Support And FAQs

Is this service free?

Yes, this service is free of charge. The service is "as-is"; without any support or warranties.

For whom is this service designed?

This service is designed for any small business owners to help monitor and build their online reviews.

Which review sites do you monitor?

We help monitor reviews on Yelp, Google local, Yahoo local and CitySearch. We also monitor FourSquare and Gowalla check-ins. Let us know if you want other sites and we will work on them. Your feedback is appreciated.

Where do customers write reviews?

Customers review local businesses on sites like Yelp, Google/Yahoo local etc to name a few. Yelp is probably the most vibrant and popular community for small business reviews, Google local is gaining a lot of popularity. You can make it easier for them to review you by having a business profile on these sites.

How do I get reviews?

Many small businesses write follow up emails to customers explaining how online reviews are important to them; request them for feedback and have links to their Yelp profile. However, Yelp discourages businesses from asking their customers for reviews; they frequently remove reviews from new Yelp users who are not active and have not filled out their profile.

How do you help me get reviewed by my customers?

Use our reviews dashboard to easily send a customized online review request from your business email account, your customers have the confidence to open the email because they know its from you. This email template is 100% customizable and we provide examples that make it very easy for your customers to review you.

Shall I offer incentives to get reviewed?

NO, do not offer incentives for reviews. Just explain how reviews are important for your business and let your happy customers do the rest.

What's the best way to get started on asking for online reviews?

Start with your best customers, explain how online reviews are important for your business and make it really easy for them to review you.

Does this work? Are customers willing to write reviews?

99% of your happy customers are always willing to review you, but do not have the time for it; only 10%-20% actually end up doing reviews. The key is to make it really easy for them to write a review.

I have been doing business for years and I have never asked or cared for a review. Do I really need any reviews at all?

Love them or hate them, but you cannot afford to ignore reviews. Reviews represent your brand and reputation; and are key to new customer acquisition. Sooner or later, every business gets a negative review. Having a single negative review is much more damaging than having it along with 10 positive ones.

I got a bad review. What shall I do?

The best thing to do is respond in a timely manner. That's why its important to monitor your reviews dashboard. If you see a bad review you can generally figure out who the customer is by their user name if you work with your customers closely. Yelp allows business owners to respond to reviewers privately or publicly. This gives you a chance to respond with an appropriate comment and let the online community know that you care. Now you have an opportunity to call the customer, understand their issues and turn the situation into a positive experience!

I have more questions, how do I get them answered?

Email us at help@smbreviews.com with your questions.