How to Encourage Your Customers to Add Google Reviews for Your Business

Nowadays, the first thing most people do before they purchase a new product or support a business is—you guessed it!—read the online reviews. Whether the reviews are on Google, an affiliate website, or any one of the numerous online reviewing platforms, people want to make sure that they’re making a worthwhile purchase.

While a lot of companies offer extensive product return policies or money-back guarantees for unhappy customers, there’s usually a lot of fine print involved. Plus, most people would understandably rather avoid the hassle of going down that road. Instead, people turn to online reviews to find out if they should support a certain business. This is what’s known as social proof.

Unfortunately, you can’t always control what people say about your business online or how your brand is perceived as a result. But you can control your response and how you rectify certain negative situations. You can also ask customers who have had a good experience with your business to leave a positive review.

Here are a few tips for doing exactly that.

Directly Ask for Reviews

Yes, it’s true—a lot of the time it really is that simple! Any time you have a positive interaction or experience with a customer, don’t be shy. Kindly ask them if they wouldn’t mind leaving a good online review for your business. More often than not, they’ll be happy to do it and may even recommend your products or services to other people they know.

Make It as Easy as Possible for Customers to Review Your Business

There are several ways you can do this. First off, add a reviews, testimonials, or comments section to your website. Monitor it by creating an internal link that allows you to moderate comments. That way, you can filter out the negative reviews and showcase the positive ones (no, it’s not cheating!).

Second, create a direct Google Reviews link where customers can easily find and review your business. Since this is linked to your GMB account, users should also be able to find it in the knowledge panel by Googling your business.

You can’t control if people leave negative comments here, but you can boost your ratings by simply providing excellent customer service and encouraging happy customers to leave good reviews.

Add Review Links to Promotional Materials

From pamphlets to business cards, social media, free subscription-based e-mails—adding review links to promotional materials is a great way to get customers’ feedback on your business.

Convenience is a main factor for a lot of people these days and a direct link that allows them to voice their opinion gives them what they want.

Use Promotional Offers and Other Incentives

Offering discounts, subscription trials, free products, samples, and any other promotional products or services in exchange for reviews is an effective marketing strategy.

I’m not suggesting that you try to buy off positive reviews as that would unethical.

What I am saying is you can give customers an incentive to review your business if they had a good experience. For instance, some restaurants might offer a discount on the next order for customers who can provide proof (e.g., screenshot) that they have reviewed the business in the past.

In addition to getting more positive reviews, this is also a great strategy for improving your overall customer experience.

Need help with getting online reviews and with your business reputation management? Let the experts at Numero Uno Web Solutions manage your social media, business listings, and GMB account for you. We take the stress and hassle out of online business management, so you don’t have to worry about it. Contact us today to learn more.