In an age where competition and visibility are important, it is not an option for a business to disregard Google Reviews. Google Reviews is a way for customers to leave their feedback on a business, but it stands out because it also serves as a way to get your company’s website on top of the search engine results page (SERP). Know more about what Google Reviews are and how to use it to increase your sales.
What is Google Reviews?
Google Reviews is a feature of Google My Business and Google Maps that allows users to post their reviews for the public to see. Try searching “salons near me” and on the first page of the SERP you will see a list of businesses on the right side of the screen with a map on top of the list. When you click on one of those businesses you will see basic information like website, contact, and a few reviews.
Google Reviews is not just a way to get to know your business. It is also a way to show would-be customers the kind of service your company gives. Most of the time, this matters to companies offer services. A review can either make or break your business, so it’s best if you know how to get more reviews that will be advantageous to your company.
Getting Google Reviews
If you are new to Google Reviews and are interested in knowing how to use it to ramp up your sales, here are a few things you can do:
- Ask at the right time and place.
The best way to get a review is to ask for it. You cannot expect your customer to leave a review on your page. It is better to be proactive in this so your customer also sees that you are serious in improving the service you give to them.
But of course, you should also know that there is a right time and place to ask for reviews. If your service makes use of a website or a platform, usually it would be better to have a pop-up on your screen right after the service has been done. This way, your customers don’t have to go somewhere else to leave reviews.
- Make it easy.
Say you sent them a link for your customer survey. The next thing that you have to think about is how your survey is designed. Think about it this way, your customer is just giving you their spare time so it’s best to make it convenient for them.
When designing your customer survey, don’t make it too long. A 3-5 question review will already be enough to get all you need to know about how your service was. It would also help to just make the survey a clickable one where your customer doesn’t need to type anything. You can put icons suggesting the usual answers to your reviews, too.
- Be responsive.
So you’ve received reviews from your customers. What comes next? The best way to turn your reviews into opportunities to increase sales is to engage with your customers. If they’ve left a review, make sure you to reply to them.
When you respond, you have to remember to be courteous and to sound friendly. Even if they left a bad review in your page, never start any fights and return the same tone to them. On the other hand, engage with those who leave good comments on your page. Appreciate and encourage those who find your service exemplary.
How Google Reviews Increase Sales
Even if you are a well-known company, having reviews can give you an increase in sales especially if you know how to take advantage of them.
If you are a customer, you know that seeing a company with a 4 or 5-star rating will give you the confidence you need to start doing business with them. Absence of any reviews or star rating actually hurt a company’s sales simply because people think that they are not a real company. Once they think so, it is hard to convince them that you are not.
And if you are a customer, wouldn’t you want to patronize a business who can hear you out when you have comments about them? Reviews can also gain a customer’s trust and loyalty which can increase your sales.
