Ask any blogger, online shopping portal or social media platform what reviews mean to them and pretty much the answer will be everything. It is unfathomable for them to exist without any feedback from the consumers they serve. And for better or for worse, reviews can sometimes make or break a business. Some of the most relied upon and trustworthy reviews come from Google.
HOW DO YOU GET GOOGLE REVIEWS?
It is a common tactic for active social media users to leave reviews of a product or service on almost all the platforms it is available on, but Google takes the cake because of the volume of users – plus a business profile appears on the Maps or Search of Google whenever you are trying to look for a similar business. A business can ask its consumers for reviews by providing them a URL that is specific to the business and by following these steps:
- Reminding the customers to leave behind reviews by showing them how easy it is to do so from either a desktop or a mobile phone.
- Replying to the customer reviews and appreciating the time and effort they put into it builds the customers trust and leaves the possibility of many future reviews.
- Verifying the business so that it appears on Maps, Search and other Google products. Only businesses that have been verified by Google can respond to reviews.
- And of course, reviews that are honest and unbiased are the best reviews. And reviews that don’t seem true or fake can be flagged down for removal.
YELP AND HOW TO GET BETTER YELP REVIEWS
Yelp is a directory and ordering service that is quite popular in the United States. It covers a wide range of businesses from restaurant delivery to finding plumbers. It is no wonder that over 90% of visitors make a purchase after visiting the site. As with all social media, reviews are its lifeblood. Yelp can get better reviews by:
- Creating awareness of the brand on Yelp by creating a link to Yelp from the business website. When this same link is shared across the business’s social media profiles and its cards and brochures, chances are increased for gaining more reviews (the business needs to make sure it isn’t flouting any guidelines)
- Using Yelp widgets on the business page (or badges as they are sometimes called) to display the reviews on the website. The widget is automatically updated each time a new review is left on Yelp.
- Like the give and take system of gratitude on all social media platforms, responding to customer reviews on Yelp gives a better impression of the business and encourages customers to leave feedback.
- Having a business listing on Yelp helps businesses get access to free Yelp stickers and signage which boosts customer confidence in the brand.
YELP AND HOW TO GET MORE REVIEWS
More reviews can be had on Yelp if the business follows the coming rules with the use of its stickers and signages:
- Use of the “Find us on Yelp stickers” for promoting the business and spur engagement with Yelp users
- Using the “People love us on Yelp” window cling which are sort of widgets that are sent to businesses every year that qualify for this program. Yelp doesn’t provide them on request but businesses receive one if they qualify. They are a sort of recognition badge highlighting performance.
- Sharing some of the best Yelp reviews brings in customer goodwill and offers a positive image of the business, which will interim keep the customers coming back for more purchases and leaving more reviews.
HOW TO GET 5 STAR REVIEWS ON PRETTY MUCH EVERY PLATFORM
5 star reviews provides a business with a gold standard that speaks about the quality of the business and lures more customers to iits site. Businesses can get more 5 star reviews if they:
- Provide something exceptional that excites the customers and piques their interest. This something exceptional can either be a new product or service, generous feedback on a review left by a customer or sharing such reviews. Chances are they will leave a great review for the excellent customer experience.
- The business can ask the customers to provide a review by keeping the request short, explaining why it is important, providing a link to the review page and of course, disclosing any incentives if available.
- Turn negative reviews into positive ones by engaging with the customer who left the review and then doing everything possible to fix the problem either through compensations, refunds, etc. The business can then ask the customer privately if they are willing to change their experience review. A positive response from them makes everyone look good.
- Always, always and always be actively engaged with the customer channels. Regular communication will guarantee better reviews, better search engine rankings and better volumes of sales.
BUT HOW TO GET CUSTOMERS TO WRITE ONLINE REVIEWS IN THE FIRST PLACE?
This blog has discussed everything from Google reviews, Yelp reviews, how to boost reviews and how to get 5 star ones, but how does the business lure the customers into leaving reviews in the first place?
- Well, make sure the customers know they will be rewarded if they leave reviews in the form of discounts for future purchases, early access to yet-to-be-launched products or providing memberships that will benefit them for a long time.
- Lure them with giving them exclusive access to limited edition products and services in exchange for favorable reviews.
- And of course, reciprocate their reviews with kind and grateful responses.
So this pretty much covers the reviews and their attainment. Whether we like it or not, reviews are the lifeblood of online businesses and many other sectors which target the millennial and Gen Z groups (who are notorious for not buying any kind of product unless they have read a ton of reviews beforehand). But the golden standard remains that you need to earn the great reviews without any request whatsoever.