Google Reviews: The Urgent Superpower Your Small Business Needs
When it comes to gaining growth and reach, local SEO is one of the most difficult types of SEO to master. What about other difficult aspects like Google Reviews? Small businesses are usually the ones who require it the most, and with limited resources and knowledge, implementing a proper local SEO strategy can be difficult.
Businesses that do have a strategy are typically constraint around:
- Acquiring local dominance
- Obtaining regional press coverage
- Comparing all online listings with the same attributes.
- Enhancing website with local pages.
As a business owner, it’s essential to focus on local SEO to reap the benefits of a strong online presence. Reviews play a crucial role in local SEO and can even help boost your customer base. However, many businesses struggle to implement a strategy to consistently generate Google Reviews.
Don’t let this hold you back; take the time to develop a plan to encourage your satisfied customers to leave Google Reviews. Your efforts will pay off with increased visibility and credibility in your community.
What Is the Value of Google Reviews for Small Businesses?
The importance of online reviews cannot be overstated. They are a pride to behold. Here are some of the most critical aspects of Google Reviews for small businesses.
They Facilitate Trust
Users will instantly recognize businesses with higher ratings in Google searches. A higher rating with more reviews is an excellent way to gain the trust of potential buyers.
Increase Your Local Authority Over Your Competitors
Having positive reviews enables businesses to gain local authority, which can be beneficial in competitive areas.
Google Loves it When You Share Business!
They are more likely to serve a business that has a higher rating in search results than others in the area. Google wants to provide a good user experience, and ratings are a good indicator for them to boost a business in search results.
SEO Will Work its Charm
Online reviews can be a powerful tool for businesses, as they contain valuable information that can help Google understand the key aspects of your business.
For instance, a review that mentions catering services could help Google associate your brick-and-mortar restaurant with catering services, which could be a great way to expand your customer base.
Google Reviews are especially crucial for small businesses, as they can enhance their online presence and help them succeed in today’s digital-first world. As Forbes has pointed out, reviews are an essential aspect of success for small businesses, so it’s important to encourage your customers to share their experiences and leave feedback.
Challenges for Small Businesses To Gain Reviews
When it comes to obtaining online reviews, small businesses face a unique set of challenges. These difficulties can be divided into three categories:
- Customer Awareness and Engagement
- Many customers, particularly older generations, may be unaware of the importance of online reviews or how to leave them.
- When businesses fail to engage their customers on a regular basis, it is difficult to encourage them to leave Google Reviews.
- When customers have a negative experience, they are more likely to leave a review than when they have a positive experience.
- Review Solicitation and Management
- Manually soliciting Google Reviews from customers can be time-consuming and inefficient.
- Businesses may lack a consistent review solicitation process, resulting in missed opportunities.
- Businesses may fail to actively monitor their online reviews, making it difficult to respond to negative feedback and address customer concerns on time.
- Review Response and Reputation Management
- Businesses may lack the resources or expertise to respond to negative reviews effectively, potentially harming their reputation.
- Businesses may fail to recognize and thank customers for positive reviews, thereby passing up an opportunity to foster customer loyalty.
- Businesses may fail to include positive reviews in their marketing materials, thereby ignoring valuable social proof.
The Most Effective Ways to Gain More Google Reviews
I have personally tested and trialed these review strategies for years, and I can assure you that they are the best ones to overcome the challenges that small businesses face when trying to gain more Google Reviews.
But before we dive into these strategies, it’s important to address something. Contrary to popular belief, it’s perfectly acceptable to ask your customers for a review. There’s nothing rude or difficult about it. In fact, customers are often quick to leave negative reviews, so it’s only fair to ask them for a review when they have had a positive experience with your business.
Begin Making Use of QR Codes
QR codes, those little pixelated designs, have made a comeback after the global pandemic hit. Small businesses can take advantage of this trend by using a QR code generator. Even Chrome offers a free one! By creating a QR code that links to their review page, businesses can encourage customers to leave a review.
These codes can be printed on business cards, shipping receipts, or even on large posters for in-house customers to scan. It’s important to make sure that the design of the QR code draws attention to the review link and doesn’t include distractions like discounts, websites, or other instructions. The sole purpose of the QR code should be to ask for a review.
For Exit Surveys and Google Reviews, Use a Funnel
Many companies conduct their business online, whether it’s fulfilling orders or generating leads for services. It’s a good practice to conduct an exit survey after completing a service or purchase.
These surveys can provide valuable insights into the customer’s perspective, ranging from the ease of website use to the quality of services provided. By using platforms that collect these surveys, businesses can offer a point system to encourage happy customers to leave a review on Google. This strategy has proven to be effective in generating thousands of positive reviews.
The In-person Approach
As I mentioned earlier, it is perfectly fine to ask your customers for Google Reviews, even if you are interacting with them in person. If you happen to come across someone who is really enthusiastic about your product or appreciative of your services, take a moment to express your gratitude and then request them to share their experience with others by leaving a review on Google. It may seem like a small gesture, but it can make a big difference in promoting your business online.
Asking via Email
One effective way of asking for customer reviews is by sending out a quarterly email asking for feedback. This helps to maintain a good relationship with customers and obtain insights to improve your operations. An even better approach is to conduct Exit Surveys and use them to encourage customers to leave Google Reviews. You can also use emails to request reviews on other platforms like BBB or Yelp.
Best Practices for Responding to Online Reviews
Now that I’ve shown you how to ask for reviews on a regular basis, it’s time to respond to them! Responding to online reviews is almost as important as getting them. Remember that reviews can help you reach out to new customers who are looking for businesses.
Having responses under each one demonstrates that businesses value their customers’ feedback!
Preventing & Overcoming Negative Reviews
- Negative reviews are an inevitable part of any business.
- It is crucial to handle them with the right mindset and goals to maintain the integrity of the business.
- Responses to negative reviews are not just for the customer who left the review but for other potential customers who will read it.
- The focus should be on addressing the concerns raised and providing a balanced perspective instead of feeling defensive and attacked.
- Provide relevant details about the customer’s interaction, acknowledge the issue, and apologize for any wrongdoing.
- A comprehensive response that includes all the necessary information can help to paint a complete picture.
- Responding to negative reviews is an opportunity to showcase ownership, respect, and accountability of businesses.
Every response to a negative review is like an audition for all potential customers, so it is important to respond thoughtfully and respectfully.
Highlighting & Celebrating Positive Reviews
Positive evaluations should be celebrated as a team, but there is also an opportunity to improve the review. The apparent first step is to thank the customer, but using the space to include further information about the company is also beneficial.
Providing customer names, business names, and services aids in content promotion via Google. In every favorable review answer, include the following:
- The first name of the customer
- The company’s name
- The name of the service (or product) they are evaluating.
- Include something along the lines of “We hope to hear from you again” – this is useful for word-of-mouth marketing.
Reacting to and Learning From Mediocre Reviews
Most businesses anticipate both negative and positive reviews, but what should you do when you receive a mediocre review? In my experience, understanding that average reviews are normal can help you approach the situation more positively. This is a great opportunity to ask for more information from the customer if they are willing to share.
When responding to a mediocre review online, I usually ask the customer what we can do to meet their standards and provide them with a phone number or email to contact us. Although I might not hear back from them, at least I made an effort to reach out and address their concerns.
4 Things We Learned About Google Reviews
- Online reviews are extremely crucial for small businesses as they can significantly impact their reputation and success.
- Implementing effective strategies and consistently following them can be helpful in collecting reviews.
- Responding to reviews can help businesses to improve their online presence and boost their reputation.
- By prioritizing reviews and utilizing these methods, businesses can achieve greater success and reach a wider audience online.
Need help improving your Google Reviews and unlocking your small business’s full potential? Book a free discovery call with Ajay Prakash today and uncover hidden issues!
