We look to Google to solve a lot of our day-to-day dilemmas. From browsing and booking an upcoming trip, to finding a business nearby, to forgetting the address of that same business and searching for it again – Google is there to help, along with their handy Google review system.
If you’ve ever been online searching for a company, you’ve probably come across a Google review. It’s one of the first things you see when you search for a business and allows you to make a snap judgment about what you’ve just searched and come across.
If you choose to proceed and click the review of the establishment, you’ll also likely see brief summaries of the latest reviews shown alongside all the essential information, including the business’s location, hours of operation, and phone number. In 2014, a study found that 88% of consumers now trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.
Recognizing needs from consumers is important to business success and the more reviews you have the better it looks. Since Google reviews are obviously favoured by the search engine and appear with every relevant result, your business needs to get more Google reviews if it wants to have a good presence on Google.
It’s also important to note that Google Maps now shows reviews. When users search for the location of a business, the ratings and reviews from customers will also appear, giving users immediate feedback to help them make a quick decision.
Tips on how to get Google reviews for your business:
Verify your business on Google: In order to verify your business on Google, you need to create a Google+ page.
Ask your customers: This is the most genuine way to get great reviews. It may be worrisome if you do get a bad review, but it’s important to know that feedback of any kind can help. If you’re a small business attempting to take off in a new area and your customers leave the business happy, they will be enthusiastic to help you grow and succeed in your new endeavors!
Respond to reviews: Once you encourage your customers to leave reviews, make sure their time and effort is appreciated by responding to them. You can also respond to reviews on Hootsuite.
Promote your Google page on other social media accounts: Once you have verified your Google page, let your audiences on other social networks know about it. And, of course, it would help to drop a hint about leaving a review.
Storefronts with average star ratings of 4 or higher (on a five-point scale) experienced 21% higher sales than stores rated 2 or below. A 1-star increase in Yelp rating leads to a 5-9% increase in revenue.
Now Google isn’t the only review you should care about, people leaving reviews on all your other social media channels is important!
But don’t doubt the power of a positive Google Review; let those star ratings shine!