Publicity is a huge driving factor to get customers to your site or brick and mortar shop. How do we know how our customers are rating our business? Well, Google reviews is a good way to gauge how we’re doing in business. Whether it’s good or bad reviews, all reviews are important and can impact a business.
SEO ranking
Google and other search engine algorithms are driven by many bits of information, including review signals. What is important to Google SEO ranking is the quantity of reviews. It also takes into account the velocity of reviews and whether the reviews are repetitive in their nature. So variety, as we say, is the spice of life and this saying also applies to Google reviews.
The more reviews your site has, the more your SEO capabilities and online visibility chances are increased. This is a great marketing tool, often overlooked and can be a great influence on your SEO ranking.
Confidence and trust
Consumers have come to expect information and ratings on products they are interested in purchasing. By reading ratings and reviews, consumers can gauge and hear about other experiences with the product or service before making a purchase decision. With good Google reviews, you will be able to build confidence and trust in your brand, no matter what business you run.
Transparency is a good way to enlist trust amongst your customers, and by displaying good and bad reviews you are showing your willingness to be transparent and trustworthy. According to PowerReviews 97% consumers look at reviews nowadays before making a purchase decision and 25% – 30% read online reviews before making an online purchase.
If your business doesn’t have Google reviews, you are at risk of losing potential customers to sites where there are many reviews and therefore are perceived as being more trustworthy.
What about negative feedback?
One way of looking at negative feedback is to positively approach the problem raised. How else do we know how to improve our business? If criticism is given in a review, the best way to handle it is by being proactive and addressing the problem and fixing it. By informing the customer that, as an example, if the service was poor, things have been improved thanks to their input.
Monitor all Google reviews and encourage consumers to write a review.
Ask customers for Google reviews
Why not ask your customers to leave a Google Review? This is a great way to get more reviews on your site. Add a review call-to-action on your website or on your social media pages. Don’t be tempted to put fake reviews on your site, you are bound to be caught out and it will have the reverse effect on good reviews. If you know a customer has had a good experience with your service or products, you could send them an email with a link to your Google Reviews and gently encourage them to leave a review. No harm in asking!
Interact with customers
Once a customer has written a Google Review for your business, it is important to follow it up with a response. This will show that you value your customers and a commitment to improving your business if needed. Giving non-defensive responses to any negative Google Reviews you may receive, will show a dedication to making your brand even better.
Five star rating
Aiming for a five star rating with Google Reviews is what your business should be striving for. A business with a five star rating and over 100 reviews is sure to get more traction and site visits than a business without those ratings and reviews. Once your business is tracking well with Google Reviews, you may be able to reduce your spend on paid search results and other marketing efforts.
Showcase your reviews
Showcase your good reviews at high-impact moments in the shoppers journey. Whether it’s in-store or on-line, display your reviews and maximise on enhancing your customers confidence in your products, resulting in more sales for your business.
Conclusion
Considering that some consumers won’t even make a purchase without reading reviews, Google reviews make a big difference and can drive a consumer’s decision. More and more people are writing reviews on products and services. Checking on Google Reviews has become the expected norm for most consumers today.
Google Reviews is a way to gauge how your customers perceive your brand, service or products, helping to keep you on point and drive more business to your site. The power of customer reviews should not be underestimated in its influence on future potential customers. Creating a community of fans is a powerful tool.
Digital Noir has the know-how to help establish brands, making them bigger and better. Are your customers interacting and reviewing your products or services? We offer solutions to optimise ratings and reviews and improve your business.