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Let’s face it – online reviews have gone beyond a mere “nice to have” for local businesses.
The power and importance that customer reviews hold in people’s minds just can’t be understated – and they’re seeing a continued rise in their influence.
If your business isn’t set up to get regular reviews, that can be a scary idea.
With Google sitting as the fastest-growing and most-consulted review platform – as well as the world’s most popular search engine – Google reviews have moved to the forefront of consumer consciousness. If you’re the one being reviewed, it can signal a make or break – especially when you’ve got competition in your midst.
The fact is, today people expect to see reviews of the things they search on Google; they serve as testimonials for your company and build a sense of trust and credibility.
In a Bright Local study, it was found that the average consumer reads around ten reviews about a company before they feel like they can trust the business.
In addition to being frequently the last element that converts prospects into consumers, they also carry a significant amount of weight in the Google search engine algorithms.
It plays out like this:
More reviews, better ratings = higher search rankings + more leads and sales + increased revenue.
Getting customers to write reviews isn’t always easy and buying reviews or collecting fake reviews is never advised. Your customers will spot them and certainly not like them and Google may penalise you for faking in, which will see your listing’s performance decrease.
The best way to do attract more reviews is to proactively manage customer feedback and remain true to the old, ethical way of asking your customers in person.
You can do this by sending your customers an email or text message after a purchase, adding a link on your web page, or encouraging them to leave a review on Google through an advert.
Either way, just make sure that leaving a review is as easy as possible. This is also part of designing a smooth customer journey, and as we all know, a smooth customer journey is a definite competitive advantage in today’s digital world.
On that note, here are 5 easy ways you can make up for lost ground and start getting reviews on your Google listing.
Start asking your customers for reviews directly
One of the easiest ways to receive a Google review is to ask! Asking for reviews is the most direct way to ensure satisfied customers receive your request.
If you’re on the phone with a happy customer, ask them to write a review. It’s that easy!
Email your customers asking them to leave a review
After a successful job ends or a product is sold, send your customer a follow-up email to find out how things went, and if all is well, request a Google review. In your email be sure to...
- Be personal
- Thank your customer for choosing you
- Tell your customer you appreciate and read all feedback
- Tell your customer why feedback is important
- Provide a direct link for visitors to leave you a Google review
Request reviews by adding a link to your website
Another effective way to collect more of those all-important Google reviews is to add a link to your Google Business Profile on your website.
You can do this by adding a button to your website, footer or testimonials section, or by triggering a pop-up window with a customer review request.
Leave a card behind asking a customer to leave a review
A leave-behind is a piece of marketing collateral that you leave with a customer (like a Google review card). These tend to be more popular with contractors or local service companies.
For example, if you’re a flooring contractor who just installed new oak hardwood floors in a client’s home, consider leaving a folder containing the following:
- Care and maintenance tips for the new floor
- A phone number in case the customer has any follow-up questions
- A business card
- A Google review card with clear instructions on how to use the review card
Don’t feel like paying to print hundreds or even thousands of leave-behinds?
No worries — create a digital version!
Don't be afraid to ask for a review twice!
Attention is valuable, and we live in an age where the competition for our attention is at an all-time high. When it comes to leaving reviews, don't worry if you don't get a response to the first invitation you send - it doesn't mean they'll never leave one!
You might’ve caught them at a bad time during your first request. Or, maybe they wanted to leave you a review after the first two but simply forgot. It happens!
We recommend creating two email follow-up templates in addition to your first review request and limiting your total number of review requests to three.
Try sending a new request once a week or even every other week until you’ve hit your max.
And let's face it; some people will simply never leave a review no matter how many times you ask. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try!
Persistent follow-ups bring the added benefit of keeping your company fresh in customers’ minds, ultimately giving you additional opportunities to connect with your clients and hear what's happening with them - which can only be a good thing!
Now that you're all prepped and ready to grow that review piggy-bank, find out how to get more great reviews by downloading our guide on how to ethically explode your Google reviews.
