Your Google Reviews
Buyers pay attention to online reviews. In fact, 9 out of 10 people say web reviews influence their purchasing decisions.
Take control of your online reputation with ReviewInc’s leading Google review management software. We can help you get more Google reviews and build trust with prospects—so you can earn more business and leave your competition in the dust
Why Google Reviews Matter
Prospects rely on Google reviews to research businesses, from nail salons to doctor’s offices. Managing and optimizing Google reviews can help you:
Improve Visibility
Google looks at the number of Google reviews you have and your overall rating. They use this information to determine how you rank and who finds your business. The more positive Google reviews you have, the higher you’ll rank among competitors.
Build Trust
Nearly half of consumers will research your business online before deciding to buy from you. And people value the opinions of their peers. The more positive Google reviews you have, the more likely potential customers are to choose your brand.
Boost Clickthrough Rate (CTR) & Sales
When prospects can find you easily online and they see great views, they’re more likely to give you their business. A 2020 study by cxl.com found that review stars can boost CTR by up to 35%. And an increase of just one star translates to a 5-9% increase in sales, according to Harvard.
Why Monitor Your Google Reviews?
Shoppers use Google reviews to narrow their options and make purchasing decisions. They instinctively evaluate a brand based on how many reviews they see and the quality of those reviews.
But it’s not just potential customers you want to impress. A business’s bread and butter are return customers. Positive engagement with existing customers in the review space can help you boost customer retention.
You need to know what people are saying about your business so you can respond appropriately. ReviewInc makes it easy to manage the complete lifecycle of a review with our easy-to-use, customizable platform.
How ReviewInc Can Help with Google Reviews
- Get Notifications – Get alerts when a positive or negative Google review comes in—or a review from another site. Respond directly to Facebook and Google reviews from within our platform.
- Track Sentiment – Our tools help measure sentiment and empower your team to look for patterns, strengths, and areas for improvement.
- Ask for Feedback – Ask prospects and existing customers for feedback, and send thank you and follow-up emails with our cutting-edge Review Flow system.
- Respond to Reviews – Acknowledging reviews—good and bad—demonstrates your commitment to customer service. Our platform helps you respond better and faster.
Tips to Get More Google Reviews
Good reviews are a vital part of building your business. Here are some ways to get more Google reviews.
1: Let customers know their feedback matters.
Everyone wants to feel heard. Reviews are a perfect opportunity to let prospects and existing customers know how much you value their feedback. Let them know their opinion matters.
2: Ask at the right time.
Timing is important when it comes to reviews. If you ask too soon, customers may not respond at all. Think about how long it takes post-purchase for customers to gain the relevant experience with your product or service to leave a review. Time your ask accordingly.
3: Respond to reviews.
You can get more reviews by responding to existing ones. Why? Because it shows prospective customers that you care. It’s also an opportunity to demonstrate how you handle negative or neutral reviews.
4: Automate your requests.
Asking for reviews can get lost in the sea of tasks you have to get through each day. Don’t let valuable Google reviews slip away. Invest in a Google review automation service.
5: Don’t avoid negative feedback.
It’s important to respond to a bad review even when you know it’s unfair or unjustified. How you reply gives potential customers valuable information about your integrity and trustworthiness. Always take the high road.
6: Make it easy.
Test your processes regularly and make sure it’s easy for customers to submit reviews on any device or browser. Watch a customer submit a review to see if there are any kinks to work out.
7: Don’t be afraid to ask twice.
We all have to be asked more than once every now and then. Don’t give up after the first try. Follow up on as many platforms as possible—via email, social media, SMS—and of course, in person. Give customers the chance to respond in the way that’s most convenient for them.
FAQS
What is Google Business Profile?
Google Business Profile or GBP (previously Google My Business) is an easy-to-use, free listing service every business should be using to enhance their search presence on Google Maps and Search.
GBP is like other listing sites, but it’s especially important for business owners to claim a GBP listing and manage their online reputation. Why? Because GBP listings and reviews are the highest indicators of SEO ranking, according to Moz.
How do you create a Google Business Profile listing?
Here’s how to create a Google Business Profile (GBP) listing in three steps.
Business Description
Add the perfect description of your business with key information about your products or services. Optimize it with target keywords—just not too many to be spammy.
Hours
Make sure your hours are accurate. Update them regularly so customers know when to call or expect a response. Post your holiday hours, too.
Add Photos
Make your listing look attractive with high-resolution photos of your products. Images help your listing stand out and give customers a better experience. This increases the likelihood of clicks, according to Google.
What are Google reviews?
Google reviews allow customers to leave feedback about a business. All they need is a Google profile, no separate account required. Google reviews are an integrated feature within Google Business Profile and Google Maps.
Hundreds of millions of people use Google as their default search engine. This means Google’s reach is much wider than other review sites, and it’s why every business should be seeking out Google reviews.
How do I review a business on Google?
There are two different ways to leave a Google review—through a browser or through the Google Maps App.
In either case, you will log into your Google account, search for the business you want to review, and follow the prompts to leave a review. Add your comments, choose a star rating, and hit “post.”
How do I see Google reviews?
91% of people regularly or occasionally read reviews and 84% of people trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation. According to a 2019 study, 57% of people regularly check Google for reviews.
To find Google reviews about a business, search for the business in Google. You will see a star rating below the business name. Click the link next to the rating stars to read reviews.
Can I delete a Google review?
When you see a negative Google review about your business, your first instinct may be to try and delete it, especially if you feel it’s unfair.
Seeing negative feedback can trigger emotions. But it’s important to know that negative reviews about your business can be outweighed by positive ones. And, somewhat counterintuitively, having a few negative reviews is not necessarily a bad thing.
When you see a negative Google review about your business, your first instinct may be to try and delete it, especially if you feel it’s unfair.
Seeing negative feedback can trigger emotions. But it’s important to know that negative reviews about your business can be outweighed by positive ones. And, somewhat counterintuitively, having a few negative reviews is not necessarily a bad thing.
According to the Spiegel Digital & Database Research Center, the optimal rating is between 4.2 and 4.5 stars. Having only 5-star reviews looks suspicious. We intuitively know that no one—or no business—is perfect.
When you see a negative review, the smart move is to respond with empathy. Always take the high road, even when a customer is being unreasonable.
If you suspect a review is fake or defamatory, however, you can flag it for removal. You can also flag negative reviews that:
- Contain hateful, violent, or inappropriate content
- Contains a conflict of interest
- Contains advertising or spam
- Is off topic/irrelevant to your business
Read more about flagging reviews here. To learn how to deal with anonymous reviews, check out this blog post.
How do I best leverage Google Business Profile?
Here are some ways to use your GBP effectively to benefit your business:
Engage Your Customers – One of the best ways to get more positive reviews on Google is to simply ask your customers. While it’s tempting to focus solely on happy customers or ‘promoters’ (a term from net promoter score metrics), it’s important to request feedback from all customers to maintain transparency and compliance with Google review guidelines. Addressing concerns promptly can turn a dissatisfied customer into a loyal supporter.
Time Your Review Requests – Customers need enough time to gain experience with your product or service before they can make an informed review. Let your customers know you will be sending a review request and be sure to explain why you value their feedback and input. Let them know how you will be sending the request (by text, email, etc.) and when they should expect it.
Automate Google Review Requests – Streamlining your review request process via automated emails or texts using reputation management software can save your business time and money. Keep automated requests simple and include personal details like the customer’s name and order information. This will make the request feel more personal, increasing the odds they will leave a review.
Provide a Review Link – Make it easy for customers to leave a review by creating a link for them to use. Include the link in thank you emails, on receipts, or add it at the end of a chat interaction. To learn how to create a link, visit Google’s Support blog.
How do I manage Google reviews?
Getting notifications when a review comes in—whether positive or negative—is vital. It’s the best way to empower your team so they can respond appropriately.
The timing of your response to a bad review is everything when it comes to Google review management. Get it right and you just might be able to convince an unhappy customer to reverse their review.
Manage your Google reviews and give your business a boost with ReviewInc’s cutting-edge software. Schedule a free live product demo and get started today.
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