Google Review Strategies You’ll Actually Want to Use

Google reviews have become a well-known cue for consumers. While your customers consistently use them to make informed decisions about businesses, many business owners find themselves overwhelmed and frustrated by the prospect of improving their Google rating.?

Uptick Marketing is no stranger to asking for Google reviews, and this is definitely a case of practicing what we preach! We’ve learned a few things along the way as we’ve helped hundreds of businesses increase their Google reviews and develop their Google Business Profile strategy. Learn how you, too, can take the stress out of Google review management and growth.

All You Have to Do Is Ask

There is an art to getting great Google reviews, including the dreaded ask to leave a review. Besides the rare (and beloved) unicorn of a customer who wants to brag about you from the rooftops, the burden of responsibility will fall on you as the business. However, there are a few ways to make this process less stressful.?

1. Ask When It Feels Natural. If a customer is already bragging about how much they’ve loved working with you, that is the time to bring it up! We like to say something along the lines of, “It means so much to us that you had a great experience! I wish everyone out there knew what we could do for their business. In fact, it would help us a ton if you would leave us an honest Google review!” Many customers will be excited about supporting you, especially if they’ve bought into your business and the great work you do for them.
2. Equip Your Team to Ask. If you have employees, especially in service-based industries, then take some time to train them on effective Google review strategies. You will find that some of your team members are excellent at this, and others will never get out of the “awkward stage” of asking. Nothing can encourage your team more than getting together and discussing what has worked well for them. The more you talk about it, the more natural it will feel to your team, and ultimately, they will all become better review askers.
3. Automate What You Can. Nothing is more effective than a person asking someone directly for a review, but don’t be afraid to include review links in your automated customer emails. It doesn’t always work, but it doesn’t hurt to ask! The more places you can give your customers a brief reminder, the more likely they are to support you and give you that review. Be sure that any time you use a link to Google reviews, it links directly to the review functionality and not just the general Google listing. Not everyone is a whiz with Google, so make it as simple as possible.?
4. QR Codes Are Your Friend. One of our favorite strategies for in-person requests is having a printed QR code ready for your customers. If you work in a service-based industry and visit your customer’s homes or businesses, leaving a thank-you card will really make an impact. Be sure to include a QR code containing your review link and your logo. You can also print a sign with a large QR code and post it in your lobby. If your customers are waiting in the lobby, they might see it and leave you a review while they’re waiting.?

What About Bad Reviews??

You may think, “I can’t ask for reviews or put signage up because I might get some bad reviews!” You aren’t wrong; some bad apples will always be in the mix. The good news is that studies show customer trust peaks around the 4.7 ‘average rating range’ and then declines as review ratings rise above 4.7 stars. Businesses with perfect reviews are often perceived as less genuine or trustworthy than businesses with more reviews but don’t quite hit the five-star mark. Of course, that doesn’t mean you should strive to get bad reviews, but you don’t have to panic if you get a bad one.?

Google Reviews Improve Your Customer Experience

Businesses that transparently ask for Google reviews are usually serious about quality control and customer service. Google reviews work for you as a real-time assessment of your customer experience and can be an excellent system for checks and balances for your business. If you are scared to ask for a Google review from your customers, you might want to look at why you believe your team isn’t providing a consistently excellent customer experience. You might find some opportunities to improve.

It’s All in How You Respond

Most importantly, you always want to remember the golden rule of Google reviews: Don’t get defensive in a Google review response. For most customers, seeing a bad review (especially from a particularly dramatic, disgruntled customer) won’t make or break their decision to work with you as long as you work to get other reviews that emphasize your good qualities. However, how you respond to those negative reviews will impact their impression of you.?

Business owners who take the time to exhibit excellent customer service in their responses will be viewed positively. In contrast, business owners who become defensive and insist on proving that the customer made a mistake will come across as rude or inconsiderate of the customer's experience.?

When in doubt, your response should be, “Hi, CUSTOMER NAME. I’m disappointed to hear you did not have a great experience with us at COMPANY NAME. Our goal is always for our customers to feel heard and valued, so I’d love to speak to you about how we can make this right. Please contact us at INSERT CONTACT INFO at your convenience.” A little empathy and an action a customer can take goes a long way.

At the end of the day, Google reviews can be the deciding factor for your customers as they choose between you and your competitors. If you’d like Uptick to help you manage and develop your Google Business Profile strategy, reach out to start a conversation. We can help!