“Google reviews? Are those really important?” Yes, as a matter of fact, they are.
As we’ve mentioned, your first page results on search engines are where most customers ‘window-shop’ in today’s day and age, and as pointed out, 99% of people don’t make it past the first page of Google results. You absolutely have to nail your first impression with potential customers, or they will easily just move on to the next.
One key part of that front-page snapshot on Google is the reviews — they wouldn’t display them if they weren’t important. But why are they so important, and how can you get more?
Importance
The rise of online shopping has led shoppers, customers, and even potential partnering businesses to checking out what others have to say about your company and many others’. In a world of instant gratification, no gratification is better than finding a good business fit for you — or marking one off your list to some shoppers. Peace of mind goes a long way.
That’s why Google has reviews in the top third on desktop and the third tab of a company’s profile on mobile: people read them and very much use them to make business decisions.
Bottom line, Google reviews are as important of a piece of your company’s digital footprint as anything else — do not skip the opportunity to receive feedback for your business.
How to get more
There are a myriad of ways to get more reviews, and it all depends on your industry, branding/voice, and how you interact with customers. It’s not unheard of or against the unwritten rules to ask customers for reviews in more ways than one, either — the same way you’d ask for a sale is the same way you’d ask for a review.
A mismatch of industry and approach, though, can backfire and do more damage than good. For example, a tree removal company asking for reviews in the middle of a job might not be the best idea, especially if things fall through. A restaurant asking you to scan yet another QR code just for a review is cumbersome and would probably lead to negative feedback.
But an e-commerce company sending a follow-up email? Or a car salesman using the aforementioned QR tactic at the end of a sale? How about a realtor including it in your welcome home package after buying your first home? Those are all good examples of how to execute a correct review strategy.
Think about your ideal clientele, put yourself in their shoes, and picture their reaction to different strategies.
In our line of work, we not only ask for reviews, but we simplify the process with various tools, like QR codes and other links. Those are the easy part — getting the reviews first takes the most time.
