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Online reviews are your best friend when you are stuck between multiple options. Come to think of it, what’s the first thing you would do right before finalizing a purchase? I put all my energy into reading every online review that ever existed on that product! Well, shockingly so (or not), more than 90% of customers in the US do the same! Now, just imagine the impact of a negative review upon you and your business.
Understanding the importance of positive online reviews and how to use surveys to obtain them requires patience (and strategy).
Confused? You won’t be anymore! The research is done and tested!
Why don’t we get started right away?
So…
Why are Reviews Important?
Online reviews give the customers a sneak peek into a product or business without them having to invest a single penny. These reviews are the feedback left by your customers, giving potential buyers a chance to view your offerings from a first-party point of view. They act as a source of trust and credibility, thereby organically improving the conversion rate.
Here’s a breakdown of the reasons why it is important:
They Build Online Reputation
Your success is centered around what your audiences perceive about you. More than 82 percent of customers in the US mentioned that the average star ratings influence their purchase decisions. Moreover, positive reviews act as a trust signal, automatically creating an impression that things are going well and that it is worth investing their hard-earned money in you!
This brings us to the fact that…
Reviews Influence Buying Behavior
As I mentioned, positive reviews act as a green flag for potential customers who are either exploring options or are skeptical about investing in your brand’s offerings. Aren’t you attracted to listings with a series of good reviews while you surf the internet for the perfect Airbnb for your next vacation? That’s precisely the sigh of relief your potential customers seek.
Way to Pinpoint Improvements
Let’s admit it. It’s not all roses. A few might leave their suggestions and mark dissatisfaction with your services. It’s all part of the game. Moreover, this is what makes you a genuine and transparent brand. Imagine seeing a series of five stars alone. Too good to be true, isn’t it?
While negative comments that try to sabotage you can be overlooked, the honest feedback requesting a feature upgrade or personalized service must be treated as constructive criticism. Acting upon them is the best way to learn, improve, and grow.
Builds a Relationship with your Customers
Reacting to customer reviews is the best form of customer engagement. Doing so shows that you are a brand that listens and takes action. This customer-centric approach builds a long-lasting relationship with your customer base while fostering trust and loyalty. But make sure you respond to every kind of feedback. Do not be disheartened by a dissatisfied customer. This shows that you care and are willing to change for the better.
While positive and constructive reviews can be promoted, it is essential to handle negative comments carefully. By negative comments, I mean those added maliciously to bring your brand down. This is where online reputation management comes into play. There are multiple software applications that you can use to improve your online visibility. The best part is that this software takes away the burden from your end while you can focus on other aspects of growth.
Moving on to the interesting part…
How to Create Effective Surveys for Positive Reviews
Online surveys are the best way to get (or ask for) reviews. In my opinion, they are one of the most impersonal yet personalized methods of reaching out to your customers for actionable feedback.
How? Let me explain:
- Surveys give you structure, which fastens your decision-making process.
- You can reach globally and get reviews from a wide variety of people.
- You can easily customize the surveys according to your brand’s identity.
- And it costs you nothing! All you need to do is put in some effort, create questions, and roll it out!
But here’s the deal. Not all surveys yield the same results. You need to craft engaging ones that grip your customers to the tips of their chairs! Here are some practices that you must follow while creating an effective survey to get positive reviews.
- Keep them short and simple: Yes, you might want to build that bond with your customers, but this is not the time. While you must add a few initial questions before you request a review, you must keep the count under three.
- Avoid Bias: Do not ask leading questions your customers might not want to answer. This will lead to survey abandonment. Keep the questions as straightforward as possible.
- Strike while the iron is hot! Choose the right time to roll out the surveys. It is important to capture their fresh experience of consuming your products or services. Ideally, this falls within a week of purchase.
- Show gratitude: Always thank your customers for the time and effort they put into your product and brand. Gratitude goes a long way, and it creates a lasting impression.
With these best practices, I believe you can make online surveys a powerful tool to gather positive reviews and honest opinions about your brand.
Types of Surveys and Survey Questions to Get Positive Reviews
There are multiple types of surveys used for definite and unique purposes. Let’s take a look at the most common ones. I have also added a few sample questions that you can add to your surveys if you want.
1. Customer Satisfaction Surveys (CSAT)
These surveys measure how happy or satisfied your customers are with you and your brand. The result of a CSAT survey gives you a clear idea of which aspect of CX you have to improve and which are your best perks! Remember, only happy customers are likely to leave positive reviews or even bother to engage with the survey questionnaire.
Here are some examples of positive reviews:
Customer Satisfaction Surveys (CSAT) Questions
| Q No. | Question |
|---|---|
| 1 | How satisfied are you with your overall experience? (Rating scale: 1-10) |
| 2 | Did our product/service meet your expectations? (Yes/No) |
| 3 | How would you rate the quality of our product/service? (Rating scale: Poor to Excellent) |
| 4 | Was our team professional and helpful during your interaction? (Yes/No) |
| 5 | How satisfied are you with the delivery time? (Rating scale: Very Dissatisfied to Very Satisfied) |
| 6 | What did you like most about your experience with us? (Open-ended) |
| 7 | What would we need to do to enhance your experience? (Open-ended) |
| 8 | Would you recommend our product/service to others? (Yes/No) |
| 9 | How likely are you to come back as a customer? (Rating scale: 1-10) |
| 10 | How simple was it to locate what you needed on our website/app? (Rating scale: Very Difficult to Very Easy) |
2. Net Promoter Score Surveys (NPS)
Net Promoter Score surveys let you understand what percent of your customers are ready to recommend you, your brand, or your offerings to others. NPS identifies the promoters who are most likely to leave positive reviews.
Net Promoter Score Surveys (NPS) Questions
| Q No. | Question |
|---|---|
| 1 | How likely are you to recommend our product/service to your friend or colleague on a scale of 0-10? |
| 2 | What is the primary reason for your score above? (Open-ended) |
| 3 | What do you believe we’re doing well? (Open-ended) |
| 4 | What should we improve on to make you more likely to recommend us? (Open-ended) |
| 5 | Do you feel secure in the value of our product/service versus competitors? (Yes/No) |
| 6 | How do you feel about the price of our product/service? (Rating scale: Very Unsatisfied to Very Satisfied) |
| 7 | Have you ever recommended us in the past? If so, why? (Open-ended) |
| 8 | What aspect or service, in your opinion, differentiates us from the rest in the market? (Open-ended) |
| 9 | How frequently do you use our product/service? (Multiple choice: Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Rarely) |
| 10 | Would adding any other features make our offering more valuable to you? If so, what features? (Open-ended) |
3. Post-Purchase Survey
Right after your customer avails one of your services or purchases a product from you, rolling out a post-purchase survey will give you genuine, real-time feedback. This is because the experience is still fresh in their minds.
Here are a few example questions you can probably include in the survey:
Post-Purchase Survey Questions
| Q No. | Question |
|---|---|
| 1 | How would you rate your overall purchase experience? (Rating scale: 1-10) |
| 2 | Was the product delivered within the expected time? (Yes/No) |
| 3 | Did the product look as described on our website? (Yes/No) |
| 4 | How difficult was it to make your purchase? (Rating scale: Very Difficult to Very Easy) |
| 5 | What did you enjoy most about shopping with us? (Open-ended) |
| 6 | Did you find all the information you required before purchasing? (Yes/No) |
| 7 | How likely are you to recommend our store to others? (Rating scale: Not Likely to Very Likely) |
| 8 | Did you encounter any problems at the checkout stage? If so, please tell us about them. (Open-ended) |
| 9 | What would we need to do to make your shopping experience better? (Open-ended) |
| 10 | Would you shop with us again in the future? Why or why not? (Open-ended) |
4. Customer Effort Score Surveys (CES)
These measure how simple it was for customers to deal with your company. They tell you how much effort a customer has to put in and give you an idea of what aspects to improve and what you excel in.
Example Questions:
Customer Effort Score Surveys (CES) Questions
| Q No. | Question |
|---|---|
| 1 | How simple was it to get through your purchase today? (Rating scale: Very Difficult to Very Simple) |
| 2 | Did you encounter any difficulty in using our product/service? If so, please describe. (Open-ended) |
| 3 | Was it simple to reach customer support when necessary? (Yes/No) |
| 4 | How simple was it to navigate through our website/app? (Rating scale: Very Difficult to Very Easy) |
| 5 | Did the checkout process meet your expectations for speed and simplicity? (Yes/No) |
| 6 | How quickly did customer support resolve your issue? (Rating scale: Very Slow to Very Fast) |
| 7 | Were instructions for using the product/service clear and easy to follow? (Yes/No) |
| 8 | How would you say it is to do business with us compared to other companies? (Rating scale: Poor to Excellent) |
| 9 | Was the onboarding experience smooth enough to get you up and running? (Yes/No) |
| 10 | What can we improve to make your experience even more manageable going forward? (Open-ended) |
At the end of these surveys, position your ask with a polite request for a review on your website, Google, or the channel of your choice.
Got the gist? Confused? Here’s how you do it…
How to Ask for Reviews in a Survey
Whether you send an NPS or CSAT survey, the most important part comes when you position your request for a review. Last week, I purchased a pair of shoes from a not-so-popular but well-to-do brand. More than the product, it was their service and customer-centric approach that struck the rod for me! The quality was a big add-on, too!
I left the store, kept the shoes safely in my back seat, and drove away with a happy heart. Just when I was about to reach my home, ting! I got a customer review survey in my inbox. That’s what you call perfect timing! They did all they could, made me happy, and gave me the space to savour the experience, only to reach out while my mind was calm yet fresh from the experience!
So, the first thing you should do before anything is,
- Offer the best experience: Make them feel at home. Do not let them leave with a heavy heart, even if they don’t make a purchase. A happy customer is most likely to return.
Now comes the part where you craft the perfect questionnaire:
- Keep it straightforward: While you can add a CSAT or NPS question before you request a review, don’t make it too long.
- Add one open-ended question: Let your customers speak without hesitation- it is crucial. Also, keep the question optional.
- Keep the review question optional: Forcing a review from your customers is never going to work. Let them decide whether to share their feedback.
- Make it as easy as possible: Add a direct link to your review platform (Google, Trustpilot, website, etc.).
- Use a friendly tone: Speak like a human, not a bot. It need not be scripted; you’re just asking for friendly feedback!
- Personalization is key: If you can include their name or a reference to their experience, that would be even better!
Sample Ways to Ask for a Review
Here are different tone-friendly, natural ways to include the ask at the end of your survey:
Friendly and casual
“Thanks so much for your feedback!
Could you please leave us a quick review when you have a moment? It really helps us out.”
[Leave a Review]
Based on positive response (conditional)
“Looks like you had a great experience — yay!
Can you share your thoughts in a quick review?
It only takes a minute and means the world to us.”
[Write a Review]
Warm and grateful
“We really appreciate you taking the time to complete the survey.
If you’re happy with your experience, would you consider leaving us a kind review?
It helps others trust us too.”
[Share Your Review]
Direct but polite
“One last thing: Would you be open to writing a short review about your experience?
It helps us grow and serve you better.”
[Review Us Here]
That’s it!
Was that helpful? Now it’s time to..
Wrap it up!
Now that you know how critical online reviews are for your business, it is time for you to grab this chance and start collecting those five stars! Keep your customers as your focus, and make it a point to give them the best customer experience. With a short, simple, and direct survey, you can do wonders to improve your brand’s online reputation.
Survey away!
