Looking to get more Google reviews for your business? This is a smart step to take, as 88 percent of consumers trust online reviews just as much as personal recommendations. Your online reviews don’t need to be perfect either – people want to get a well-rounded perspective on your business and the things you do well. Another bonus is that Google reviews hold weight in the search algorithms.
Knowing how important Google reviews are, here are seven ways to get more of them!
1. Ask Customers Directly
The easiest way to gather more feedback is by asking customers directly. It’s okay to do this as long as you aren’t bribing them. You can ask customers to leave you a review while you’re on the phone with them or at a networking event. When people see that you want their feedback, they’ll be more likely to take the time to leave a review.
2. Send a Follow-up Email
Another way to get more reviews is by sending a follow-up email. The best time to do this is after a customer makes a purchase and has had some time to test out the product. Thank the customer for choosing you, tell them why you want their feedback and provide them with a direct link of where they can leave a review.
3. Add a Review Link to Your Website
Consider adding a review link to your website so that customers can leave a review. This is an easy way to collect more feedback because it’s easy for customers – all they have to do is click the link. Put the custom review link in your header, footer or lightbox popup.
4. Respond to Reviews
By responding to reviews, it shows customers that you are reading their comments and using their feedback to improve your business. This makes them more likely to leave you reviews in the future. And if you get a bad review, be sure to keep your cool. Accept responsibility and correct the problem. That bad review might turn into a good one!
5. Deliver Great Service
A lot of times, people don’t leave reviews because the service was fine – not good, not bad. If you want customers to feel compelled to write a review, keep them happy and deliver great service. It’s often these exceptional experiences that people remember to write about.
6. Add Calls-to-Action or Popups
Add a small popup that encourages customers to leave a review. People often procrastinate, so if they see the popup, they’ll be more likely to follow through with the action. For example, you can say something like, “Are you enjoying this product? Leave us a review and tell us about it!”
7. Create a Landing Page
Design a landing page that encourages customers to share their experiences with your business. You can build these landing pages using survey forms, review generation software or embedded review widgets.
Google reviews are incredibly important. They can help your business get found in the search results while also encouraging new and existing customers to choose your business. For help implementing these tips, contact WSI Internet Partners today.