The secret to more 5-star reviews of a local business? Automating the process of requesting reviews. Learn how to get more reviews with a bot so happy customers regularly share their feedback online — without taking up more of your or your staff’s time.
Here’s why it’s so important to get more reviews for your business:
- 90% of customers say they read reviews before visiting a business.
- 72% of customers say positive reviews make them trust a local business more.
- 31% of customers say they’ll spend more with a local business with excellent reviews.
In this article we’ll review a step-by-step process to increase positive online reviews by using interactive, automated, mobile-friendly chatbots.
This exact system is proven to generate tens and hundreds of 5-star reviews in a matter of hours or days.
If you have 30 minutes, you can set up this exact system to unlock a steady-flow of 5-star reviews for your business.
And it’s totally free to build and launch.
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The Local Business Guide to Sky-Rocketing 5-Star Reviews
Here’s what we’ll cover in this guide on how to get more reviews with a bot to do all the heavy lifting:
- What is a chatbot and how does it help get more reviews?
- How to build a bot to get more 5-star reviews, step-by-step
Jump to the section with the links above or read on for the full guide.
What is a chatbot and how does it help get more reviews?
Before we launch into setting up this process, you might be wondering:
“How does a chatbot help me get more reviews?”
A chatbot is a computer program that has conversations with people in text and messaging apps.
Chatbots are great at doing repetitive tasks, which make them awesome personal assistants.
Chatbots can be programmed to do just about anything from taking orders to routing support requests to registering people for events.
In this case, we’re going to put a chatbot personal assistant to work inviting customers to give feedback, and then extending a special invitation to leave a review whenever someone tells you they’ve had a 5-star experience.
Customers.ai is the software we’ll use to build this system. Customers.ai has a free chatbot builder that doesn’t require any coding to use. Instead, design and launch chatbots that work in Facebook Messenger, SMS and web chat using drag-and-drop visual campaign builders.
Clear the next 30 minutes and let’s build this bot.
How to get more reviews from a bot, step-by-step
What you will need:
- A Facebook Business Page
- A free Customers.ai account
For the sake of simplicity, in this walk-through we’ll use your Facebook Page as the target for where to leave reviews.
However, you can substitute Facebook Business Page reviews with your reviews site of choice (like Google, Yelp, or industry-specialized review sites).
Here’s the steps we’ll walk-through together as you learn how to get more reviews with a bot:
- Step 1: Start a free Customers.ai account.
- Step 2: Go to the Chatbot Builder.
- Step 3: Create a new folder to contain this review invitation bot.
- Step 4: Create a new dialogue and name it “Review invitation”.
- Step 5: Add content to the bot dialogue.
- Step 6: Create a dialogue called “1-4 Stars”.
- Step 7: Create a dialogue called “5 Stars”.
- Step 8: Go to the dialogue “Review invitation” and connect the quick replies to the new dialogues.
- Step 9: Test your bot.
- Step 10: Point customers to your new review bot.
Step 1: Start a free Customers.ai account.
Create a free Customers.ai account. Just sign up with your Facebook account.
When you do, Customers.ai will see the Facebook Business Pages connected to your Facebook account.
Follow the steps to connect your Facebook Business Page to Customers.ai.
Step 2: Go to the Chatbot Builder.
After setting up your Facebook Business Page in Customers.ai, skip right on over to the Chatbot Builder. From the left-navigation, go to Chatbots > Dialogues.
Step 3: Create a new folder to contain this review invitation bot.
Welcome to Customers.ai’s advanced chatbot builder.
We’re going to start by creating a folder to organize all the pieces of this reviews bot.
Hit the “+” icon next to “FOLDERS”
Name this folder “Reviews” and click “Create Folder”.
Step 4: Create a new dialogue and name it “Review invitation”.
In this next part, we’re going to create 3 conversation components (aka “dialogues”) in the “Reviews” folder and connect them all together.
In the “Reviews” folder, click “Add Dialogue”.
Name the dialogue “Review invitation”.
Step 5: Add content to the bot dialogue.
You’ll see a selection of widgets — different types of content you can add to the bot dialogue.
Add a Quick Question widget to the dialogue.
Paste this content into the text field:
Hi {{first name}}. Thank you for being a customer of <your business name>.
Can you do us a quick favor and let us know how we’re doing?
One a scale of 1⭐️ to 5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️, 1 being the lowest and 5 being the best, how are we doing?
Make sure the response type is “multiple choice”.
Check the box “Save response to attribute” and “+Add new” attribute called “review” and hit “Save”.
Then Hit “Add Answer” under the quick question, and add 5 quick response options, using 1 star to 5 star emojis.
Here’s what it will look like when this step is done:
In the next steps, we’ll create the bot’s follow-up to users submitting their feedback.
Step 6: Create a dialogue called “1-4 Stars”.
Create a new dialogue in the Reviews folder called “1-4 Stars”
Add a Quick Question widget to the dialogue.
Paste this content into the text field:
If we’ve provided you anything less than 5-star service, we’ve failed you, {{first name}}.
If there is anything we can do to change your mind, please let us know how we can serve you better.
Any feedback you can share, please send it over below.
Make sure the response type is “text.”
Check the box “Save response to attribute” and “+Add new” attribute called “feedback” and hit “Save”.
Next add a Text widget to this dialogue.
Copy this into the text field:
We sincerely appreciate your time and honest feedback, {{first name}}.
Please feel free to reach out to us any time at <your business email address>.
Sincerely, your friends at <your business name>
Here’s what your dialogue will look like after this step:
Step 7: Create a dialogue called “5 Stars”.
Now create a new dialogue in the Reviews folder called “5 Stars”.
Add a Text widget to the dialogue.
Copy this into the text field:
We are thrilled to hear that you’ve had a 5-star experience with us, {{first name}}!
Would you be willing to leave us a 5-star review on our Facebook Business Page?
It would help our business tremendously! Thanks for helping us get the word out to our community!
Click “Add Button” to add a link to where customers can leave Facebook Business Page reviews.
Here’s how to find the URL of your Facebook Page reviews:
- Go to your Facebook Business Page.
- Add “/reviews” to the end of the URL.
You’ll visit a page that looks like this:
Back in Customers.ai, go ahead and add the button:
- Make the button name “Review Us on FB”
- Pick “URL” as the type
- Paste the URL from above into the URL field
Hit “Create” to save this button to the bot dialogue.
Step 8: Go to the dialogue “Review invitation” and connect the quick replies to the new dialogues.
Go back to the dialogue “Review invitation.” Click on the 1-star “⭐️” quick reply. It will open up the button for editing.
Where it says “Take users to a new Dialogue?” click on the “No” drop-down and start typing in “1-4 Stars” or pick that dialogue from the drop-down selector.
Here’s what it looks like after you select it:
Repeat this step for all the stars except 5-stars.
When you get to the 5-star response, connect this reply to the dialogue “5 Stars”.
Step 9: Test your bot.
Huzzah! Your bot is ready to test!
Click the button at the top of the “Reviews invitation” dialogue that says “Test Dialogue” then tap it again when it says “Open in Messenger”.
Your chatbot will launch open in your Messenger app on your phone and in your browser window.
Give all the button responses a try and make sure they’re all linked to the right follow-up response.
With your bot passing its test, it’s ready to launch into prime time to start generating reviews on your Facebook Page!
Step 10: Point customers to your new review bot.
There is, of course, one last step in the equation, and that’s getting this review-generating bot in front of customers.
Click the link text “Copy Link” from the Review invitation dialogue and share this link everywhere!
Here are just a few ways to share the link to your review generating bot.
- Via email: Do you have an email list of customers? Send them an email, inviting their helpful feedback and linking to your bot.
- Via Facebook and social media posts: Post a link to your feedback bot to your social media, or level-up the experience with a Facebook Post autoresponder. Learn how to add an autoresponder that replies to all Facebook comments with a bot here.
- Via phone number customer lists: Do you have a phone number list of customers? Send them an SMS blast, inviting their helpful feedback. Learn more about how to send text message blasts with Customers.ai in our guide.
Test the Bot We Built Together & Get Started!
You can use the bot we just created together. Here’s the link to try it out for yourself.
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Important Next Steps
- Sign up for Customers.ai’s OmniChat™ chatbot builder to launch marketing, customer service and sales bots for Facebook Messenger, SMS and web chat.
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FAQs about How to get More Reviews With a Bot
A review bot is an automated tool or software program designed to help businesses generate more online reviews. It can streamline the review collection process, automate review requests, and increase the overall number of reviews for a product or service.
A review bot can send automated review requests to customers or clients, making it easier and more convenient for them to leave feedback. By automating the process, businesses can reach a larger audience, increase their chances of receiving reviews, and ultimately boost their online reputation.
Yes, review bots can be highly effective in increasing the number of reviews for your business. By making the review process simpler and more efficient, review bots encourage customers to leave feedback, resulting in a higher volume of reviews. This, in turn, can enhance your online visibility, credibility, and overall reputation.
When selecting a review bot, consider factors such as its ease of use, integration capabilities with your existing systems, customization options, and review platforms it supports. Look for features like automated review requests, review monitoring and management, and analytics to track the impact of your review campaigns.
While review bots can be a valuable tool for businesses, it’s essential to use them responsibly and ethically. Avoid fake or incentivized reviews, as they can harm your reputation and violate review platforms’ guidelines. Focus on genuine customer feedback and encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews without providing incentives.
Absolutely! Review bots can notify you when negative reviews are posted, allowing you to address them promptly. It’s important to respond professionally and empathetically to negative feedback, showing that you value customer satisfaction. By addressing concerns and resolving issues, you can turn negative experiences into positive ones and demonstrate your commitment to customer service.
The frequency of review requests depends on your business and industry. However, it’s generally advisable to avoid bombarding customers with too many review requests. Find a balance that works for your audience and business goals. For example, you could consider sending review requests after a purchase, service completion, or at regular intervals to keep the flow of reviews consistent.
Yes, many review bots support multiple review platforms such as Google, Yelp, Facebook, and industry-specific review sites. This enables you to consolidate your review collection efforts across various platforms, saving time and ensuring a broader reach for your review requests.
While using review bots itself is legal, it’s important to comply with the terms of service of review platforms and applicable laws. Be transparent about your use of review bots and ensure that your actions align with platform guidelines and regulations regarding online reviews, consumer protection, and privacy.
The timeframe for seeing results may vary depending on factors such as your business size, customer base, and industry. Generally, you can expect to see an increase in reviews within a few weeks to a few months. Consistency and ongoing efforts are key to long-term success.