To say that customer reviews are powerful is an understatement. A few sentences in a review can have more influence on consumers than an entire website. A difference of one star—or even a half-star—can be all it takes for a shopper to choose a competitor over you.

But in order to get those sentences or that extra star, you need to ask your customers for reviews. Asking for reviews can feel awkward or self-serving, but the truth is that most happy customers will never tell you that they’re happy; unhappy customers will let you know.

So, how do you get happy customers to write raving reviews for your business?

Here are 4 proven ways to get reviews from your customers:

1. Start by Just Asking
The best way to encourage customers to write reviews is to “just ask! More often than you think, your fans and customers will be happy to write about their experience with your business, product, or service.

2. When Making the Ask, Target Satisfied Customers
You shouldn’t just focus on getting reviews, You need to focus on getting good reviews. You can do this by encouraging reviews after a customer has expressed satisfaction.

3. Explain Why Reviews Are Important
To increase positive reviews for your business, inform and educate your customers on how important reviews are to your business, the customers who want to support you will show their support in the form of positive reviews.

4. Engage With Your Existing Reviews
The best way to encourage customers to write reviews is to engage with the people who’ve already written reviews. People who wouldn’t generally leave reviews, regardless of whether they are satisfied or not, will feel encouraged to leave a review if they see replies and feedback from businesses.

Above All, Provide a Great Experience!

None of these tactics will work if you don’t focus on one thing, and that’s making sure you’re providing an exceptional product or service. In most cases, exceptional customer service is enough to encourage your customers to write a review. Or if nothing else, they will certainly spread the word around.