Online reviews are a great resource to increase brand awareness and improve your brand reputation. When you leverage the top review platforms for your business, you can get amazing marketing results. Online reviews play a significant role in the modern customer’s journey, but you need to get the right reviews to launch your business to the top. Earning reviews is not just a bonus for your marketing strategy. It is a critical component of today’s marketing strategy if you want to continue to grow your business. Let’s dive into the top review platforms and the best way to leverage your customers’ voices for your future success.
Google My Business
Google My Business, also referred to as GMB, is the best place to start with your online review marketing strategy. Previously referred to as Google Places and Google Local, GMB is what determines your star rating in the Google Map results and the Google Local Pack. Since the Google Pack is the list of Map results that show up when users perform a local search, it’s vital to focus on building excellent online reviews on your GMB.
- When it comes to local SEO, reviews are the most significant factor in determining your spot in the Google search results. To get to the top, you need to build your Google My Business reviews. Even if you’re not looking to build a local presence, GMB reviews will affect your business online.
- Studies show that investing in reviews can increase organic traffic by thousands of views over several months. But there’s a huge difference between knowing you need reviews and actually earning them.
- Of course, the key to building great reviews is offering amazing products and services and delivering an excellent customer experience. If you want to build your online reviews, you need to be sure your entire team is on board. Because customers are more likely to go online to leave a bad review, it’s imperative to have a strong emphasis on customer service and be consistent.
- In addition to catering to your customers and offering amazing products and services, there are additional steps you can take to enhance your GMB reputation or google my business listing so it works for your business growth goals.
Let’s start with the obvious: if you haven’t already done so, you need to set up a Google My Business profile. To do so, follow these steps:
- Go to https://www.google.com/business.
- Select or create the Google account you want to be associated with your business.
- Enter your name and address to search for your business and click on the correct location.
- Google needs to verify your business ownership, so click “mail me my code” for the simplest way to verify. Your code will be mailed to the physical location of your business.
- Think about the aspects of your products and business that can be effectively featured through visual media and add high-resolution, professional photos to your profile.
- Go through all the fields and descriptions to optimize them so your profile looks well-maintained and cared for.
Once your profile is finished, it’s time to encourage your customers to leave you raving reviews. The most effective way to do this is to provide them with a direct link to your GMB listing where you want them to review your business.
Here’s how to get your direct link: - Go to the PlaceID Lookup Tool.
- Put your business name in the “enter a location” field.Click your business name.
You’ll find your Place ID on the map. It’s located below your business name and above your location.
Copy your Place ID and paste it over the code in this URL: https://search.google.com/local/writereview?placeid=.
Before you share this with your customers, try the link yourself to be sure your Google review form pops up. You can share this link during direct customer interactions or through email marketing and social media marketing strategies. Be sure to share it frequently with customers who you know for sure love your business and are satisfied with your customer service.
Getting More GMB Reviews
Other ways to get more Google My Business reviews are:
- Use your email signature on all emails to ask customers to leave reviews.
- Segment your email marketing audience to find those most likely to be your long-term customers. Request reviews from these interactions.
- Train your staff to ask customers for reviews, especially when they know a customer is happy with your business. You can even implement employee incentives for building your GMB.
- Print out marketing materials or ready-made cards that show your customers how to leave reviews.
Create personalized emails that directly ask specific customers to support you with a review.
Industry-Specific Review Site
Industry-specific review sites are also important for your business growth. While they don’t directly impact your star ratings in Google Maps, they do impact your search engine ranking results. Many non-local search results display star ratings before click-through, so bulking up industry-specific site reviews is also critical.
- Additionally, 97% of customers say they are influenced by consumer reviews. So, you need to make sure you get as many reviews as possible on the most popular review sites surrounding your business. When it comes to reviews, the more the better. As long as your products and services are meeting your customers’ expectations, work hard to earn as many reviews as you can in as many places as possible.
- Again, irritated customers are more likely to leave a review than someone who has had a great experience with your business. That’s why it’s essential to make an effort to encourage reviews from happy customers.
- Industry-specific review sites are built for and used by specific industries. For example, Yelp for restaurants and TripAdvisor for hotels. Just like building your GMB reviews, use the same tips and apply them to these platforms.
- You can find industry-specific review sites for your business by performing a simple Google search for [your industry name or competitor name] + reviews/ratings. Focus on the top results and decide which review sites you want to work on first. Then, send your customers to these sites.
Product Review Sites
Product review sites are third-party sites that can help you build reviews. Since some customers are more likely to leave a review when they know it will be published by a third party, rather than those that can be manipulated by business owners themselves, product review sites lead to more conversions and better brand awareness and reputation.
- Check out product review sites like Trustpilot. This is a great place to start because Google trusts them enough to include product ratings in the Google Shopping ads. Keep in mind that this is an “open” platform. That means reviews can’t be modified or moderated to give you a better rating. So, while these can positively influence your brand perception and search engine rankings, they can also negatively impact your business if customers aren’t leaving good reviews.
- Another benefit of third-party review platforms is that many incorporate reviews directly on your website. Good product reviews will also include the Schema markup necessary to get your star ratings listed in the Google search results. That means your business has the potential to build enough trust with the search engines that you increase your chances of having your star ratings made visible.
- Taking advantage of product review sites gives you the opportunity to build a conversation about your brand and be part of that conversation.
Social Media
Facebook Local has undoubtedly solidified the fact that brands need to consider social media as a place where customers review their business. Just as the above all pertain to your Google My Business ranking, everything discussed applies to social media as well. But there are a few more things to keep in mind:
Customer Review Shares
- Social media isn’t just a place where you can build reviews. It’s also a place where reviews can be shared. This can be a great advantage for your business if you share reviews tactfully.
- When you share, post, pin, or retweet customer reviews, it’s essential to do so in a way that highlights your commitment to the customer and deflects the idea that your sharing the review is all about your brand.
Respond to Online Reviews on All Platforms
- Responding to your customers is important on all platforms, but it’s particularly important on social media. After all, it’s called “social” for a reason. Customers want businesses to be part of the conversation!
- Be proactive when it comes to social media reviews, but don’t get defensive. If you see negative reviews, find a way to address them positively and draw a customer back in. Remember, social media responds better to action than it does words. Show your customers you put them first and you’ll make lifelong customers every time!
Resolve Customer Issues Publicly on Social
- Speaking of customer issues, you shouldn’t just respond to them positively on social. You should resolve issues directly on social. If you respond by telling a customer to contact customer service, it doesn’t just look impersonal but it also looks like you’ve got something to hide. Obviously, you can’t reveal personal information, but if you can publicly address your customer’s needs and create action on social to fix the problem, you’re golden.
- So, there you have it! Customer reviews play a critical role in how potential customers perceive your brand. In today’s marketing world, no successful strategy is complete without the right online reviews.
- While you can’t control the content and sentiment of reviews, you can deliver an amazing customer experience and encourage your customers to spread the word online. Working with customers to increase the number of reviews you have online won’t just increase sales and brand awareness, it’ll help your business grow and open the door to secure the future of your brand.
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