How Much Time Should You Dedicate to Getting Google Reviews?
Google Reviews are Essential
As with all online profiles, it takes time and work to not only create content for your website but to make sure your online reputation is as positive as you want it to be. That is why it is important to keep in mind what Google Reviews are being posted and how you and your company are responding to it.
Google Reviews are an integrated feature within Google My Business and Google Maps that allows customers to publicly post a review in Google about their experience with your business. This can also include their thoughts about the service and products your business provides as well. Having Google Reviews is important because it allows potential customers to know how other customers have experienced your business. If customers are writing about how great it was to work with you, potential customers will feel that you and your business are easily trusted and will provide a great experience.
In case you question the power of Google Reviews for your business, remember that this is an era where a customer’s experience could make or break a future customer’s experience. In fact, a recent survey from Zendesk showed that 90% of respondents claimed that positive reviews affected their purchasing decisions. Additionally, 86% also said that negative reviews also heavily influenced their decision.
Believe It or Not
Believe it or not, Google Reviews cannot be easily manipulated and are heavily trusted by potential customers.
With so much emphasis on having Google Reviews, and good ones too, it is easy to wonder how much time you should dedicate to getting Google Reviews, and exactly what should you be doing. Here are some questions to ask and read about for an easy answer. This could help you moving forward with your online reputation.
How Much Time Should I Be Dedicating to Google Reviews?
Unfortunately, this is not an easy or simple answer. It cannot be answered in a nutshell, like “about five hours” but this question can be flexible to anyone. While it is important that you dedicate a good amount of time, that “good amount of time” is up to you. It might not take up your whole business day, but it is important to still keep it on your to-do list because it is easily one of the best ways to garner an organic following and increase in customers.
So what exactly should you be doing for your Google Reviews? For starters, make sure your account is set up. Whether you are a seasoned internet user or are new to using technology for your business, this step could take up some time in your day. However time consuming it is for you, it is still important to do it for the sake of your business. Afterwards, it will also take up time to make sure that it is populated with reviews and up to date. Imagine if your business address changes and you never fixed it on your Google Business Listing, you might begin to get a flood of negative reviews over something very fixable.
What is Review Gating & Why You Should Never Do It
The new Google policy explicitly states that businesses are not allowed to “discourage or prohibit negative reviews or selectively solicit positive reviews from customers.”
Previously, business owners loved having this feature because it gives them the option of really filtering out any negative reviews. This harms the customers because it gives way to fake positive reviews for what could be a potentially awful business experience.
So what exactly happens if you still only post positive feedback and create fake positive commentary for your Google Reviews? Google will take action and punish your account by removing all of your Google Reviews. While it may not sound like an end-all-be-all punishment, it does mean losing any reviews you have online and potentially being reported as a fake or untrustworthy business. This might even do more harm in the long run if you lose the loyalty of customers for the sake of positive reviews.
How to Develop a System for Google Reviews
Since review gating will not get you far in the Google Reviews world, what else can you do to have positive reviews on your profile to help you gain customers? Develop a system for making sure customers, both happy and upset, are responding and giving you feedback. This could be done through emails, cold-calling, or texting customers about their experience. Businesses could also ask for customer review requests as part of any regular customer service follow up or even in a thank-you email or communication given to the customer.
While you cannot filter out the negative ones, there is a way to deal with them in a way that would not harm your business.
Getting reviews could take a while, and starting out by asking customers about their experience with you could really help your business in the long run. Also remember that not every customer is going to give you a review, so do not expect every purchase to equal a positive commentary.
If having to develop a system and keep up with it seems too overwhelming, hiring a company whose sole purpose is to help you with Google Reviews might be the perfect choice for you.
What Should You Do with Negative Reviews?
Let’s say you have some negative feedback on your Google Reviews and because of review gating, you cannot delete them or filter them out. So what do you do? Address them head on.
It is important to address all reviews, both positive and negative, because it says a lot about your business. First and foremost, that you read and respond to your customers. An active employer online means potential customers know that you would answer an email or comment left online.
If you address negative comments, it also allows your business to not only explain themselves, but also take control of the story that is being written. For example, if a customer is upset you did not have a certain product in stores and is writing about how your business is horrible and does not have anything available, your business could answer offering their apologies for the negative experience, explain what happened, and give the date for when said inventory is back in stock.
Answering both negative and positive Google Reviews can also give you the opportunity to add extra fun facts and statistics about your industry, website, or business. Overall, it gives you an additional platform to use to express your thoughts and responses to the public. Having an active responding system can do more wonders for your business than you would think.
Perfectly Optimized Can Help
If the simple thought of having to create an account for Google My Business to generate and have Google Reviews sounds too overwhelming, that is no problem. Hiring a company to do this essential work for you is a great way to stay on top of it while still managing other aspects of the business.
For a quality Google Reviews service, Perfectly Optimized is the answer to your problem. They offer personalized service to make sure you and your company have an excellent online reputation. With over 20 years of combined experience and passion for what they do, Perfectly Optimized will treat your business like it is theirs.
Call us today or fill out our Contact Form to start taking advantage of an efficient Google Reviews system that’s right for your business.