The Customer Experience Starts and Ends with a Google Review

When a consumer is in need of your service, the consumer takes to the internet and the online exploratory journey begins. Let’s take a glance at what this search looks like for that person.

• The prospect types in the service he or she is looking for and is presented with choices.
• The first action in this process is looking for a nearby business.
• Hopefully your business shows up in this most basic search: If you are not showing up in that search your chance for obtaining that consumer's business will end before it even begins.

• Next, the consumer does a quick eye ball scan to locate the business that has highest star average (who has the best reviews?).
• At this point, the consumer can see all the businesses in the area. Google Maps makes it very easy to compare each business by having the review average in a bright orange color.

• Based on review average, most consumers click the business displaying the highest average and/or the business with the most reviews.
• Assuming you have the best and most reviews, this potential new customer is now on your website. From here, that consumer will call, visit, purchase or take some action to become your customer. But again, that customer came to you initially because of reviews.

This leads to the final step of the digital journey.

• The last step to perpetuate this process is turning this new customer into a positive reviewer of your business for the next person who is looking for your service.
• Make sure you never forget that last and critical step in the digital customer journey: Having that customer leave you a review. After all, that’s what brought you together in the first place.

As you can see, reviews come before a website. Reviews come before social media. Reviews come before a consumer calls your phone number. And with reviews being pulled into iPhone maps when someone begins navigating to your business, reviews come before someone arrives at your business. Are your reviews going to lead consumers to you as they begin the online journey to find your service?

Make sure to take care of the first step by obtaining more positive reviews. Because if the first step is not taken care of the journey will end far too soon for your business.