Google reviews don't post themselves!

Well, that's not strictly true: if you annoy/upset someone they will very likely post a Google review without being asked. But let's look at what happens the rest of the time.

Follow the simple steps below and this is what your business should look like - on its own website and on Google...

You interact with your customer, then the interaction comes to a natural end or break (they've finished their treatment, you've won their court case, you've sold/let their property, they've got their tax refund). So you usually invite them - by email - to write a review of your service. 

Here we bump right into Rule Number One of successful review management...

Don't stop there!

But so many businesses do. And, you know what? They will be lucky if 5 in a hundred of those email invitations - no matter how they are worded - result in a review.

So - Rule Number Two...

Pick up the phone!

Time and again it has been proven - by simply following the email with a courteous phone call explaining just how important - not just for the business itself but also for people finding themselves in a similar position to the reviewer in the future - that a review is written. Take the time to talk them through the process* even (no one - ever - has complained about this).

*talk them through the process: we are consistently surprised just how many people who desperately want their customers to write reviews haven't bothered to check out the process themselves. Write a review (of any business but yours!) - and get all your staff to do the same.

Rule Three...

Many consumers assume - erroneously - that the stars and score shown above in a Google search are awarded by Google. They're not - they are drawn straight from the businesses's own reviews (not its Google reviews) on the business's own website.

Remember that your enquiries come from two online sources - Google and your own website - you want reviews in both places. Moderation won't operate if you just invite reviews to Google and nor will you get the SEO kicker - or stars in search - that businesses need so badly these days by having one without the other. And, of course, selectively inviting customers to write reviews is illegal.

Get both reviews!

So, to recap: send the email (with direct opening links to both your own website and Google - if you are unsure about the right Google link, just contact us), follow up by phone and do your level best to get both reviews. Do so and you will soon look like our client at the top of this article.

The results? We advise clients to aim for 50% of customers to write a review on the business's own website and then 50% of those to go on to copy that review to Google. 100 customer touch points = 50 reviews to the business's website = 25 reviews to Google.