As a solopreneur, your Google Business profile and reviews are crucial to your success. They provide social proof that you’re an expert in your field, and they help new customers find you. In short, they’re essential to growing your business. Good Google reviews improve your click-through rate, while bad ones can cost you up to 30% of potential visitors.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at how you can get more Google reviews—and make sure those reviews are positive ones.
Four Steps to Help You Get Google Reviews
Step 1: Claim and Verify Your Google My Business Listing
If you haven’t already, the first step is to claim your Google My Business listing. This will give you control over the information that appears when someone searches for your business on Google Maps or Google Search.
Once you’ve claimed your listing, take some time to fill out as much information as possible. Include photos, your business hours, a description of what you do, and anything else that would be useful for potential customers. The more complete your listing is, the better chance you have of getting found—and getting positive reviews.
Step 2: Encourage Customers to Leave Reviews
A great way to get more—and better—reviews is simply to follow up with customers after they’ve made a purchase and ask them how everything went. If they had a positive experience, encourage them to leave a Google review; if they had a negative experience, see if there’s anything you can do to make it right. After you make it right, ask them if they’d be willing to write a review mentioning how you went above and beyond to try and rectify the situation.
People appreciate good customer service, so this is a great way not only to increase the
number of reviews you get but also to improve their quality overall.
When asking customers for reviews, it’s important to be specific about where you’d like them to leave their feedback. Asking for a “Google review” is much better than asking for a “positive review” because it tells the customer exactly where to go—and what kind of review you’re looking for.
Step 3: Make It Easy to Leave a Review
Another way to encourage people to leave reviews is by making it as easy as possible for them. Include links to your Google business listing in your email signature, on your website, and on any social media platforms you use. You can even include QR codes that people can scan with their phones so they’re taken directly to your listing. The easier you make it for people, the more likely they are to actually take the time to leave a review.
Step 4: Respond Quickly to All Reviews—Both Good and Bad
When customers take the time to leave a review—good or bad—it’s important that you respond quickly and courteously. Thanking customers for their positive feedback lets them know that you appreciate their business—and encourages them to spread the word about your company.
Responding to negative reviews appropriately is just as important. Be apologetic and offer to resolve the issue offline if possible. These reviewers are giving you valuable feedback about areas where your business could improve—so thank them for their input!
Wrapping up: How To Get Google Reviews
Getting more Google reviews is essential if you want your business to succeed—but it’s not always easy. By following the steps outlined above, you can start increasing the number (and quality) of the reviews you get in no time! So what are you waiting for? Start growing your business today!
