Are reviews on sites like Google, Facebook and Trip Adviser better than referrals?

I was asked the other day by a client what is the difference between a referral and a review on Google, Facebook, and Trip Advisor, and I have to admit I spent a good couple of minutes coming up with the answer.

Then it occurred to me

𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸.

They believe the product or service that they purchased and are happy with might also be suitable for their friends, family members, or colleagues.

𝘈 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘤 𝘥𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘯 on a website or review platform.

Reviews are usually a heartfelt and an in-the-moment expression of satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the product or service the customer has just experienced.

The big difference is that once a customer has left a review it is there on the site for everyone to see.

It continues to generate new customers day in and day out. So whilst a referral may directly lead to more business initially a good 5-star Google review for example could be responsible for many appointments and sales in the future years to come.

You can ensure you get as many reviews & referrals as possible simply by asking customers for them.

When a customer is happy with the service you have provided they are usually more than happy to recommend you to others (by word of mouth) or the digital equivalent is to post a review on a review site or sites.

We have found the best way to get reviews is to send a 2-way text message to the happy client asking them if they would be kind enough to leave a review on either Google, Facebook, or another review site.

This should be sent out around 30 mins to an hour after the sales meeting has been completed. It should be in the form of "an initial thank you for their custom" and then a simple question "Would you be happy to leave us a review? ..."

Nothing complicated or pushy just a simple request. By getting the timing right most people who are pleased with the service they have received from your company will be happy to leave a review.

It for any reason someone is unhappy which you hadn't been made aware of you now have the opportunity to appease the disgruntled customer.

By automating this entire process you can obtain many more reviews without appearing needy or desperate. So why not start automating the review request process in your business?

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