Positive customer reviews are a crucial part of any pet business; they encourage trust as well as potential new customers. Find out how you can collect reviews to better your business.

Indeed, the rise of the internet has led to the popularity of online reviews, which are important for businesses and customers alike. Consumers love reviews, as they help them sort the good from the bad; reviews assist people to make informed purchasing decisions.

From a business perspective, positive customer reviews can grow your brand awareness, help you improve and develop your products, and attract customers.

If you’re a new or a longstanding pet business that’s struggling to generate reviews, keep on reading to discover how to encourage positive customer reviews.

Why positive customer reviews matter

You might not be someone who frequently (or ever, for that matter) posts reviews but I bet you read them. Nowadays, we all rely on reviews and testimonials to influence our decisions. Whether it’s choosing a new series on Netflix, buying a tent or booking a restaurant, reviews help us decide. But aside from assisting us to make a judgment, customer reviews have an even bigger role to play in the success of your pet business.

They make your business easier to find

Your pet business won’t achieve success if it’s not visible. Most people use search engines to find a business or service. Of course, the ultimate aim is for your business to appear at the top of any search. Fresh, regular content and positive customer reviews can help your business to rank more highly.

Positive customer reviews drive sales

A bunch of five-star reviews is social proof that your pet product or service is good. Knowing that other people rate your business, makes you trustworthy in the eyes of a customer.

Furthermore, even if you get a bad review but are quick to accept it and respond appropriately, you can still maintain significant trust.

They help you learn and grow your pet business

What’s worse than getting a bad review? Having people dislike your product or service but not knowing about it. Reviews, whether good or bad, are a great opportunity to drive research and development.

If you have a product or service that people absolutely love (the reviews will tell you this) you might make more of them or consider expanding the service further. Products and services that aren’t well-liked can be retired.

Reviews help you understand your market

Having the facility whereby people can review your pet business and you can respond creates authenticity and rapport. It allows you to talk directly to your customers, ask them questions and listen to their feedback. This can be priceless in such a competitive market.

Of course, these are just some of the obvious reasons why reviews matter and how you can use them to benefit your business.

pomeranian on ipad, positive customer reviews

6 ways to generate reviews of your pet business

Sometimes reviews just happen naturally. However, on most occasions, you will need to encourage your customers to post a review. Thankfully, there are several ways to do this.

1. Ask for reviews

It sounds simple, right? Yet many pet businesses fail to do this. What’s more, there are lots of ways to ask customers or clients to post a review. Here are a couple of ideas:

Add a line of copy to your outgoing customer emails that says something along the lines of, ‘If you love our products/services, why not leave a review on our website [link to website].’

If you own a bricks-and-mortar business then why not hit your customers up for a review at the point of payment. You could simply say, “Hey, we’d love to hear your thoughts on this product. If you get time, we’d love you to post a review on our website.”

2. Run a competition

People love to win things and businesses love good reviews, so why not combine the two. Invite your customers to post a review of your products or services to be in with the chance of winning a prize.

3. Turn the spotlight on positive customer reviews

Reviews are a great way to create content for your pet business. Pull off a fantastic review (you can use a design tool, such as Canva, to make it pretty!) and post it on your Instagram or Facebook account.

Seeing reviews reminds people about posting them. Plus, everyone loves the idea of ‘five-minutes of fame’. Knowing they might be highlighted on your social media channels might encourage more people to post reviews.

4. Be responsive

People like to be listened to, so make a point of responding to reviews — even negative ones. For some people, the idea they might get a response back will actually encourage them to write and post the review.

5. Create a membership club

Depending on your type of business, membership clubs can be a great way to engage customers. The key is to get people involved in your business. Invite them to post reviews and undertake different activities, each of which earns them points. The more membership points they get, the better discounts they receive. It’s a win-win!

6. Create different places to leave reviews

Reviews don’t just work for pet businesses that sell products. People can also review a business or service. The trick is to ensure you have relevant places for reviews to be posted. People can also review you on Facebook, providing you encourage (entice!) them to do so.

What actions have you taken to encourage reviews of your business?

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Liz Walden

Liz has a passion for all things cat and dog, and was one of the first in Australia to bring Pet Insurance to the market. She has headed up Petsecure for the past 12 years, and is committed to promoting and supporting the amazing work done by rescue groups around Australia, and those who work to promote a better life for all animals.

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