Introduction
Customer reviews are a powerful way to build reputation and trust with your audience. What’s more, positive reviews make a business stand out among their competitors
This blog explores the importance of customer reviews and why they should be a priority in your local SEO process or digital marketing strategy.
The lifeblood of any business is its customers. Without them, there would be no business. Successful businesses work hard to make sure their customers have access to good-quality products at the right price, followed by excellent customer service.
They frequently miss out on the chance to gain the audience’s confidence and credibility by failing to search for customer reviews.
Below, we share our top tips to help you acquire and make the most of customer testimonials so that they continue to contribute to the growth of your business.
Why your business needs customer reviews
Positive customer feedback from satisfied customers indicates that a company is dedicated to providing excellent customer service.
We all check out the feedback from past customers before parting with our hard-earned money. Whether we’re looking for a service offering, a product, or a meal out, we feel more secure when engaging with a business that has been endorsed by others.
As a result, businesses with a steady stream of positive testimonials will immediately improve their chances of being found in an online search.
Google reviews can boost our SEO efforts
🌟 Google likes reviews 🌟
Once a business has verified its Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business), it can accept customer reviews.
A Whitespark survey points out the importance of reviews for Google Business Profile conversions, i.e., clicks, calls, website visits, etc.
The most significant features found in customer reviews are indicated below, with the first two being the most important factors for conversions from Google Business Profiles overall.
- High Star Ratings
- Positive Sentiment in Review Text
- Quantity of Google Reviews
- Recency of Reviews
- Presence of Owner Responses to Reviews
- Quantity of Positive Review Attributes
Search engines look for a number of signals when returning results. Local searches rely on proximity, relevancy, and trustworthiness.
Customer Reviews are a win-win for your business
We all love receiving 5 stars, but all is not lost if you receive some negative feedback.
The most important response is to act quickly.
A considered response shows that you’re listening and, in the case of a negative review, that you are taking the issue seriously.
What’s more, negative reviews give you a heads-up on problems that you may not be aware of. E.g.
- The phone is not being answered promptly
- Poor telephone manner
- Not listening properly to the inquiry
This is an opportunity to identify problems and initiate improvements.
If you want to run a ruler over your customer service, check out our “Leaky Bucket Blog” blog to make sure your customers become your best brand ambassadors.
Customer reviews build trust. They demonstrate that you care about the quality of your service and give customers an opportunity to voice their dissatisfaction as well as their praise.
How to get people to leave reviews on your Google Business Profile
You have to ASK for reviews 🙏
Every business should have a review strategy. It should be built into your sales process, bearing in mind that you ask at the right time, ideally when the transaction is complete and you know that the customer is happy.
Make it easy
Google provides every Google Business Profile (Google My Business) account with a unique review link. This link should be included in the request for review.
Ways to get reviews and make the most of them
- Invoice: Include a sentence requesting a review of the product or service when invoicing. Make it easy for them by including the clickable link
- Thank-you note: Send customers a thank-you note asking for a review and including the link.
- Include a recent review: Sometimes customers can’t think of what to write and then give up. Including an example of a review makes it much easier for them.
- Reciprocate: Take the trouble to leave a review or LinkedIn recommendation for the person or company you are dealing with.
- Share your reviews: Positive reviews are a reward for your hard work and deserve to be celebrated. Share them on your online platforms, like social media and websites, as well as company and marketing materials.
Keep your Google Business Profile current so your reviews get the attention they deserve.
Conclusion
Some businesses worry that a negative review could impact their business, but as we have explained, that is not necessarily the case. As well as responding to a negative review, having a review system in place ensures a regular flow of positive feedback, which will dilute the effect of a low score.
B2B clients typically invest more in products or services and are therefore influenced by the opinions of their colleagues, peers, and trusted sources.
Positive customer reviews build trust and can be used as a cost-effective marketing tool to help your business reach more customers and fuel future growth.
Act now and implement your customer review acquisition strategy.
Need help? Avail of our FREE 15-minute marketing consultation.
