@Don The way to ask can be difficult. I feel uncomfortable when I get what clearly is an automated email written in a “Hey, how are you doing?!” jovial tone. And Amazon’s emails are very pushy; stop asking already!

Dreamdesigns,
Yes, I think the important thing is that you are talking to your customers, understanding how they experienced your product or service and addressing any issues should they come up. That leads to great online reviews and referrals naturally.

Mark,
Yes, I think online reviews are a form of referrals, and certainly help with rankings and conversions on the web.

Me too Kyle. Just like you I found that most customers are perfectly willing to provide referrals. Its out of my comfort zone to ask, but almost always is a positive interaction.

It is very true that Customer service is the best marketing strategy. As you said, It is very very important to engage ourselves with our valuable customers to obtain their feedback. When it comes to me I would go for more reviews than referrals. And thanks for you

A great point here. I dont so much ask for referrals but I do ask for online reviews.

All new enquiries are directed to a third party web design review site on which I rank 3rd in the UK.

Its a great way to back up my sales message and has really helped my business to grow.