With over 90% of people being influenced by online business reviews, it is little wonder Google is often the very first point of contact potential customers have with a business. Read Why Google My Business Reviews are Important and How To Ask For One.
Google My Business Reviews can be the deciding factor that helps a potential customer choose between your business and your competitors. In addition, Google Reviews are important ranking signals for local SEO and one of the most significant ways you can promote confidence in your business.
Why Google My Business Reviews Are Important
When people search using keywords on Google, reviews will often appear in search results displaying both map and search results. Clicking a pin on the map can give a new customer essential information about that business: opening hours, contact details and the business address.
Online reviews are critical if you want to grow your business.
Google Reviews directly affect:
1. How your business ranks in search engine results:
Google Reviews are favoured by Google in search results and are listed in relevant results – so if you’re after a good ranking on Google, start hunting more Google Reviews!
2. The potential customer’s decision to seek out your business’s products or services:
When a prospective customer is at the stage of reading your business’ Google Reviews, they will usually have decided your business could potentially fulfil a need they have, whether it be a product you sell or a service you provide. As they make their purchase, Google Reviews can wield a powerful influence.
Google Reviews create trust and act as an all-important personal recommendation. Google Reviews can potentially establish your business as being both reputable and reliable.
We all look for unbiased recommendations from friends and family when seeking a product or a service. Feedback from a company’s past customers can be the next best thing. This is why more people seek out Google Reviews before a purchase commitment.
How do I start getting Google My Business Reviews?
1. Verify Your Business
First, you should verify your business on Google.
2. Ask your customers to Leave You a Review
Next, invite your satisfied customers to leave a review for you. Why not include a call-to-action in a follow-up after-sales email? Integrating a call-to-action within your email marketing is an opportunity not to be ignored!
Make sure you don’t leave it too late after your successful transaction – or ask too early. You want to give your customers time to use your product or service to garner the best review.
When you include a call-to-action in your e-marketing, ensure you add a link that makes it easy for customers to post their reviews on your business’s Google My Business Page. This will allow customers to quickly and simply provide you with a Google review. Long-term and repeat customers should also be invited to leave their reviews – and remember to thank your customers for taking the time to review your business.
Remember to promote your Google My Business Page via each social media platform.
Incorporating a call-to-action button on your website that encourages your customers to share their experience with your business by leaving a review is another way to encourage people to review your business.
Remember, there are no bad reviews. Poor reviews are an opportunity to show off your 5-star customer service in action by providing a swift and direct reply to your unhappy customer. Your response should both address the problem and offer a solution.
Fantastic customer service in response to a poor review can turn a less-than-stellar review into an online reassurance for potential customers. Your response to a poor review can demonstrate to your future customers that you are quick to act to rectify any issues. Rather than a negative, you can turn a poor review into an assurance to potential customers that you will be swift to address the situation appropriately if they are dissatisfied.
Is it easy for your customers to leave you a positive review? Pixelfish can help you to create and implement an effective strategy to encourage great customer reviews. Why not contact us for a review of your SEO strategy today?
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Further reading:
What is Google My Business and how can it benefit my business
How to set up Google My Business quickly and easily
Understanding How Internal Website Links impact SEO
Top 10 WordPress Web Design Trends for 2022
Top 15 New WooCommerce Extensions Your Store Needs in 2022
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Understanding The Importance of Web Design for Aged Care Organisations
Why Displaying Social Media Reviews On Your Website Is Great For Business
