How To Manage Your Online Google Reviews Like a Pro To Gain & Retain New Customers

Google is here to stay, so a business should not hide from it. They should use it!

If a business does not, Google will be its worst nightmare. But if a business plays its cards right, Google can be the best thing for a it.

I’m here to help with the latter.

The main reason that Google reviews matter, is because according to Google themselves, Google now processes over 40,000 search queries every second on average, which translates to over 3.5 billion searches per day and 1.2 trillion searches per year worldwide.

Having said that, a business needs to keep a close eye on its reputation. The reputation of a business as seen on Google is what will make it or break it.

Consumers themselves are looking at reviews and judging a business off of its reviews.

This is a no-brainer. This is not an opinion, this is a fact.

What businesses need to understand is not only are consumers looking at their reviews...but guess who else is?

Google!

Google absolutely plays “favorites”. If a business does not have a high volume of positive reviews, Google is far less interested in recommending that business to its users.

Check out how and why Google is “favoring” different businesses in the home services industry as we speak.

A business needs get a feedback loop ingrained in its day to day interaction with customers.

Following up with a customers is very important. A feedback loop will make capturing that Google review a lot simpler than one may think.

If a business owner ever catches himself him or herself thinking that a feedback loop is simply too much of a headache, that business owner should consider the headache of having to deal with no Google reviews or bad Google reviews.

Which “headache” is better for the business?

Trust me when I say that the "headache" of setting up a feedback loop is far easier than try to run damage control on a bunch of negative Google reviews.

Obviously [A], the office that is managing their Google reviews.

If it wasn't so clear to you at first, let me point out a few specific reasons why most people would have chosen A.

1) Visually, most people's eyes are attracted to the "golden stars" when presented with a list of options. More stars equals a higher chance of literally (visually) standing out against the crowd.

2) With an average star rating of 5.0, it is clear that option A is really loved by their patients and doesn't appear to have any bad reviews listed. This is another very clear signal for people to "call us vs them"

3) With over 40 Google reviews, the sheer volume of patient feedback (reviews) is another great indicator that several people (patients) share the same, highly regarded opinion of this business.

4) With option B coming in with a 3.1 star rating, and the other 2 options yet to record a review, it is clear that option A will grab the attention of most online searches.

Finally, let me make one thing clear.

Just becuase most people would pick up the phone and call option A first, doesn't necessarily mean they will actually choose to give option A their business.

It is still up to that business to have a good system in place to "close the deal" and book the appointment with that "qualified caller".

At the end of the day, the most important question for you is...

What is it worth to your business to be the 1st call people make when searching specifically for products or services you offer?

It is worth a lot.

It can mean the difference between getting the sale/deal/customer, and losing out to the competition.

How to respond? *cited from Google Review support

On Desktop:

1. Sign in to Google My Business. If you have two or more locations, click Manage location for the location you'd like to manage.

2. Click Reviews from the menu. (Note that your business needs to be verified in order to respond to reviews.)

3. Click Respond to respond to a customer review.

4. Write a response and click Submit.

On Mobile:

1. Open the Google My Business app. (If you don't already have the Google My Business app, download it for Android or iOS)

2. In the top left corner of the screen, tap the three bar menu icon > Reviews. (Note that your business needs to be verified in order to respond to reviews)

3. Tap RESPOND NOW to reply to the reviewer.

What to respond?

1. Show kindness and be professional: The response should be useful and courteous. Never should a business try to win a fight with a mad or frustrated customer on a public platform.

2. Short and sweet is the key: Again, one should make the response useful and genuine. Owners should not overdo it with a long response.

3. Thank the reviewer, positive or negative: Public thank you notes shows class and that the business is attentive to its online reputation.

4. Don't treat the response as a sales pitch: A reviewer is already a customer of the business so one does not need offer incentives for the review that was left for them.

Hopping from one review site to the next to make sure the reputation is being managed in the recommended way can be a time commitment for a business owner.

Utilizing a tool such as the GetMoreReviews tool can be very useful for having a centralized location to monitor and track the current standing of a business's online reputation.

Managing reviews is something that every business must do.

There is no “hiding” from the internet.

So every business should take control of their online reputation. Don’t let the world decide what your business will become, manage your reviews today and future proof your business.