Even as the popularity of ecommerce soars, physical stores continue to see lots of traffic. In-store shoppers provide more than just another stream of revenue for your company – they’re valuable sources of feedback.
But how do you collect that feedback when many in-store customers don’t interact with your website while shopping?
We have the answer to that, plus six strategies you can use to encourage more reviews from offline shoppers.
Why do offline customer reviews matter?
The quick answer – offline reviewers increase the number, frequency, variety, and authority of your online reviews. In-person shopping also often begins with a search for reviews online.
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Engage more of your buyers. In 2022, 21% of retail sales were online. That leaves 79% of shoppers still visiting physical stores, who could be leaving valuable reviews.
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Boost conversions. One study found five quality reviews boost conversion rates by 270%. However, most customers want more than five reviews in order to trust your brand. Reviews about offline experiences increase purchasing potential by reassuring shoppers and showing them proof of quality.
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Keep your reviews relevant. Products and companies constantly change, so recent customer reviews matter significantly. Over one in five customers only consider reviews within the past two weeks relevant.
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Add variety to your reviews. Offline reviews can cover aspects of the shopping experience that people shopping online don’t. These reviews can also better relate and connect to in-person buyers, and rank in more searches.
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Enhance trust in your brand. Consistently collect and respond to reviews to enhance your online reputation and earn the trust of potential customers. Personal recommendations from other buyers carry significant weight, boosting customer confidence in your brand. As a result, you’ll see an increase in your customer base and overall sales.
6 tips for encouraging in-person shoppers to leave online reviews
1. Explain how to leave reviews
Popups and on-screen review options make reviewing easy for online buyers. However, since offline shopping doesn’t have those convenient options, you need to creatively ask for reviews in-store, or immediately afterward. Otherwise, shoppers may not consider leaving a review (or know how to).
When asking for reviews, provide instructions that are as clear as possible so customers have a smooth experience. Too many steps or complicated processes will deter potential reviewers.
Polite and effective ways to ask for reviews include:
- Recommending customers share their experiences online
- Providing instructions on a sales receipt
- Sending surveys after shopping through email or SMS
- Adding QR codes on signs or receipts that take customers directly to a feedback survey
Use review sourcing on your QR codes or email links to track which reviews came from in-store customers. This helps you know which strategies are most effective for in-person review collection.
2. Incentivize online reviews
Offline buyers tend to leave fewer reviews than online buyers because the process isn’t as convenient. You can sweeten the ask by incentivizing offline shoppers.
Does the type of incentive matter?
Yes, the type of incentive you offer depends on your buyer. For instance, bargain shoppers may be more interested in free items and coupons, while luxury brands with loyal customers may see more noticeable results from offering loyalty points. A B2B brand may respond best to discounts or add-ons.
Here are a few examples of online review incentives:
- Free product sample
- Early access to product launch
- Exclusive discount on next purchase
- Extra loyalty points
- Review-exclusive customer giveaway
Highlight the incentive in your review request to ensure buyers notice it. For example, a large sign at the point of sale, an incentive in your email headline, or a bold section in the receipt can capture the buyer’s attention.
3. Use your store app
About 57% of shoppers use a merchant’s app while shopping in their physical store.
An in-store app connects the online and offline shopping experience. Buyers can create lists, find and scan products, and look at customer reviews.
An app also simplifies the review process. Shoppers can leave reviews as they buy items at the point of sale, just like an online experience. For example, customers might leave reviews directly on products in the app, in a popup that appears after scanning, or in a follow-up email from the app.
4. Offer multiple options
Multiple review options allow customers to provide feedback where and how they’re most comfortable. They also offer various touchpoints. That way, if one attempt at collecting feedback didn’t work, you could still reconnect with those customers elsewhere.
Consider promoting some of these review locations:
- Website: Use your contact page and product pages as a direct review source so people can leave feedback where they researched products
- Social media: Use this popular community platform as a powerful review generator, especially for the younger generations
- Public review sites: Claim your business on third-party review platforms like Sitejabber, Google, and BBB.
Once you claim your business on these platforms, be sure to inform your customers about all their options so they can choose the one they prefer.
In addition to multiple platforms, consider offering different formats. While some customers may enjoy writing an open-ended review, others will feel more comfortable with multiple-choice surveys or rating scales. You might even allow customers to leave video reviews.
5. Market your feedback options
Some customers can go through an entire in-person shopping experience without interacting with customer service. They might use self-checkout, not look at their receipt, or miss nearby signage.
How can you reach those customers and encourage them to leave online feedback?
Adding feedback requests to your marketing strategies helps you reach customers who slipped through the cracks in-store. It also provides another reminder for those who didn’t act on the first feedback request.
A great way to encourage more reviews is by sharing past customer feedback through review publishing. Customers may see those reviews and add their own in hopes you’ll feature them in the future. The feedback may also remind them to share their experiences.
You can also share customer reviews in person. Consider posting a printout of customer feedback with a link or QR code in your stores at the point of sale.
Do you want to reach your customer base directly? Sharing feedback in newsletters and on your website connects you with past buyers.
6. Create a memorable experience
The best way to encourage customer feedback is by providing feedback-worthy service.
Encourage your in-store staff to create an exceptional experience that customers take note of. That way, they’re more likely to share that experience with others
Here are some tips for supercharging your in-person customer experience:
- Create a customer-centric store that focuses on customer needs
- Actively listen and respond to shoppers
- Sell quality products
- Quickly address any concerns in-store and through review monitoring
- Provide a welcoming and friendly atmosphere
- Train the staff on customer service best practices
Time to transform your review strategy for offline customers
Collecting online reviews from offline customers is just the first step. As reviews come in across several channels, you’ll still need to compile them, respond, and publish them on the platforms that matter to boost your authority.
Through Sitejabber’s reputation management platform, you can effortlessly manage all your reviews – whether they’re generated in-store or online – in one convenient dashboard.
Claim your FREE business profile to take control of your offline and online reviews today.
