Reviews matter, plain and simple. Word-of-mouth is the oldest form of advertising and reviews have only continued to evolve since the old days. There are thousands of sites that rate companies. They range from different industries and focus on different businesses, but they all do the same thing: let the average person post a review. Now, those reviews are essentially the foundation of any company’s reputation. Whether it’s a doctor in Los Angeles or a coffee shop in Philadelphia, your reviews will impact your business. That’s why I decided to create a guide that can show you just how much social proof will impact your business.

Customer reviews aren’t just an occasional blessing, they’re a form of social proof. Reviews might be the most valuable form of social proof there is; they’re genuine (theoretically), simple, and relatable. That’s not marketing you can easily buy from even the best marketing agencies in the world.

Understanding Social Proof

What Is Social Proof?

Social proof is a powerful way to promote your business, but what is it exactly? It started as a psychological concept where people are influenced by others' actions. They follow because of admiration, interest, or curiosity. That’s how the term “influencer” came to be. Social proof is important in modern advertising, especially in small, tight-knit communities that rely on peer reviews or recommendations.

Though many influencers now promote products for money, social proof remains valuable in smaller communities.

The Importance of Social Proof for Small Businesses

For local and small businesses, reviews are as valuable as actual sales. The data says that 88% of customers check out the quality of a local business through reviews. Locals don’t always care about national commercials or campaigns, they care about what their neighbors thought of that restaurant, movie theater, or even doctor.

If you want to build trust with your local market and your community then you need to be building a long list of reviews.

How Customer Reviews Can Build Trust

Google reviews can make or break a small business. I’ve already written about the benefits of optimizing your Google Business Profile, but there’s even more potential. It’s important to stay on top of your profile. Your customers need to know the basic information of your business and the best people to update it are you or your staff. The more you develop that page and profile the more likely you are to garner more reviews and trust.

Our clients have seen surprising amounts of growth just by optimizing their Google Business Profiles. Not only will that profile provide answers to customer questions but it will get you more reviews. The more reviews the better.

That profile should also be a constant priority for your business. Users don’t trust old reviews, especially when it comes to constantly shifting industries. People are picky and up to 73% of them don’t trust reviews that are older than a month old. They want to know what people are currently saying about your business, when they do they’ll see that the business is a trusted authority and they’ll pass on the news to everyone else.

Increasing Sales Through Customer Reviews

The smartest ideas are the simplest ideas. When you want to increase sales with your reviews the first thing you need to do is simple: get more reviews.

Many businesses have tried dozens of different strategies to do that with varying success. You might get a couple of extra reviews with a stunt or odd idea or you might just annoy your entire community. Don’t try to be disingenuous just to get a couple of clicks or reviews. Our clients have found the best success when they find genuine ways to ask their customers for reviews. Their open about the fact that it helps their small business and it also shows that they care enough about their services to want feedback or comments.

Once those reviews come in, so will more organic traffic. The more activity your page gets the more Google is likely to promote it as a growing business. One of our favorite success stories is Center City Ortho in Philadelphia. Not only did we help them improve their website, we helped them improve their Google Business Profile.

Now, Good Dog Bar’s Google Business Profile boasts over 300 Google reviews and a 5-star rating! All it took was a few tweaks, a more refined Google page, and genuinely asking customers to provide their honest opinions.

Strategies for Encouraging Customer Reviews

It can feel tricky to bring up— or maybe not.

Every business has some kind of script, like suggesting an add-on or a subscription. Train your staff to smoothly include the review request in their conversations without disrupting the customer’s experience.

The key is to encourage, not annoy.

Here are some methods to encourage reviews without annoying your customers:

  1. Make It Part of the Checkout Process: After a purchase, have your staff casually mention the option to leave a review. This could be as simple as saying, "We'd love to hear your thoughts!" as they hand over the receipt or finalize the transaction.

  2. Send a Follow-Up Email: After a customer has made a purchase, send a friendly email thanking them and asking for a review. Keep it short, personal, and easy to respond to. Including a direct link to the review page makes it even more convenient.

  3. Incorporate It into Loyalty Programs: If you have a loyalty program, offer a small reward for leaving a review. It could be points, a discount on their next purchase, or a special offer. This makes the review feel like a natural part of their ongoing relationship with your business.

  4. Use Signage: Place a subtle sign at the checkout or near the exit that encourages reviews. A simple "Enjoyed your visit? Let us know!" with a link or QR code to your review page can be effective.

  5. Train Staff to Identify Happy Customers: Teach your team to recognize when a customer is particularly satisfied. Those moments are the best opportunities to ask for a review. A simple, "We’re so glad you had a great experience! If you have a moment, we'd appreciate a quick review," can go a long way.

  6. Make It Fun: Turn it into a light-hearted request. For example, you could have a small sign saying, "Loved it here? Give us a shout-out online!" This keeps the tone casual and inviting.

  7. Leverage Social Media: Engage with customers on social media and subtly remind them to share their experiences. A friendly post or a thank-you message can naturally lead to them leaving a review.

  8. Automate with Care: If you use automated systems to request reviews, make sure they are personalized and timed well. Don’t bombard customers with requests; a single, well-placed reminder is usually enough.

By weaving these methods into your regular interactions, you can encourage more reviews without irritating your customers.

Genuinely Respond To Your Customers

Once those reviews come in, then you have another genuine opportunity to engage with and build a local community.

Reviews are great but reviews with responses from the business are much better. People want to know you’re engaged and aware of what the community is saying about you. Good, great, and outstanding reviews alike need to be addressed and appreciated. Ask those users to come back and invite them to try that next product, special offer, or service.

Don’t forget about the negative reviews either! Potential customers don’t want to see you ignoring problems or complaints, even those that are obviously over-the-top. Anyone can spot a Karen these days, but as a small business owner, you need to take the high road. Even if you don’t want to engage or don’t necessarily have the right response, you can find an AI program like ChatGPT to help you craft one.

Responding to Reviews: Building Relationships and Trust

Talking to customers isn’t exactly a science most of the time. The same goes for responding to reviews. You want to use them as an opportunity to build trust and establish yourself as a person and not just a profile. Don’t use them as a way to antagonize users or dismiss their concerns. Instead, use a few of these simple tips:

  • Be polite and friendly!
  • Keep responses short
  • Genuinely address the specific praise or complaint to show you care
  • Be appreciative and thankful for any review, regardless of the content
  • If there’s a genuine problem, offer a solution to it so the customer is more likely to return
  • Ask questions and offer the chance for users to engage with you personally through email or social media
  • Offer reasons and solutions without making excuses

That last tip is especially important. Customers will be more forgiving if small businesses acknowledge their problems or growing pains. When you need to adjust scheduling to make sure there are more staff during certain hours, let them know you’ve done that.

Customers appreciate growth and maturity, so give them both.

Leveraging Reviews in Marketing

Reviews In Web Design

Last but not least, it’s time to turn those good reviews into a marketing resource. If you’re worried about using people’s good reviews for your benefit, don’t be. As long as those reviews are genuine both the potential customer and the one that reviewed you are going to love that you acknowledged it. That means that you wear their appreciation like a badge or owner.

Speaking of which, many of our clients turn those reviews into a literal badge that we put in their marketing content, social media accounts, or even printed materials. A high Google or Yelp review score is as good as any catchy tagline, so make sure their front and center of any materials you create to maximize their impact on your business.

Once again, using reviews to your benefit isn’t some deceptive business practice. You’re not lying to anyone. Instead, you’re encouraging future customers to explore the feedback you’ve received and you’ve encouraged current customers to offer that feedback.

That’s not only how you grow your small and local community, that’s how you grow your business.