How important are customer reviews to your business?

Google Reviews should be high on the list for your organization in 2021.  In a recent study from Moz, reviews account for around 25% of the search algorithm for local search.

As a small to medium sized business, focusing on gaining new customers is critical to your growth and stability.  New customers often ask for references, so why not have them readily available as soon as they find your business online?

We routinely encourage our customers to implement a Google Review process in the first stages of our onboarding process.  This is an easy but effective way to quickly improve search rankings and increase traffic to your website.

Below are some important reasons why we encourage you to do so as well.

Increasing Search Rankings With Google Reviews

In the study mentioned above, I’ll put it here too, Google’s Local Search Algorithm accounts roughly 25% to your Google Reviews.  The logic behind the algorithm is to share experiences with the company in question from those that have purchased a product or service.  

This validates credibility with the community and those searching for the same or similar product or service.

In turn, having more 5 start ratings vs 1 star ratings will help you grow in the search engine rankings.  Google takes into consideration the reviews for your company as creditable sources.  Since Google's aim is to provide the best and most relevant content based on your search, it would "behoove" business owners to encourage 5 start reviews from their customers in order to rank higher in the rankings.

Cost Free Content For SEO

Assuming you have an email and/or a phone at your business, it basically costs you nothing to ask your customers for a review on Google.

Google My Business makes it easy for you to send a link to customers to ask for a review.  If you are using a CRM, like HubSpot, you can potentially completely automate your process.  Giving you an easy way to to cut back time asking for reviews and increasing your Google Reviews.

Building Trust With Your Target Audience

People generally do business or make purchases from brands and organizations they trust.  For people who are new to your business, positive Google Reviews can build that trust and a high level of comfort when considering handing over their money to you.

Those reviews are the first impression your prospects will see.  So, why not get out in front of them and provide them with the best references possible.

Important Customer Feedback

Getting feedback from your customers is critical to finding holes in your process and products.  That honest feedback can help you improve on your weaknesses without having to do mass surveys and questionnaires.

Even if you missed the mark with one customer, and that customer leaves a bad review, you have an opportunity to make that specific person's experience better with direct feedback.

In Conclusion

Creating and implementing a Google Review process for your business is simple and cost-effective.  Your reputation is on the line!  

Asking one or two customers a week for a 5 star review can make the difference.  That could be over 100 reviews in a year.  That’s big!

If you need help developing a Google Reviews process for your business, reach out to us and we can help you achieve your goals.