Surveys show that almost 90% of buyers will read an online
review before they make a purchase, appointment, or walk-in visit to a business
they don’t already know. And, Google currently gets more than three-quarters of
all search traffic in North America. Put those two facts together and it’s
obvious that Google reviews should be a cornerstone of your online marketing
effort.
That’s straightforward enough, but gathering feedback from
customers isn’t always so simple. Even though buyers like reading reviews, they
rarely take the time to leave them. When they do, it’s usually because they are
dissatisfied, not because they want
to share a great experience with others.
Knowing that, how can you get customers to recommend you on
Google? Today, we are going to share five simple tips you can use to boost and
improve your Google review profile right away…
#1 Ask Them for Their
Testimonials
Sometimes the clearest solution is the most effective one.
Often, even your most committed customers might not realize just how important
it is for your company to get good reviews and testimonials. By simply asking
them to go online to your Google business profile and say something nice, you
might be able to convince some of them to take a moment to do so. This can be
especially effective with your happiest customers, who in turn tend to leave
the best reviews.
#2 Give Them
Hassle-Free Customer Service
If you’re smart you can turn a negative into a positive by
handling any customer service request quickly and efficiently. Make it a point
to correct every problem and clear up any misunderstandings within a very short
period of time. Buyers won’t just be impressed when you exceed their
expectations; they’ll often tell the world about it.
#3 Hold a Contest or
Raffle
You can get into a lot of trouble paying for positive
reviews for your business. However, there’s nothing unethical or problematic
about incentivizing buyers to leave honest feedback. You could hold a raffle,
contest, or drawing for reviewers so long as there isn’t any necessity for them
to give up a certain star rating or perspective in return. People love free
things, and a giveaway can be great for your review profile.
#4 Make Your Google
Business Page Prominent
Sometimes, the easiest way to get more reviews is to simply
make sure buyers know where to leave them. In other words, by filling out your
Google business page with details like photos, logos, current addresses, and
website links, you make it easier for customers who have worked with you to
find your business and share their opinions. At the same time, taking these
steps makes it more likely new customers will find you, too.
#5 Add Links to Your Google
Business Page
Even when you aren’t necessarily making a big push to get
more reviews, you should have lots of links to your Google business page for
customers to find. You might include them on the home page of your website, and
your social media feeds, and even in your email signature. You don’t want
buyers to have to hunt for your information, and some of them might decide to
leave a testimonial after they’ve been prompted to do so a half-dozen times.
Is Your Online
Reputation as Strong as it Could Be?
If you get the feeling that your online reputation – the
reviews and feedback buyers have left about your business – isn’t helping your
business as much as it could be, then it’s time to make a change. Contact the
online marketing experts at Kinetik IT in Phoenix, Arizona today to see how we
can help!