3 facts about the importance of Google reviews and how to improve them.

Fancy marketing campaigns can gobble up a huge portion of your company’s budget. Don’t you wish there was a way to receive the attention and credibility to boost your business needs without all of that expense? The good news is that once you understand what Google reviews can do for your company and learn how to optimize them, you can cut out most or all of those costly gimmicks.

What happens in a Google review?

Google reviews are integrated into Google Maps and Google My Business. Anyone browsing the internet can stumble upon a business while using one of these platforms and can then read customers’ personal testimonies about their experiences with the seller. For you as the merchant, the best part is that these patron-created comments can provide you with some of the best free advertising you could ever want. You can even use the negative reviews to your advantage if you play your cards right and manage online reviews intelligently.

Facts about online reviews.

There are three important things to know that highlight the power of Google reviews.

1. Google reviews can boost your local profile. The fact is that if people in your area love your business and are willing to rave about it on Google, you are very likely to be rewarded with a higher search ranking. And once you have gained stature on the Google search engine, brand trust and online exposure go up, click-through rates increase, essential feedback flows into your hands, and ultimately you can gain more customers. As any savvy business owner knows, this elevated status leads to more sales and an added buzz about your brand.
2. Google reviews can increase customer trust. Believe it or not, 91% of customers between the ages of 18 and 34 are just as willing to trust online reviews as they are to listen to the opinions of their family and friends. That being said, the reviews need to have the ring of authenticity, come from the right industry, and be found on a website (like Google Maps or Google My Business) that contains multiple reviews.
3. Google reviews provide the encouragement that customers need. Have you ever found yourself making a purchase only after sending a picture of the item to a friend for their approval? Alternatively, have you ever held off on buying something until you could bring a buddy or family member to confirm the “rightness” of the sale? Virtually speaking, that’s exactly what Google reviews do; they encourage customers to take the final step.

How to improve your Google reviews.

Now that you understand how powerful Google reviews are, you probably want to incorporate them into your business operations as soon as possible. You may even be tempted to buy prefabricated testimonials to juice up your ratings and ranking. However, customers are quick to sniff out these fakes, and so are Google’s ranking algorithms.

It’s probably no surprise to learn that the best way to gather compelling Google reviews is by encouraging your customers to provide them. Of course, you can also use tried-and-true tactics like email blasts and putting up links to your Google review page in order to push for those all-important reviews. In today’s social media-obsessed society, you would be surprised at how many consumers are excited about making their views public by sharing a review.

Research shows that 77% of customers are willing to write down their impressions of a business yet only 10% actually do. This gap between intention and reality occurs, for the most part, because of a protracted and cumbersome review process. As a business owner, it is in your best interest to use an online review management platform that streamlines and simplifies review submissions.

Once you have the software onboard, pay attention to the timing of the review invitations you set it up to send. It works best when there is a pause or downtime in the sales process. In your invitation, be sure to communicate exactly how and where they can submit the review, and underline how much you appreciate their honest input. The emphasis should be on helping customers to see that posting their opinions makes them a special and pivotal part of your success.

Finally, include your company on Google Business Profile. This is where you define vital characteristics of your store: business name, address, service area, category, contact details, and hours. When this information is up-to-date, you can utilize a variety of tools. 

• Feature your business on Google Maps and Google search.
• Highlight photos and videos about your business.
• Monitor customer activity, post comments, answer customer questions, and manage reviews.
• Gain insights about the search and purchase behaviors of your visitors.
• Share updates about your store.
• Manage customer appointments.

Succeeding in today’s cutthroat commercial climate is not for the lazy or the faint of heart. However, maximizing your Google reviews can relieve some of the pressure while simultaneously and painlessly spreading the word about the amazing products and services you have to offer. Isn’t it time you enhanced your Google reviews to take your company to the next level?