It’s a human instinct to look for a second opinion before buying a product or service. According to research, more than 81 percent of users check google reviews before opting for a service or product. That’s because Google ranks as the most popular review site for local and global businesses.
Having good google reviews is quite beneficial for local businesses like painting, remodeling, plumbing, etc.
It helps in establishing brand trust
With so many options available online, it’s common for anyone to get confused while choosing the right product/service. The first thing users do is checking the google reviews of a business. Google reviews are the first checkpoint that establishes credibility to a business. Glorious reviews by customers can instantly build trust among users searching for a local business nearby.
It improves search ranking
Businesses with more positive reviews get more exposure from Google. When Google sees that customers are liking your business more than your competitor, they will improve your organic ranking, ensuring more and more customers enjoy your services.
It increases click-through rates
Google reviews play a key encouraging factor for converting a visitor into a loyal customer. Even though you manage to reach the top rank in the google search engine, that doesn’t always guarantee business. Any customer that finds your website on google will first look into your customer feedback and reviews.
Having more stars definitely helps in driving customers’ attention. Studies shows that stars can boost CTR up to 35 percent. Websites with no or bad reviews are most likely to get snubbed by users, while sites with positive reviews get more visits.
It brings business and customer closer
The GMB review page can also be used as an engagement platform for customers and businesses. When customers check reviews, they are probably looking for answers to their questions. They might be looking for the availability or pricing of a product or service. Therefore, most customers tend to find answers to their queries in the review page, rather than contacting the owner directly. Therefore, whenever asking a customers to leave a reviews, you can ask them to mention the service or product they purchase, along with the price tag.
FAQs
How often do Google reviews update?
Google updates a new review within 3-4 days. Meaning, if someone leaves a review, it will take at least 3-5 days before it reflects on your GMB page.
Can someone leave a fake review?
No, the google algorithm is very strict in this matter. Any review that looks suspicious will be flagged by Google.
Google follows a pattern for checking the legitimacy of a review, which differs from business to business. For instance, if you commonly receive 3-4 reviews every month, and suddenly your website is bombarded with reviews, then the Google Web Spam Team will suddenly put them for review for a few days.
They also check the IP address of the reviewers. So, if anyone tries to leave fake reviews, they will probably get caught.
How google score your reviews?
Google scores your reviews by accumulating your user ratings and some other factors. According to SEO consultants, google uses a programming algorithm such as Bayesian Average to calculate the final score for your reviews.
Therefore, if you are hoping to set a 5.0 rating in your GMB reviews, you have to get a certain number of 5-star google ratings from valid customers. Unless Google has a large data set, it cannot make an accurate calculation.
What are some automation tools for Google Reviews?
It’s not always possible to remain proactive on the internet. This is where automation tools like GatherUp, BrightLocal, and Grade.us can help. Automation tools assist you in actively monitoring your google reviews from Google, Facebook, Yelp, and many more.
Whenever someone leaves a review, the tool will notify you via email notifications, and texts.
Automation tools also aid in gaining more reviews from customers. You can automate review requests to your existing users. You can create custom messages (include the link) and request users to leave a review. The tool will send the message to your users reminding them of the same.
Should I use a google review plugin?
Yes, the google review plugin gives you an extra advantage over gaining customer trust. A google review plugin notifies you whenever someone drops a review. This increases your chance to showcase your service quality.
For instance, if a customer thanks you for your service, you can say “we are glad you like our service”. Similarly, if someone leaves a negative comment, you can address them as quickly as possible.
The best feature of the google review plugin is that you can choose which reviews to show on your website. You can put your best reviews on top to impress your customers.
What to do if you have a bad review?
Respond to a negative review as fast as possible. Prompt action shows that you are well committed to your customer service. Most customers check how you address your customer queries and complaints. Simply ignoring the negative reviews can be counterproductive for your business.
Whenever you receive a negative comment, first check the credibility of the reviewers. Sometimes it might just be a jealous competitor.
Even though it’s a fraudulent review, you must politely address the complaint and apologizes for the dissatisfaction. Leave a comment saying you couldn’t find them in your customer record. Offer them to fix the problem and leave your contact information in the comment box. On top of that, you should also flag or report fraudulent reviewers.
If the negative review is from a genuine person, then address the complaint and ensure you are on your way to fix it at its earliest. Never leave an excuse in the comment sector, rather own up to it.