When someone orders a product, such as a charcuterie kit, from the subscription service Platterful, the company gives them a week to enjoy their items. Then, it emails the customer asking them to review their purchase. 

As a small business with a slim marketing budget, Caroline Elston, a cofounder of the Indiana company, told Insider that customer reviews had helped Platterful raise brand awareness and increase sales since it launched in 2021. 

"We knew if others shared their experiences publicly, that would be a really great form of word-of-mouth marketing for us," Elston said.

Platterful's reviews are posted on its website and other e-commerce sites, including Amazon, Etsy, and Uncommon Goods. 

In a 2021 PowerReviews survey of consumers, nearly all respondents said they read reviews when they shopped. Consumers also often trust reviews as much as recommendations from friends and family, the report indicated. 

By emailing customers to request they review the products they've purchased, Platterful keeps a flow of feedback coming in, which is good for business, Elston said. In a 2022 Yotpo survey of shoppers, 85% of respondents said they were more likely to buy products with between 50 and 500 reviews.

"We really need customers to leave that feedback so we can build from that," she said.

Here, two small-business owners offer advice for collecting customer reviews and using them to scale their businesses. 

Ann Noder emails clients to ask them to leave reviews for her firm, Pitch Public Relations. She explains how much she values the reviews and that she uses them for new business development. 

"Typically, our clients are more than willing to do so," Noder, the president and CEO of the Phoenix company, told Insider. 

The reviews are posted on the "raves" section of the company's website and promoted on social media.

"Our agency is built on our reputation, and there's credibility that comes with the experience and testimonials that come directly from our clients," Noder said. 

Platterful's review-seeking emails thank customers for their purchases, mention how helpful the reviews are for the small business, and include a link to make leaving a review quick and easy, Elston said. 

The company also posts product reviews on social media, which encourages more customers to write reviews, she added.

In the survey by Yotpo, nearly half of online shoppers said they'd leave a review if offered a discount or coupon. However, there are rules businesses must follow, and some review platforms, including Google, prohibit incentivized reviews. 

In general, the Federal Trade Commission says you can't place conditions on review incentives — for instance, offering a discount for positive reviews only.

After its initial email asking customers for a review, Platterful sends a follow-up offering a $15 gift card in exchange for a review. The reminders and incentives have boosted the number of reviews the company gets, Elston said.

Platterful responds to every review it receives, both negative and positive, Elston said: "We want to tell our customers, 'Hey, we're listening to you, and we're taking what you're saying very seriously.'" 

All reviews are also automatically sent to an internal Slack channel so the team can track the feedback it receives and discuss how to handle it, she said. When the company receives a negative review, it contacts the customer to resolve the problem. Often, the reviewer will update their feedback based on the interaction.

Consumers expect prompt responses to their feedback. In a BrightLocal survey of shoppers, 88% of respondents said they were likely to use a business that responded to all customer reviews. 

Reviews can provide insights into a business and its customers, Noder said. Through reviews, she's learned more about her clients' wins, such as a company sharing that it experienced a sales boost or attracted investors after a media mention.

When you ask for reviews and respond to them, you let your customers know that you value their feedback, Elston said. Platterful has been alerted to customer-service issues such as shipping delays and product problems. 

"Customer reviews are your live focus group where you get really valuable feedback that you can use to enhance the customer experience, enhance your product, and enhance your business overall," she said.