According to a recent survey, 79% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.
In other words, product reviews can be as persuasive as a friend, colleague, or family member. That’s pretty persuasive!
So the more reviews, the better. And the better the reviews, the more trust you’ll build.
Thankfully, it’s human nature to want to share our experiences. In fact, the same survey found 72% of customers asked to leave a review will do so.
Of course, there’s a right and wrong way to ask. Do it right, and positive reviews will come rolling in. Do it wrong, and well, you might end up wishing you never asked.
Read on for the seven best ways to get high-quality product reviews, and what to avoid while you’re at it.
1. Send post-purchase interactive AMP emails
The single most effective way to get reviews? Post-purchase review request emails. (Try saying that five times fast!)
Yotpo agrees. According to their research, post-purchase emails have an 8.1% response rate. Not bad when you consider the average CTR on social campaigns is less than 1%.
Plus, that 8.1% can get even better.
Our friends at Yotpo know timing is key. They found emails sent on Saturday morning have a 143% higher conversion rate than ones sent on a busy Thursday afternoon.
Content is also a big part of the equation. It’s no secret, your response rate depends on compelling copywriting and eye-catching design.
But there’s another lesser known factor that can increase conversions: interactivity.
Specifically, AMP emails can turn that 8.1% into a whopping 42.12% response rate.
One SaaS company did an experiment with over 20,000 customers. A generous sample size! The email ask: leave a review.
About half received static HTML emails. This half had to click through to leave a review. The other half received AMP emails with interactive forms, so they could submit a review directly from their inbox.
The result: Compared to static emails, AMP emails had a 5.2x greater response rate.
Clearly, the convenience of AMP emails has a BIG effect on the likelihood of a customer leaving a product review — and the same can be said for many calls to action.
Want to put it to the test? Check out this post to see how to create your own AMP product review email in Dyspatch, no coding required.
2. Ask during key moments in the buyer journey
A delivery is late. A product review email goes out anyway. An irritated customer gives your product zero stars as a result.
It happens. But situations like these can be avoided with better timing. By choosing a positive moment in the buyer journey to ask for a review, you’ll increase your odds of success. (And decrease your odds of rubbing customers the wrong way!)
A positive moment could be when your customer receives an order in record time. Or, after they see your product solving a problem for the first time. Hone in on these moments, and you’ll find a goldmine of reviews.
Other ‘golden’ moments in the buyer journey, include:
After a customer reorders your product
After a positive interaction with customer service
After a customer tags your brand in a positive social media post
After a customer refers someone to you
3. Use a variety of channels to ask for reviews
It’s true, email is your best bet for reviews. But it doesn’t have to be your only bet.
You can increase your odds of getting a response by using other channels too. After all, some people live on social media, while others love getting good ol’ fashioned mail.
Let’s start with social media. You can learn a lot on these platforms. It’s a natural space for sharing personal experiences — and that includes experiences with products and services.
Watch out for positive posts tagging your product. Spot one? Perfect. Now’s the time to reach out and ask that person to leave a review on your website.
Or, take five-star reviews on your website and promote them through these channels. This provides (literal!) social proof. Plus, it encourages other fans to leave their own testimonials.