When you are trying to decide if you are going to purchase from a business what do you do? If you are anything like me, or the 93% of consumers that say online reviews influenced their purchasing decisions, you do just that; you check the reviews. In fact, 84% of people trust online reviews as much as they trust recommendations from friends. Moreover, 92% of consumers will hesitate to buy a product if there are no reviews left by customers.

Not only do Google reviews help consumers with their buying decisions, but they also increase your visibility on the Google search engine. Google rewards businesses that have a high number of reviews because this is a signal to the search engine that your business is highly relevant.

Obviously, Google reviews are extremely important for any business in 2021. The challenge is getting people to take the time to leave them. According to USA TODAY, only 5-10% of customers will take the time to leave a review. However, 72% of customers say they will leave a review if you ask them. Keep in mind, it is very important that you do not bribe customers or offer them rewards for leaving a review. Not only does this make your business less authentic, but it can actually lead to negative repercussions from google.

Ask

As you can see from the stat above, the most important element to getting more google reviews is to ask for them! This can be done in a variety of different ways. The most simple and direct way is to simply ask your customer at the end of a transaction. Your conversation may go something like this:

Be sure to explain the “why” behind why their review matters. You can also ask for reviews via email, social media or on your website. The most important thing is that you are constantly asking for feedback. 

Here is a link directly from Google on how to create a sharable link for your Google reviews.  

Educate
Depending on the demographics of your customers many people may not know exactly how to leave a review on Google. You can overcome this hurdle by educating your customers on how to do it. This might entail creating a short video tutorial or sharing an existing link, creating a handout with instructions/screenshots, or even showing consumers how to do it on your tablet or computer in the store if time permits. You will be surprised at your customers' willingness to help promote your business if you help them overcome the small hurdles. 

Dealing with Negative Reviews

No business owner enjoys getting a negative review, but you may be surprised to learn that there is a positive side to negative feedback online. Having a small number of negative reviews actually makes your business look more authentic. Customers know that there is a lot of false information online, so a business with only 5-star reviews may come across as a red flag to some people. Showing customers that you are real helps to build trust and deepen relationships. Negative reviews can also help you identify areas that you need to improve and make your business better. It can also serve as a medium to address customer concerns and win back their loyalty should they have a negative experience.

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