If you are a local business owner, Google My Business Reviews should be your top priority! When a potential client searches online for your business, reviews are among the first results to pop up. Every hope of securing clients in the future lie at the hands (or in this case, words) of your existing customers. Prospective clients often scroll through Google’s testimonial section before deciding whether or not to buy from you.
However, getting your customers to leave a review can be a daunting task. One of the primary reasons behind this is Google deliberately mounting challenges that you need to overcome in order to successfully submit a Review.
We will get back to the hurdles in detail later on in the blog.
If you were to send an email to your customers requesting them to leave their feedback on your Google listing, you would have to include several steps of instructions on How to Leave a Review on Google.
The only problem with such an email is it would be a mile long,and your clients would likely delete such a tedious piece of text.
In order to give your customers a better experience of leaving a review,you need to create a direct link to your Google reviews page and share the same with them. Leaving a review is much simpler via the direct link. And the easier it is for people to review your business, the higher their chances of taking the initiative.
But before we delve deeper into the details, it is important to note that you need to claim your Google Listing before proceeding to the next step. Learn How to Claim Your Google Listing in 6 Easy Steps.
a. The first step to creating a review link is by getting hold of your Google Places ID. The Google Places ID lookup tool helps you find the unique identification code for your business. This code is used by Google Maps to distinguish your business from the others in your vicinity.
b. The next step is to enter your business name. Fill in the designated fields and make sure to use the exact business name that is on your Google Business Listing. Since, the Places ID tool will pull up the exact text that is entered from the listing.
c. Once your listing pops up,the display ID will be listed under the business name. It is twenty-five characters long and includes random numbers and characters. Save this unique ID for the next step.
d. Paste your unique ID at the end of the following link to create the direct review link for your business.
https://search.google.com/local/writereview?placeid=PASTE YOUR UNIQUE ID HERE
You can use Google’s URL Shortening tool to simplify the review link and make it less of an eyesore.
e. Once you have your review link handy, share it with the customers!It pops up on their browser window and allows them to leave a quick review by simply signing into their Google account.
It is against Google’s policies to offer incentives to your customers for leaving a positive review. You can instead send a short email to the buyers after every successful transaction and remind them to leave a kind word on their overall experience, on your Google Reviews link.
An honest testimonial provides social validation to your business, helping you earn the trust of skeptics significantly quicker.
Getting people to review your business once they have made a successful transaction, is like walking on thin ice. It is a slippery move that can go wrong any time!The most common hurdle that you must overcome is friction.
Friction is anything that gives your client a difficult time while interacting with your business.
It can be the small things like too many clickable options, or a confusing set of instructions. Or something a little graver such as Frequent Time-Outs or an under-optimized website.
You do not want your clients to have a difficult time reviewing your business. Creating a direct Review Link is the best way to avoid friction.
Once your Review Link is active you are nearing the end-game. But the process is still incomplete and needs a few final touches for the maximum impact! We have compiled a 3-step formula for you to apply that will separate your business from the competition.
a. It is always a good idea to send a follow-up email enquiring about your customer’s experience with your business.The best time to approach a client asking them for their feedback is right after a successful transaction has been made.
b. Ask your customers to be honest upfront and leave an unbiased review. Honesty works like a charm and an authentic review helps garner greater trust from the reader.
c. Try the direct approach while asking your clients for a review, and request them to highlight what they thought was the best part about the entire experience.
For more information on How to Create a Google Review Link, talk to the experts at Searchmetry today!
