10June 2021
Recent studies show that 56% of customers will go to a search engine to find reviews about a business before buying or using that business. 90% of people claim that online reviews help their buying decision and 80% of people trust online reviews just as much as they would trust a personal recommendation.
There’s no denying it. Online reviews are very important to any business, even those that aren’t an online business. And Google My Business can help you get more of them.
When a customer goes to a business’s Google My Business listing, they can post a review, which other customers and potential customers will see any time they visit the listing.
And, judging by the above stats, the more customers that see those reviews, the more of them will use your business, product, or service. And the more reviews a business listing has, the higher Google will rank that listing so that even more customers see it.
And while no business wants bad reviews, it’s the total number of reviews that matters to Google, not the overall tone of them.
But of course, bad reviews can be bad for business and so, it’s important that you respond to them. Tell the user that you’re sorry they had a bad experience, and try to offer them a solution that could make it better for them.
But it’s also just as important to respond to good reviews too. Someone took the time to post a review, and you should thank them for it. Customers never want to feel as though they’re just talking at a company; they want to feel as though they’re really interacting with the company.
Reviews are very important and if you’re not sure how to get them, just start asking your customers! This may feel forced and awkward to many business owners, but customers don’t mind.
In fact, 70% of customers have said that they would leave a review for a business if they were asked to.
So what are you waiting for? Start asking for reviews, start getting more reviews, and start bringing more customers through your door!