How to use Google reviews to boost your sales?
As a society, our dependence on Google is on the rise in every aspect of our lives. From making online purchases to finding the right hotel for a vacation and further to researching brands, the number one search engine supports our daily internet activities in numerous ways. Knowing the tips and trick of Google reviews and optimizing the results to help your business climb the rungs of success is a must do for all business owners.
As per statistics, 57% of the consumers will only engage with a business which has been given a rating of 4 stars or more in Google reviews.
These reviews are provided by actual customers who offer a transparent feedback about their experience with a business. Any potential customer with a relevant query can be directed to the profile of the business in Google where he might be encouraged to interact with the business upon seeing the positive reviews.
Why Google Reviews matter
Even the slick and glossy advertisements can fade in comparison with the practical significance that the simple interface of Google reviews offer. While advertisements attracts, positive reviews help a customer to make a final choice between brands. So even if you have a small setup, Google reviews provide an even playing field where you can compete with the heavyweight brands without allocating a higher budget for advertisements.
The positive reviews brought about by Google have immense significance in building brand trust and developing local SEO. Irrespective of the size and weight of a business, Google can place any brand at the top spot in search rankings based on the value of the reviews that it receives. Positive reviews will assure Google of the fact that your business is authentic and reliable, thereby boosting your SEO scores.
Higher click rates
Even with the best SEO strategies, such as redirecting SEO domains, you might find the customers not clicking on your link when it shows up in a search result. The Google reviews can provide an excellent way to increase this click rates. As the ratings appear next to your business name, a positive value will encourage more customers to access your site. At the same time, advertising your high ratings in Google can also help in building the confidence of the customers and encouraging them to connect with your business.
A survey by Reviewtrackers indicate that 63.6% of consumers check reviews on Google before visiting a business, making it the most popular review site.
Let’s find out how to use the Google reviews to generate more sales
Focus on the customer feedbacks
Every review that a business receives can be considered as a customer feedback that will help the owner to make the services even better. It will enable you to praise the areas that are attracting positive reviews and make the necessary changes in those areas which are getting negative feedback.
Get your business verified by Google
Getting your business verified by Google by providing the correct location, contact info and operating hours is the first step that you need to take. This will allow you to respond to the customers and also establish a significant online presence through pictures and updates.
Ask for reviews
Consumer review surveys indicate that around 80% of consumers aged between 18 to 34 years would consider leaving reviews for businesses.
The best moment to ask for a review is after having a good interaction with a customer. The timing is an important factor as it is more likely for a customer to leave a review right after they have used your services. You can ask in person, use automated SMS notifications or send review email notifications. Add the link to Google reviews in a relevant spot in your website to make it visible. Make sure that you emphasize on how easy it is to leave a review either in the form of a star rating or through a few sentences.
Respond to the reviews
The right response allows the potential reviewers to realize that you value the opinion of the customers and will encourage them to leave their own review. Being timely and specific in your responses and being grateful for the positive reviews will help you to attract more reviews. While using Google reviews, it is important not to get disheartened by negative reviews as they can be used in constructive ways to improve your services. You can always say sorry, ask for a second chance to prove your service quality or settle any dispute offline if needed.
Studies indicate that 45 percent of consumers will be more willing to interact with a business that responds to positive reviews.
Choose the right technology
If you are finding it difficult to manage & respond properly to all the Reviews generated from Google, it’s time that you start using the latest technology from Sociocs, instead of neglecting this important aspect on online brand promotion. This advanced app from Sociocs brings all the communications including Google Reviews to a single inbox, making it much simpler to manage Google Reviews & more.
Avoid “review-gating” and buying reviews
Many businesses practice the policy of sending customers a feedback form and ask them to post reviews in Google only if they have a positive feedback. This process of “review-gating” is not in line with the transparent and honest framework of the review platform provided by Google. It is best for any business to stay in line with the general policies and guidelines set up for the platform. Google does not want businesses to discourage negative reviews nor does it prefer proactive solicitation for earning positive reviews.
Another practice that is even worse than the above is buying 5-tar rated reviews from service providers. While this seems like a shortcut for heading to the top, this can actually do more harm than good. This practice is totally against Google guidelines and the norms set by FTC and regulators. Many companies and even such service providers involved in such practices have been at the receiving end of tough penalties and fines. Being sincere and earning candid feedback is the rule of the game.
Google can actually remove all the reviews in the Google My Business profile of any business if it discovers that the reviews are being gathered in a manner that is opposed to its policies and guidelines.
Deliver the right service
The simplest and the most positive way to get the reviews is to deliver excellent service to your customers at all time. Keeping the customers happy and generating the right “wow” factor with your products and service is the best way to earn the 5-star reviews. It is also important to be grateful for any feedback provided and take responsibility for any shortcomings.
Another important feature of Google that you need to handle with care to make it work positively for your business is the Question & Answer section. To know how to handle it wisely for your business don’t miss to read our next post, All you need to know to use Google Question and Answer to boost up your business.
So these are some of the simple but effective ways to collect Google reviews and boosting the overall online impact of your business. To get started with your single inbox with Google Reviews, even for multiple business locations, sign up on our website, it’s completely FREE. You can also reach out to us at hello@sociocs.com with any questions.