How many companies can say their technology altered the modern dictionary? Not many, but Google is included in that exclusive list. Every day, billions of people use Google to power their online searches. The global popularity of Google’s search engine led to the creation of a new verb: google. If you’ve ever searched for a delicious restaurant to try, a new barber for a fresh cut, or an auto mechanic to repair your vehicle, you’ve probably asked Google for help. Once you entered your search terms, Google My Business listings appeared on your screen.
Not only have you googled to see which local businesses can fulfill your needs, but like 87% of consumers, you’ve probably read online reviews before making a choice. So why are Google My Business reviews so important? Here we break down some of the ways they can help your business in the digital marketplace.
Achieve Greater Digital Visibility
According to a 2020 Consumer Review Survey, people read business reviews on Google My Business listings more than on any other place on the web. If you want prospective clients to find your business and learn about your services, you need to setup a Google My Business account. One marketing intelligence group discovered that people are much more likely to visit your business website once they have seen your Google My Business listing.
Make a Good First Impression
If you were interested in someone romantically, you would ask other people about them. Or perhaps in this day and age, you’d google them. If the first search results showed your love interest’s positive character, admirable values and fun personality, you would want to get to know them better. This first impression would make you believe they were a good person worthy of your time and energy.
The same is true for prospective clients interested in you professionally. Reading about your affordable, quality services from previous clients makes them more likely to seek out more information about your business. This might lead a prospective client to your beautifully organized website where they decide your business is the business for them and they give you a call.
Strengthen your Professional Reputation
As a small or mid-sized business owner, you know that reputation is critical to your success. In the past, positive, in-person discussions about your services and professionalism were essential to maintain a good reputation and acquire new clients. However, the ease and speed of googling has changed the role of word-of-mouth recommendations from friends and family.
According to BrightLocal’s 2020 Consumer Review Survey, 78% of consumers trust online reviews as much as reviews from a friend. For those aged 18-34, that number jumps to 91%! In addition, many read Google My Business reviews to verify a business’ reputation that has been personally recommended to them. Favorable online reviews quickly demonstrate that your business can be trusted to perform quality services that will leave clients highly satisfied.
Proactively Respond to Bad Reviews
Bad reviews happen sometimes, even when you think that you did good work. Bad reviews are very powerful. They can cause you to lose business and damage your reputation. If you get a bad review online, respond to the client quickly and publicly. Being empathetic is very important even if you do not personally agree with the complaint in the bad review.
Ultimately, you want to do what you can to improve the client’s experience and repair the relationship. Sometimes that means giving them a discount, redoing work or listening honestly to their complaints.
Although bad reviews are not ideal, you can always learn something from them. Bad reviews can reveal business issues that are difficult to see as an owner or manager. They are an opportunity to challenge yourself and your team to do better in the future.
Enhance your Focus on Customer Service
The good news is that when you do get a bad review, you can bury it with newer, positive reviews. In addition, not having any or having too few reviews is only a little bit better than having bad reviews. People will assume that your business has not done good work if they don’t see any reviews. The majority want to see at least 11 reviews with an average 4.0/5.0 star or higher rating to feel confident about doing business with you.
To help build your online reputation, incentivize clients to provide reviews. You can do this by offering discounts or raffling off a prize for those who review your business. While incentives for reviews can help, at the heart of amazing reviews is excellent customer service. People who are exceedingly happy with the services you provide will be more motivated to write a public online review. They also will tell their friends and business contacts! When you complete a project for a client, remind them to leave a review on your Google My Business listing.
When you give your clients your best work at your best prices, your efforts will be reflected in the quantity and quality of your Google My Business reviews. Google My Business is a great way to establish your business’ credibility in the digital marketplace. It also can accelerate business growth. As a part of our marketing services here at Interscope Media, we offer setup of a Google My Business account. Reach out to us today to establish your business as a verified, reputable operation so you can increase your online visibility and acquire new clients.
Megan Buckley
March 16, 2021We are glad you found the information useful!