How to Get More Google Reviews – 9 Strategies That Work

For an increasing number of consumers, it has become important to do some research before spending their money. No one wants to buy something that looks great in the advertisements but proves to be poor quality when purchased. Similarly, many people are becoming conscientious about where they spend their money, not wanting to support businesses with values that don’t align with their own.

Reviews have long been a means of gathering information before making a purchase and with so many users turning to Google for recommendations of where to find various goods and services, obtaining good Google Reviews has become increasingly important.

Here’s how to get more Google reviews for your business.

 

Add A Review Link to Your Website

Your best chance of getting reviews lies in making it simple. Visitors to your website should be presented with a link that takes them directly to your review page so that they can reach it quickly and easily.

 

Request Them in Your Emails

It’s common today for businesses to acquire the emails of their customers. This can be done to send them electronic receipts, as part of signing up for loyalty programs, or any of a number of other reasons. Once a customer has made a purchase, sending a follow up email asking if they were satisfied with their purchase can help you get more reviews.

 

Include Your Google Business Profile URL in Your Emails

On the topic of your emails, when sending them for other purposes such as to announce new products, announce promotions, or provide regular updates regarding your business, you should ensure that your email signature includes the link to your review page.  

 

Add the Link to Your Business Cards

Handing out business cards provides you with another opportunity to seek reviews. Along with all other pertinent information, the card can include the link to your review page.

 

Ask For Reviews on Your Receipts

Receipts from your cash register can be customized to include the link to your review page. In this way, virtually every customer who comes through your door and makes a purchase will be presented with an opportunity to leave a review.

 

Respond to Existing Reviews

Far too often, companies make the mistake of not responding to their reviews, but it is critical to do so. If a customer visits your review page either to read reviews or leave one of their own, they should not be confronted with a series of reviews that have no response. This seems to indicate that the reviews are not being acknowledged and in the case of negative reviews, this can be particularly harmful.

Customers want to know that their opinions matter and are being taken seriously. Responding to reviews lets them know that this is the case. For negative reviews, it gives you the opportunity to clarify situations, discover what went wrong, and find a way to make things right for the customer. This can go a long way toward demonstrating your company’s ethics and also helps to foster a feeling of trust among readers.

 

Hang a Sign in Your Store

Hanging a sign is a simple method of asking for more reviews that will be visible to every customer who comes to your location, reminding them with every visit that their reviews will be helpful to you.

 

Link to Google Reviews from Social Media

Along with reviews, customers turn to social media to learn about products and businesses. They may follow your business for a time, reading your posts and seeing the content that you share. Using your social media posts is an excellent way to encourage both new and long-term customers to share their thoughts and provide feedback. Some customers will already be doing this on your posts, so providing a link to Google Reviews can steer them toward posting in a spot that can be more beneficial to you.

You can also take screenshots of existing reviews and post them to your social media account. This will help build trust in your business while also encouraging readers to leave reviews of their own.

 

Just Ask for Them

Many of these suggestions involve simply asking for the review in different ways and that is ultimately the best way to get them: ask. You can ask your customers face-to-face if they would consider making a review. The best time to do this is when you have completed a transaction with them, and they are pleased with the service they have received. 

Google Reviews can be a major asset to your business, with 88% of consumers trusting them as much as personal recommendations and 70% willing to leave you a review if you will only ask for one.