Google Places, Yahoo Local, Bing Local, Yelp, Judy’s Book, YellowPage.com and other local listing all have a feature for customer to place reviews of your business.  Not only are these reviews important for your prospective customers to learn from other’s experiences in working with you, but it can have a postive impact on your business’ placement /rank in the results page.  

However… getting reviews isn’t always easy.  You may have to ask for them.

Many small businesses that I talk with are a bit intimiated by asking for reviews.  I always tell them not to get stressed out about it.  I tell them to to start off by getting “warm” customers post reviews.  These include friend, family and long time customers.  Also, reviews can come from people in networking groups such as the Chamber of Commerce or BNI Group members. 

Here is a list of the top 10 ideas that you can use to generate new reviews.

1. Email. The best way to get customers to give you a review is while they are online. If you have a newsletter or a customer list, shoot an email to your list and ask politely for a customer review.
2. Ask your fans! If you have a Facebook page and have customers and/or partners who have become fans of your business, they are a perfect audience to ask for a review. They are already fans and they are more likely to be familiar with the review sites.
3. Ask your followers! If you have a Twitter page, post a message and request reviews for your business.  Be sure to include a link to the listings/sites that you want reviews.
4. Ask for reviews right on your website.  Also, publish your favorite endorsements right on your homepage and have a separate page listing all your endorsements.  This can help others to know how to write reviews as well.
5. Include links on your website to your listings on the most popular local search sites (Google, Yelp, Yahoo, Bing, etc).
6. Include review requests in all offline customer touchpoints: (Back of business cards, thank you cards, invoices, receipts, etc.  Be sure to include links. Again, use a URL shortener, so it’s easier for your customers (and it looks much better than a long URL).
7. Ask satisfied customers if they have a smartphone (iPhone, Blackberry, etc),  if appropriate, to post a review before they leave your location.
8. Post a sign at your location as a reminder. “If you leave here happy, please let us and others know on Google, Yelp, Angie’s List, etc).
9. Run an employee contest: Those employees who get mentioned the most in reviews that month get a prize
10. Offer an incentive for reviews either through discounts, coupons, or other promotions (drawing).

VERY IMPORTANT … DO NOT make up your own reviews!  Customers get a sense of what is real and what is not… plus search engines like Google have ways of telling as well.  Its just not worth it.

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Focus on your business and trust your local program to the experts.  Contact DigitalOz Marketing to help customers find your business online today.