Google Reviews

Thinking about starting a business? Your first approach would be how to grow it as quickly as possible. Well, ever heard of Google Reviews? That’s right, Google assists you with growing your business. If you were ever to put your business on the map, you’ll see a Review Bar. That’s where your clients can share their experience with your company, a place that can mutually benefit the company and the customer.

Pros and Cons:

Google serves no restriction to writing reviews, clients can be as open as possible. After all, it must be an honest opinion, guiding all the other customers before they contact your company. Remember, your Google Reviews can either be positive or negative. A business with good reviews will have much better chances of running and succeeding. However, a business with bad rating can ruin its profile. According to research, a negative review drives off 22% clients, that’s around 30 customers. So be careful, reviews can deeply affect your business growth.

Benefits of Reviews:

Google Reviews can serve you five main benefits:

Ø A better understanding of what your business is doing correct and/or wrong.

Ø Distinct your business on Google.

Ø Assist your portfolio by sharing with clients how other customers feel.

Ø Framing your brand’s future based on client feedback.

Ø Selecting the best audience based on customer feedback.

Increase Brand Trust:

Google Reviews can help increase brand trust. Once clients find a reliable brand, they are bound to work with it. 88% of people read reviews before working with a business. So, make sure you earn their trust for good reviews.

Communication:

Google Reviews are a means of communication between client and the company. Things that clients can not directly tell a company, can share in the form of reviews. This can engage conversation between the two and help create a better understanding of how services can improve.

Customer Opinion:

According to Fan & Fuel Digital Marketing Group, 97% of clients say, reviews assist their buying decisions. Good Google Reviews can accelerate your business growth in the local market. Considering local competitors, it can give an edge to your business in terms of search ranking and customer choice.

But do Google Reviews really matter? Studies show that people don’t really rely on number of likes on your Facebook, Instagram, or any other social platform. But when it comes to Google, people do notice the stars and reviews. Studies show that 23% of people visit the business after reading good reviews.

Suppose you feel like visiting a local coffee shop, would you go to a place that’s got 372 five-star reviews or the one that has 13 five-star reviews? Obviously, you’d go to the one that’s got more reviews. Its morning and you don’t want to ruin your day with a bad cup of coffee. 82% of customers seek for negative reviews. This reflects the human nature that we feel more credible with firms that have been tested by others and have turned out to be great.

Your company may have the best equipment and customer support. Yet, if your business’ rating is a fraction less than your competitors, most probably, clients will never consider your company. Just stating that Google Reviews is a great way to invite your customers before they get in-detail with your services.

Number of Reviews:

Number of reviews matter a lot. According to research, 40% of customers read one to three reviews before deciding. Say your business got 5 reviews, they may be positive, people saying things like “Great Service!”, “Friendly Staff!’’ and ‘’Excellent Equipment!’’, but they’re not enough to persuade people to contact you. What if 100 300 people gave those reviews? A large number of reviewers can give your product a much broader explanation that can be easy for future clients to understand and earn your trust.People Don’t Scroll Much:

Good Google Reviews can help your business earn a place at first page of Google. People don’t scroll far. They hardly get to the second page. The possibility of someone checking your business drops by 91.5% if your business doesn’t appear in the upper half of first page of Google. People are most likely to check the first, second or third link after searching for something. So, make sure your business ranks high to be at the top three searches. And high ranks can only be achieved by good reviews. The more positive reviews your business has, the greater the chances are for it to be noticed by Google’s Search Engine Optimization (SEO). According to Google Search Statistics:

Ø 63,000 searches are made every second on Google

Ø 46% of Google searches are related to local searches

This means that if you want to spread your brand awareness, you must rank high on Google to be searched in global and local searches.

How to Get Google Reviews?

There really is no hack for getting Google Reviews. What matters mostly is your effort. You may already have a few reviews on your profile, but do you know how to gather more? Your business must look trust-worthy, so getting 20–60 reviews or more can be a good approach.

Your average review score matters a lot. It shouldn’t be too high to make you look too good. Research shows 95% of consumers can spot censorship or faked reviews when they don’t see bad reviews. Your average score should be enough to make you earn credibility. According to studies, an average review score of 4.5 is optimum.

How to increase your average score?

Sending Review Invites:

Did you know only 23% of clients write reviews online? You can always remind them to write you a review by texting them. Reported by Text Magic, U.S, smartphone users communicate through texts five times more than they do by calls. Just text your clients a review invite, and they’ll be sure to give it when suitable.

2. Don’t Award for Giving Reviews:

Never award your clients or offer them a bonus for writing you a review. Your approach must be towards honest and genuine reviews. Offering freebees for writing reviews can seem underhand, which may result in dishonest reviews.

3. Showing Clients How to Leave Reviews:

Clients may not always know how to send reviews. In such cases, you can always guide them by either writing them the steps on how to leave a review or just send them a video.

4. Don’t Ask for Reviews in Person:

Asking for reviews in person can be awkward. Chances are they might forget to write a review the time they enter their house. So, asking in person can be a no-go. Though with close and frank people, u can do so.

Dealing with bad reviews:

You can’t satisfy all 100% customers. Even if you do, there’s no guaranty you can never expect a bad review. Upon receiving a negative review, handling the situation is more crucial than fussing about it. Bad reviews can drastically affect your business, but don’t be afraid to receive them, just deal with them politely and kindly.

How to Respond to a Bad Review:

You simply can’t let a bad review to stay on your profile for clients to see. Handling the situation with professionalism is the key. You can’t always be right. Straight away respond to the client and apologize for the bad experience. Ensure them that you’ll dedicate to improve. Appreciate them for being honest with their review and console them for the incident. Saying ‘’sorry’’ may feel uncomfortable but it’s a sign that your bound to help your company succeed, no matter the circumstances.

How to Delete a Bad Review:

The best way to get a bad review deleted would be to contact the client, apologize for the experience, and ask them to delete it. In case of no response from the client, you’ll have to flag the review. Flagging a review means that the review is fake, or that the review does not follow Google’s Review Policies.

Responding to reviews:

Responding to Google Reviews can show your clients much better what customer service means to you. For a positive review, appreciate them with a ‘’Thank You!’’ or ‘’Highly Obliged” and for negative reviews, be ready to apologize on your end. And always value suggestions and recommendations from clients. According to research, 53% of customers expect replies from their reviews and 41% of clients state that brands replying to their reviews make them feel valued.

Conclusion:

Google reviews are a great way to build trust and credibility with clients. Reviews can spotlight your business’ strengths and show your dedication to client service. Google reviews are a great way to show that your business is esteemed among your competitors. Abide by Google Review Policies, and you can secure yourself a list of reviews that can benefit your company. Remember to deal negative reviews with professionalism as it’s the only way to correct the situation. Just pay attention to your Google reviews and you’ll draw a large number of potential customers towards your business.