02/21/2018 Joe Jensen

Reputation Management Using Google Business Reviews (and How to Get Them)

You already know it’s important to get positive online reviews for your business. But do you know just how much it matters?  It could be effecting your reputation management.

The answer might surprise you. In a recent survey, 90% of respondents said they go online to check out feedback before trying a new business. Even more incredible is that 84% said they would give an online review from a stranger the same consideration as a personal recommendation from a friend[1].

 

Why Google Business Reviews Matter More

Google Reviews NYC

It’s easy to see why getting people say good things about your business is important anywhere on the internet. Buyers will check you out on Yelp, TripAdvisor, Facebook, and/or industry website directories depending on what type of company you have.

However, if you’re looking to shore up your online reputation management, it’s best to start with your Google business page. That’s because the search engine is the web’s most popular destination, processing nearly 5 billion inquiries every day. And, when you have lots of positive reviews on Google, they show up within the search listings themselves, bringing you extra traffic and making your company easier to find.

Think about it this way: hundreds of people each week might see you and your competitors side-by-side on Google’s listings. Wouldn’t you want them to see five stars next to your company and website name?

 

The Challenge of Getting Great Google Business Reviews

New Reputation Management Campaign

Because the path from great Google reviews to new sales is so clear, lots of marketers pour a ton of time and effort into building up a strong online reputation management campaign. In theory, it should be simple – you provide great products, services, and pricing, and grateful customers want to leave you strong feedback. In reality, though, things can be frustrating and time-consuming for buyers who have other things on their minds.

To put it another way, a lot of business owners find themselves in a situation where their best customers would be happy to leave them positive reviews, but they can’t find the company’s Google business page online. Or, the customers like the business but aren’t invested enough to follow through the steps needed to share their feedback.

In the end, it leaves good businesses with a situation where they can’t get the reviews they need. Today, we want to show you a quick, easy, and cost-effective solution to this problem.

 

How to Get Five-Star Google Business Reviews Almost Instantly

Reputation Management Services

Given that gathering great reviews is largely a matter of convenience, it’s important to make things simpler for your customers. Here are a few steps you can follow to accelerate your review collection process:

  1. Make sure your company has a Google business page set up already. If you don’t, start one. Either way, you should verify that the name, address, phone number, etc. are correct. This is important because it helps buyers to find you, and because it will make the following steps possible.
  2. Use your phone in “incognito mode” to find your business on Google. If you can’t locate it immediately, search using the address or city name you double-checked in the previous step.
  3. Scroll down to the “rate and review” option for your business, and click all five stars. However, at this point you do not want to submit a review.
  4. Instead, go to the address bar of the browser you’re using and copy the complete URL. You can then send this link to customers directly. The five stars you already entered will carry over and be pre-filled in their review along with their comments.
  5. Email the link to your best customers with a short note explained how important Google reviews are to your business and stressing that they can leave positive feedback for your company and ten seconds or less.

 

An Even Easier Way to Get Reviews

Reputation Management Get Reviews

Want to make this process even simpler? At SmartNet Solutions, we can help you to create a Google business page, create a shortened link for five-star reviews, and even monitor or manage your online reputation over time. Best of all, this service costs next to nothing, whether measured in time or actual cash.

Nine of every ten buyers are going to check you out online before they ever contact you or make a purchase. Most of them are going to end up on Google. Why not let us help you make the most of your online reputation management so you can turn more searches into sales?

[1] https://www.forbes.com/sites/ryanerskine/2017/09/19/20-online-reputation-statistics-that-every-business-owner-needs-to-know/

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