Reviews are an important part of any small business’s marketing strategy. Specifically Google reviews can have a huge impact on the success of your business because of the following: grows credibility, are seen as honest, can help you be found, and provides you with quality feedback.
Credibility
Reviews lend credibility to your small business. People want to feel comfortable with making a purchase and tend to have questions they want answered before going for it. As a small business owner you can absolutely answer their questions, but anything you say will be taken with a grain of salt. After all – you want to make a sale.
So potential customers will turn to reviews for the answers. Are the sizes accurate? What is the quality of the material? How long did this last? These are all questions that potential buyers want answered by people who have already made the purchase. If there is a good number of buyers with the same experience, then it is likely that the potential buyer will also have the same experience.
Honest (For the most part)
Reviews are seen as honest. Because Google has a strict set of guidelines, any review on Google is more than likely going to be honest. This does not mean this is always the case – but potential customers should be able to sniff out a review that seems less than legitimate.
With the rise of influencer marketing, reviews have become even more valuable (but not in the way you think). While influencer marketing can be a great way to market your products, people have begun to become numb to this form of marketing. (Again, that does not mean it is not a good marketing strategy.) Google reviews are seen as much more honest than an influencer’s review because the average person is not being paid. These reviews are written because a consumer wanted to share their experience with everyone.
Helps You Be Found
When you have many Google reviews (and have a decent average rating), you are likely to be found easier. Google Maps looks at prominent pieces of your Google Business Profile when it is deciding the ranking, or order in which to display businesses to someone – and part of that is the amount of reviews you have.
Businesses with little to no reviews are likely to be placed at the very bottom of a search query, and let’s be honest. No one is scrolling all the way down.
Quality Feedback
Look. When you start asking for reviews you are bound to get some negative ones. But this is not always a bad thing. Sometimes this honest feedback gives small business owners the chance to realize changes need to be made in how they operate. Use negative reviews as learning points for creating a positive customer experience.
Always take a second to respond to reviews – whether they are positive or negative. This shows potential customers that you are actively listening to your community, and care about their needs.
“Okay, fine. I’ll start asking for Google reviews. But how do I go about it?” Your small business actually has a direct link that will OPEN the Google review dialog box when used. Watch the video below for more information on this direct link and how to get it.
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Feel free to share your thoughts with me, I can be reached at vivian@theseasonedmarketer.com!
Looking for more free marketing tips and content specifically for small business owners? Check out our podcast, S.O.B. Marketing Podcast. Every Wednesday we discuss a new topic to help small business owners take on marketing on their own. Listen to our episode of the S.O.B. Marketing podcast wherever you get your podcasts or watch on YouTube! Have a topic you want us to discuss? Email us at Help@TheSeasonedMarketer.com!
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