One of the most effective ways to grow your business using the internet is often one of the most ignored.
Reviews - (the New "Word of Mouth" but online)
Every single day, your business probably has an interaction with a customer that would cause them to leave a positive review. With that in mind, why do you think it’s so hard for us to ask our customers for that valuable feedback?
Simply put, it’s just not built into our normal workflow.
We get stuck on the day-to-day task of delivering a high quality product and forget to actually ask folks to talk about the experience we so carefully delivered to them.
Today, I want to walk you through the vital reasons why Google reviews are so important to small businesses, how to get them easier, and how this can increase your sales almost overnight once you implement it.
Let’s dive in.
The 16 Powerful Effects Google Reviews have on small businesses and why they are so important.
Review Effect #1: Elevate Your Online Presence with Reviews.
Positive reviews play a pivotal role in determining your business's online visibility. Google reviews, in particular, directly influence local search rankings. The more positive reviews your business accumulates, the higher it will appear in search results. This heightened visibility is critical for attracting potential customers who are actively searching for products or services in your local area. Without a solid base of positive reviews, your business may struggle to stand out online, potentially losing valuable opportunities to competitors who leverage reviews effectively.
Review Effect #2: Establish Trust and Credibility through Reviews.
Cultivating trust and credibility is essential for any business, and positive reviews serve as powerful tools in achieving this. They act as social proof, demonstrating to potential customers that your business is reliable and trustworthy. In the absence of positive reviews, potential customers may be hesitant to choose your business over competitors. Lack of credibility can lead to lost business opportunities, as consumers are more likely to favor businesses with a proven track record of positive customer experiences.
Review Effect #3: Shape Consumer Decisions with Reviews.
Consumer decisions are increasingly influenced by online reviews. When potential customers are considering a purchase, they often turn to reviews to gauge the quality of a business. Positive reviews can sway these decisions in your favor, providing a competitive edge. Without positive reviews, your business may struggle to convince potential customers of its merits, potentially losing business to competitors who effectively leverage the persuasive impact of positive feedback.
Review Effect #4: Unlock Free Advertising with Reviews.
Every customer review is a form of free advertising for your business. Positive reviews serve as endorsements, reaching potential customers without incurring additional costs. In the absence of reviews, your business may miss out on this valuable promotional opportunity. Paid advertising can be expensive, and without positive reviews, you may need to rely more heavily on paid channels, affecting your marketing budget and overall business growth.
Review Effect #5: Feedback Loop and Continuous Improvement.
Reviews provide a direct channel for customer feedback, offering insights into what your business is doing well and areas where improvement is needed. Without this feedback loop, your business might miss valuable insights that could guide strategic decisions and improvements. Ignoring customer feedback can lead to stagnation, hindering your ability to adapt and meet evolving customer expectations.
Review Effect #6: Foster Customer Engagement through Reviews.
Responding to reviews, whether positive or negative, is an opportunity to showcase your commitment to customer satisfaction. Lack of engagement with reviews may convey indifference, potentially harming your relationship with customers. Active engagement, on the other hand, demonstrates that your business values customer feedback and is dedicated to addressing concerns. Ignoring reviews, especially negative ones, can lead to a negative perception of your business.
Review Effect #7: Optimize Local SEO with Keyword-Rich Reviews.
Reviews contribute significantly to local search engine optimization (SEO), especially when they include relevant keywords. Without keyword-rich reviews, your business may miss out on the SEO benefits that contribute to higher visibility in local searches. This lack of optimization can result in lower search rankings and reduced visibility compared to competitors who strategically incorporate keywords in their reviews.
Review Effect #8: Amplify Word-of-Mouth Marketing through Reviews.
Positive reviews act as catalysts for word-of-mouth marketing, as satisfied customers are likely to recommend your business to others. Without positive reviews, your business may lack the organic, enthusiastic endorsements that drive word-of-mouth referrals. In the absence of this grassroots marketing, you may need to invest more heavily in traditional marketing methods to generate referrals, incurring additional costs.
Review Effect #9: Transform Reviews into Dynamic Social Media Content.
Every review left for your business is potential social media content that can resonate with your audience. Without leveraging reviews for social media, your content strategy may lack the authenticity and real-life testimonials that customers find compelling. Incorporating reviews into your social media strategy is a cost-effective way to create engaging content that builds trust and credibility among your audience.
Review Effect #10: Attract Diverse Customers with Reviews.
Reviews contribute to enhancing visibility and trust, attracting a wide range of customers, from locals to tourists or individuals new to the area. Without positive reviews, your business may struggle to appeal to different customer segments. Lack of diversity in your customer base can limit growth opportunities and leave your business vulnerable to shifts in the local market.
Review Effect #11: Secure Long-Term Reputation Building through Reviews.
Accumulating positive reviews over time is a strategic investment in building a strong, long-term reputation for your business. Without actively seeking and managing reviews, your business may miss out on the opportunity to shape a positive narrative over the long term. Reputation is a valuable asset, and neglecting the review-building process may result in a weaker, less resilient business image in the eyes of potential customers.
Review Effect #12: Enhance Employee Morale and Performance.
Positive reviews not only influence customers but also impact your employees. Recognizing positive feedback can boost employee morale, creating a positive work environment. On the other hand, a lack of reviews or negative feedback can affect morale negatively, potentially leading to a decline in employee performance and satisfaction.
Review Effect #13: Competitive Advantage in Online Reputation.
Maintaining a positive online reputation through reviews provides a competitive advantage. Potential customers often compare businesses online, and a positive reputation can be a decisive factor. Without actively managing your online reputation through reviews, your business may lose ground to competitors who excel in this aspect.
Review Effect #14: Mitigate the Impact of Negative Reviews.
Actively collecting reviews allows your business to mitigate the impact of negative reviews. By consistently gathering positive feedback, the occasional negative review has less impact. Without a proactive approach to review management, negative reviews may have a more significant and lasting effect on your business's reputation.
Review Effect #15: Build Community and Customer Loyalty.
Positive reviews contribute to the sense of community around your business. They foster customer loyalty by showcasing positive experiences. Without actively building this community through reviews, your business may miss out on the opportunity to create a loyal customer base, impacting long-term sustainability and growth.
Review Effect #16: Reclaim Control with Proactive Review Management.
Proactive engagement with reviews empowers business owners to take control of their online reputation. Actively gathering, responding, and commenting on reviews—both positive and negative—allows the business to shape the narrative. By being proactive in addressing feedback, a business owner can demonstrate transparency, responsiveness, and a commitment to customer satisfaction. Without proactive review management, a business may relinquish control to online conversations, potentially leading to a skewed perception that doesn't accurately reflect the overall customer experience.
How to make the process of getting Google Reviews for your business an easy task (How to Create a “Review Machine”).
The reason that it’s so hard for most businesses to get consistent Google reviews is that it’s actually a poorly designed process by Google.
As it stands on the surface, you have to find the business on Google, click a button, and then the Review form pops up. While this works well for those searching out your business, it doesn’t actually serve our purposes.
We want to get people to leave a review at the very moment where they are feeling the most appreciative of our products or services. That’s typically when they are inside of your business experiencing that product or service.
So, how do we make this task easy?
Part 1:
You create a review link that goes directly to the Google Review form.
(This is going to seem hard, but just follow the instructions and it’s not that bad).
A) Go to the Google Place ID finder page and type in your business’ name.
B) Copy the place id tag (it should be a long set of numbers/letters).
C) Paste that tag at the end of this URL (where “REPLACEWITHTAG" is currently)
https://search.google.com/local/writereview?placeid=REPLACEWITHTAG
D) Now you have just created the "Review Link" URL save it we'll grab it later.
Part 2:
Create a Business Card with a QR code that leads directly to the Review Link.
(This is going to seem hard, but just follow the instructions and it’s not that bad).
A) Go to Canva.com and select the “blank business card” template.
B) Search for the QR code app inside of Canva.
C) Now go grab the review link that we created in "Part 1C" above and place into the "URL" field.
D) Decorate the card with instructions as you see fit for your business. (example of one of our “review machine cards” is below)
E) Print the Cards or have them printed by Canva and sent to you.
Part 3: Give every Happy Customer a “Review Card”.
A) Pass these cards out to any staff member that comes in contact serving your customers. Next, start looking for those customers who are having a positive experience with you and or your staff in your business every day.
B) Ask them if they wouldn’t mind helping you out and if they respond with a “yes” (they always will).
C) Give them a card and ask them to scan the code and to give your business a review directly at Google when the form pops up.
What are the common results of implementing this “Review Machine” in your Business?
You'll provide your staff members with a convenient method to encourage customers to leave a Google Review instantly. This causes the amount of positive reviews that you get to skyrocket and you’ll instantly start getting the 11 benefits of these reviews that we talked about above.
BONUS:
This is a great way to knock down and bury any negative reviews that your business may have gotten in the past.
Here’s my Sincere Recommendation and Request.
While this is something that you can absolutely do on your own, I know that your time is valuable. This is a task we do for our customers all the time and my team and I would love the opportunity to just do it for you. It’s not expensive and it’s something that we can have ready for you to use and benefit from in under 2 weeks from today.
I guarantee that within 60 days of us setting up a “Review Machine” for your business that you’ll see a strong spike in online reviews and the benefits to go with it.
All you have to do is sign up using this link and we’ll get it built for you within 14 days. Let myself and my team get you set up and if you aren’t completely satisfied with the results of your “Review Machine” after 60 days, we’ll give you your money back.
*****Many local business owners may not be aware of a powerful solution I offer as an authority in the field. My AI-driven software ensures that you are made aware in real time the moment a Google review is received, allowing you to promptly engage with customers. What sets this tool apart is its capability to provide editable AI "Review Replies", particularly crucial when addressing negative experiences. Take control of your online reputation effortlessly and enhance customer satisfaction. Elevate your review game and market your positive experiences effectively. Ready to revolutionize your review strategy? Embrace the future of proactive review management with my AI software – the key to unlocking your business's full potential.*****