What Makes Google Reviews Such an Important Business Tool?
Online review statistics show that 89% of customers won’t make an online purchase before reading the opinions of their fellow customers. Also, 59% of these consumers read the reviews on Google.
These statistics give you a glimpse into why you should start paying attention to Google reviews. It is a business tool that can influence your business’s success as it helps customers decide whether to buy from you or not.
Besides attracting more customers, you could gain so much more from Google reviews. Keep reading to discover why these reviews should be at the top of your list of business tools.
Increased Brand Credibility
Most online users will be unwilling to do business with you if they don’t know you. For these people, reviews will be a critical tool in helping them develop the level of comfort they need before they purchase your products.
Google reviews will be the company tool that tells a story about the quality of your products and services. The reviews will also tell these prospects how you’ll treat them if they do business with you.
The more positive reviews you have on Google, the more people think of your business as credible. Therefore, the reviews will be a great resource for boosting your business’s reputation and giving new customers the confidence to work with you.
Improved Business Exposure and Local SEO
Google will evaluate the quality and quantity of your reviews to determine where to rank you on a search page. If your reviews are built around diversity, quantity, and velocity, you’ll rank higher in the search engine. The reviews will signal that your business is trustworthy or that many people like it.
The higher you rank, the more visible your business will be. People will find you easily every time they use search terms related to your business.
Google reviews also allow your business to rank higher in the Google Map Pack. This means it will show up when people search for businesses near their location. The map pack will display your business’s name, the link to your website, contact information, the number of reviews, and the average rating.
Therefore, business reviews are a key tool to improve your local SEO and visibility. If you have more reviews, Google will display your business among the top local businesses in relevant search queries. This means more visibility to people interested in your products and services.
Better Customer Service
You can use Google reviews as a business tool to gain more insight into your customers’ feelings about your products and services. This insight will help you see what you’re doing right or what needs improvement.
The reviews will tell you whether your company delivers a positive customer experience. They will also communicate whether you and your employees are doing well in establishing a strong relationship with your clients. The not-so-great reviews will tell you the area you need to work on to satisfy your customers.
Google reviews will allow you to connect with your customers by responding to what they say. For example, you can reply by thanking them for sharing their positive feedback or reassuring them that you’re doing your best to resolve their issues.
Research on customer reviews shows that 45% of consumers are more willing to work with a business if it responds to negative reviews. This means that replying to all reviews, including the negative ones, will help you woe more customers. They will know that you care about your clients and their experiences.
Increased Website Traffic and Conversions
No matter how much money and time you spend on your SEO strategy, it’ll be futile if no one clicks on your business website. Google reviews ensure that your click-through rate increases when ranking high in search engines.
Internet users will be more interested in learning more about your business when they see positive ratings. They’ll want to see why your business has a higher rating than others.
A high-traffic website will go hand in hand with a high conversion rate. Your site visitors need something to entice them to order your products and services.
While an eye-catching website and a seamless experience are vital, they can’t outdo Google reviews in compelling people to buy your products. As such, you should focus on gathering more reviews if you want to convert more leads.
There are many tried-and-tested strategies that you can use to get more Google reviews. These will make prospects trust you and your products more and become actual buyers.
Drowning Out Your Haters
No matter how good you are at fulfilling customers’ needs, there will always be one client who’ll never be satisfied with your services. Such a client can leave negative reviews and put your business reputation at risk. This is where getting more Google reviews comes into play.
New and positive reviews will neutralize the negative opinion. The more you get, the less likely it is that a negative review will have an impact on your business.
In addition, people will always see the new reviews first. The old bad review will move further down the list to a point where most people will never bother looking.
More Testimonials for Better Marketing
Google reviews will help you get testimonials that you can use in your other marketing strategies. For example, you can incorporate the reviews into a social media video marketing campaign for your business or a print media advertisement.
You might need the consent of the client leaving the review. The chances are that they’ll agree that you use their comments, especially if they’re satisfied with your products.
The testimonials will be unbiased opinions from third parties. As a result, people will perceive them as genuine and will be more willing to buy from you.
Make Google Reviews Your Top Business Tool and Watch Your Business Grow
Good reviews are a cost-effective business tool that has the potential to take your business to the next level. The reviews will boost your local SEO, generate more web traffic for you, and help you serve your customers better. You should focus on building up a pile of Google reviews and watch your business gain more customers.
If you enjoyed reading this article, browse our website for more tips on growing your business.