Why are Google Reviews are important?

• 90% of consumers now read a review before making a purchase decision.
• Each star increase increases revenue by 7%.
• About 95% of customers read reviews before making a purchase. (Spiegel)
• 72% of consumers will take action to buy after they read reviews. (MyTestimonialEngine)
• B2B buyers are 92% more likely to purchase products after reading Google reviews (G2 and Heinz Marketing)
• A product that has five customer reviews, is 270% more chance of being purchased. (Spiegel)

Google reviews now make up 15% of the google search algorithm. (Moz)

1. Add a Google Reviews Page to Your Website

Social proof, in the form of reviews and positive feedback, is something consumers are increasingly looking for and influenced by. Why not show them right on your website how good your Google Reviews are. No matter what CMS your website makes use of, there will be a tool out there to help you display your Google My Business reviews without violating their terms of service. And you can add a direct link for customers to leave a review of their own, which they’ll find very helpful, as the easier it is to leave a review, the more likely customers are to do so.

 

2. Ask for a Review in a Follow-Up Email

Sending a personalized follow-up email after a consumer has purchased goods from you, or has received a service, is standard business good practice no matter what industry you operate in. Adding a polite request for a Google My Business review should be standard practice too, along with adding a direct link for customers to do so.

3. Harness the Power of SMS Messaging

If you have a list of customer’s mobile numbers – which you should, as SMS messaging is a great marketing tactic in general – make use of it (with the proper permission) to send a quick, polite request to review your products/service/company a few days after hey make a purchase or receive service from you.

 

4. Add a Link to Google My Business Reviews in Your Email Signature

Every email you send can become a potential source of more Google Reviews if you simply add a link to your Google My Business page to your everyday email signature. Doing so is also an excellent way to build trust with new contacts, as the link will allow them to quickly and easily check out your business’ reputation with others right away.

 

5. Use QR Codes

Although they have ‘fallen out of fashion’ the global pandemic has brought QR code use right back into everyday use. Try adding a QR code link to your Google reviews page to your physical store receipts, paper invoices, physical marketing collateral and more.

 

6. Ask Vendors and Business Partners for Google Reviews

Google Reviews don’t just have to come from customers, positive reviews from vendors and other business partners can help build trust – and brand reputation as well. Don’t be shy about asking these people to add a Google Review for you, while offering to do the same for them too of course.

 

7. Make a Personal Request

OK, so you might not be able to have your managing director meet with every customer, but you can have your principals make a thank you video to be included in those follow-up emails that include a request for feedback in the form of a Google review and their personal thanks for doing so.

 

8. Make Sure Consumers Know How to Leave a Google Review

The process of creating and publishing a review on Google My Business is very straightforward, as long as you know how to get to the right place, which lots of people simply don’t.

Therefore ensuring that your customers do is a must. Whether it’s a short written tutorial added to your website, a simple explainer video or even a verbal in-store explanation making sure your customers know HOW to leave you a Google review will mean it will be far more likely they will actually do so!

 

9. Get Your Employees Involved

No, your employees can’t leave Google Reviews for the business they work for – and you should certainly never have them make up fake ones – you can incentivize them to make greater efforts to get others to do so. A free lunch, a gift card or a small monetary bonus awarded to those who garner the business the most Google My Business reviews can be very effective!

 

10. Use Google Review Software to Stay On Top of It All

You need to keep track of your Google My Business reviews for lots of good reasons. Responding to them – good and bad – is a great way to build consumer trust and make them feel valued. It’s also an excellent way to prevent damage to your company’s online reputation, as even a bad review can be turned into a positive with the right response. All of this is time-consuming though, so making use of Google Review software can be a really big help.