a review must have a Google login.
The more advanced method – and the most effective in the long run – is to create a unique link that you can send directly to the people you would like reviews from.
Here’s how you do it:
-
- Visit the Google Place ID Finder
- Copy your Place ID
- Replace <place_id> with your Place ID in this link: https://search.google.com/local/writereview?placeid=<place_id>. The result should look like this: https://search.google.com/local/writereview?placeid=ChIJ6TDjMgS8S0YRw9RZjy07qA0
- Send the link directly to your customers. They can now write reviews simply by clicking the link.
Create a Facebook page for free
See an example of a Facebook page here
With a Facebook page, there are plenty of opportunities to promote your business, and Facebook also offers a review function.
This is of course important for potential customers who visit your Facebook page, but reviews on Facebook also play a significant role in Google’s search results. See the example below:
Create your free Facebook page here
How to collect reviews on Facebook
To collect reviews on Facebook, add “/reviews/” to your Facebook page’s URL.
https://www.facebook.com/wemarketdk/
Becomes, for example:
https://www.facebook.com/wemarketdk/reviews/
Email template for collecting reviews
To make things easy, here is an email template you can copy and use to collect reviews. Please note: Anything written in <italics> in the template should be replaced with your own information.
Dear <customer name>,
I hope you have been happy with <your purchase from us/our collaboration.>
I would like to hear from some of my customers, so that others can gain an impression of us. With this in mind, I hope you will be willing to write a short review of our collaboration? 🙂
If you would like to share your opinion, you can use one of the three links below. In return, I will send you a virtual hug:
Review on Trustpilot: https://dk.trustpilot.com/review/<YOUR-TRUSTPILOT-ADDRESS>
Review on Google: https://search.google.com/local/writereview?placeid=<YOUR-PLACE-ID>
Review on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/<YOUR-FACEBOOK-ADDRESS>/reviews
Thank you for your help!
Summary
There have never been as many touchpoints on the customer journey towards a purchase as there are today. The more smartphones and devices people use, the more thoroughly they research companies before making a decision.
For this reason, it is absolutely critical that your company’s strong reputation is reflected in Google’s search results, so customers feel confident buying from you and choose your business over your competitors.
Read also:
Guide: Google My Business
Increase conversions by responding to your reviews
Not making any sales on your webshop – What could be wrong?
