10 Ways to Get More Google Reviews
As business owners we can all agree that our reputations are the most important item we can build. Reputations take years to build, and only seconds to destroy. With more customers turning to search engines like Google for help, your online reputation is just as important. That is why Google Reviews play such a large role in converting website traffic into customers. In fact, 88% of all consumers agree that they trust online reviews just as much as personal recommendations and 90% of consumers read online reviews before visiting a business. These stats showcase just how important Google Reviews are for a business so the question becomes, how do I generate Google Reviews? Here are 10 ways to get more Google Reviews for your business from MarketKeep, the digital marketing agency for small businesses.
10 Ways to Get More Google Reviews
Before we jump into our 10 ways to get more Google Reviews we must first understand the importance of Google Reviews. Just how much weight do online reviews carry throughout a user’s experience online? The proof is in the data!
- 90% of consumers read reviews before visiting a website
- 88% of consumers trust online reviews just as much as a personal recommendation
- 72% of consumers say that positive reviews make them trust a local business more
- Product page visitors who read reviews convert at a 58% higher rate
- 10% of website traffic is attributed to positive online reviews
So now that we know just how important Google Reviews are, here are 10 ways to get more Google Reviews for your business! Now you may be wondering to yourself, okay well if I generate 50 5-star reviews is that good? Can I call it quits after that? The answer is no. And to prove our point here are two important stats to keep in mind:
- 85% of consumers do not trust reviews that are more than 3 months old
- 40% of users only look at reviews from the past two weeks
1. Ask Customers Directly
Shocking we know, but the best way to generate Google Reviews is to just simply ask! Asking for reviews in-person is the most direct way to ensure customers leave positive online reviews.
2. Send a follow-up email
After you have completed a sale or service successfully send your customer a follow-up email asking them to leave a Google Review. In your email try to make sure you do the following:
- Are personal
- Thank the customer for choosing you
- Tell your customer you appreciate their feedback
- Tell your customer how it helps others find your business online
- Make it easy – provide users with a link
Now that last step is very important! Don’t make it hard on your users, make it easy. In your Google My Business profile, there is a way for you to copy and paste a link so you can share your Reviews Page with customers online, you can also use the Whitespark Review Generator Template to easily create a link too.
3. Leave a leave behind
When a customer leaves, leave them with a leave behind. So if you own a cleaning company maybe leave them with a kind note or an inspirational quote with a “review our company” on it. Need help designing a leave behind? Turn to canva, a free online tool for creating brochures, flyers, and all sorts of marketing materials.
4. Add a review link to your website
Use your website traffic as a free way to boost your Google Reviews online. A custom Google Review link allows you to provide clients or website visitors with a place they can leave you a review.
5. Automate the Process
Don’t have time to generate Google Reviews for your business? Turn to automation! Companies like ReviewTrigger help you create custom Google Review sequences that you can implement with ease. Just know a majority of these programs you have to pay for.
6. The Key is in follow-up
Just because you ask a customer once, means that they will stop what they are doing and leave you a review. We wish it worked like that, but most often it does not.
We recommend that you ask someone 2 or 3 times for a Google Review before calling it quits.
7. Don’t Stress the Negative Review or the 3-Star Review
No business can have all 5-star reviews. There will come a day when a negative review comes onboard. Just accept responsibility for it, respond kindly and move on.
Think of it this way. When customers see that you monitor and respond to reviews – both the good and the bad – they are more likely to see a business that is on top of things! Of course if you know it is a false review or a spam review, Google does have ways to remove those. Here are Google’s Guidelines for removing negative reviews.
8. Make It A Call-to-Action
People take their time, it’s just the way things go. Think about creating CTA’s on your website or marketing materials that encourage users to leave a review. You will be amazed by how much this helps.
9. Respond to Reviews
Asking is just half the battle! Make sure that you respond to your reviews as well. If a customer leaves a positive review make sure to thank them! If a customer leaves a negative review follow the outline below:
- Address the issue in your response first
- Apologize for the issue
- Attempt to resolve the issue privately, ask them to call
- Move on
10. Provide Great Service
If you provide great service people will want to become advocates for your business. If you focus on providing great customer service the reviews will come naturally.
About MarketKeep
MarketKeep is a digital marketing agency for small businesses and start-ups based in Towson, Md. Our goal is to help small business owners plan, place, and optimize their digital marketing strategies. MarketKeep is proud to offer our clients the following services:
Website Design – As a website design company we build websites that represent you and your brand and instantly builds a connection with your customers online. To learn more about our website design capabilities please contact our website designers.
SEO Company – As a Maryland SEO Company, we partner with small businesses to help grow their organic presence online through on-page, off-page, and reputation management techniques. To learn more about our SEO services for small businesses please contact our SEO team.
Pay Per Click Experts – As your SEM Agency MarketKeep will plan, place, and optimize your SEM campaigns so that you are maximizing your SEM campaign. To learn more about our SEM Services please contact our SEM team.
Social Media Management – Tired of running your social media accounts on a daily basis? Not sure what to post? As your Social Media Marketing Assistants MarketKeep will plan, place, and optimize your social media strategies. To connect contact our Social Media Management Team today.
Local SEO – So many of us rely on our phones to find businesses and products that are close by. Don’t miss out on an opportunity to connect with customers in your backyard. As a Local SEO agency MarketKeep helps to position your business online to acquire Local SEO searches. Learn more by contacting our Local SEO Agency Team.