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Should you request reviews via SMS or email? We analyzed 50,000 review requests sent through LocalReviews to find the definitive answer. Spoiler: it's not as simple as picking one.

The Data

We tracked review requests across multiple industries over 6 months:

**25,000 email requests** analyzed

**25,000 SMS requests** analyzed

Response rates, conversion rates, and timing measured

Industries included: home services, healthcare, automotive, retail

The Results

Open Rates

**SMS**: 98% open rate

**Email**: 23% open rate

SMS wins overwhelmingly on getting your message seen.

Click-Through Rates

**SMS**: 36% click-through rate

**Email**: 4.2% click-through rate

Again, SMS dominates for getting customers to take action.

Review Completion Rates

**SMS**: 19% leave a review after clicking

**Email**: 31% leave a review after clicking

Interesting twist—email clickers are more likely to complete the review.

Overall Conversion (Request to Review)

**SMS**: 6.8% overall conversion

**Email**: 1.3% overall conversion

SMS generates 5x more reviews per request sent.

Why SMS Performs Better

Immediacy

SMS messages are read within 3 minutes on average

Email can sit in inboxes for days (or forever)

Mobile phones are always within reach

Simplicity

SMS is inherently short and scannable

No subject lines to craft

Direct link is immediately visible

Personal Feel

SMS feels more personal than email

Higher trust for messages from known contacts

Less competition for attention

When Email Works Better

Despite SMS's overall superiority, email has its place:

For Detailed Requests

When you need to include more context or instructions, email provides space for explanation.

For Certain Demographics

Older customers and B2B clients may prefer email communication.

For Follow-Ups

A polite email follow-up can be less intrusive than multiple text messages.

For Documentation

Some customers prefer having an email record they can reference later.

The Best Approach: Both

Our data shows that **using both channels together** produces the best results:

**Email + SMS**: 9.2% overall conversion rate

That's **35% better** than SMS alone

Recommended Strategy

Send SMS First

Send within 1-2 hours of service completion

Keep it short: business name, thank you, review link

Include a personal touch when possible

Follow Up with Email

Send 24-48 hours after SMS if no response

Provide more detail and context

Use professional email templates

Final Follow-Up

One more touchpoint 5-7 days later

Can be either channel

Make it the last ask

Industry-Specific Insights

Different industries see varying results:

Home Services (Plumbing, HVAC, etc.)

SMS outperforms email by 7x

Best time: immediately after job completion

Customers appreciate quick, mobile-friendly requests

Healthcare (Dental, Chiropractic, etc.)

SMS outperforms email by 4x

Best time: 2-4 hours after appointment

Privacy-conscious messaging important

Automotive

SMS outperforms email by 6x

Best time: same day as service

Include service details when possible

Retail

SMS outperforms email by 3x

Best time: 1-2 days after purchase

Email works better for high-value purchases

Key Takeaways

**SMS is the clear winner** for review collection

**Use both channels** for maximum results

**Timing matters**: send requests promptly

**Personalization increases** conversion rates

**One follow-up** is acceptable, more than two is pushy

The data doesn't lie: if you're not using SMS for review requests, you're leaving reviews on the table. Start incorporating text messages into your review strategy today.

SMS vs Email Review Requests: Which Gets Better Results?