Why Google Reviews Matter | How to Ask for a Google Review | Email Template for Google Review Requests | Text Message Template for Google Review Requests | Automate Review Requests
Did you know that a simple one-star increase online could boost your revenue by 5% to 9%?
You hear all the time about online reviews and how they help to steer buyer decisions. Yet, many businesses—especially small ones—have a difficult time get reviews.People today trust peer reviews because they're open and honest—something you don't get with branded content and ads. This means you need to have a strategy to get more reviews for your business.
Word of mouth marketing is what kept most local small businesses in operation since the dawn of commerce. Now that we're shifting to an online marketplace, we find consumers are using the web to research products and services.
Once they find several options, the next step is to find which business to shop with. And to do this, they need the help of their peers.
This is true for the majority of today's consumers, who read online reviews before visiting businesses. We find that 90% of consumers say positive reviews influence their buying decision.
Another 86% claim that negative reviews deterred them from buying from a business.
This goes to show the dominance online reviews have on the reputation of local businesses. But you don't have to be a victim. You can be proactive and jumpstart your own reviews to get your phone ringing.
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There are two major reasons that reviews are (arguably) more important for home services businesses over any other industry:
When it comes to generating that social proof, nothing will work quite as well as building a collection of quality reviews from happy customers.
Furthermore, local businesses with a high volume of great reviews enjoy far more word-of-mouth than their competitors. This allows them to spend less on new customer acquisition while simultaneously enjoying more customer loyalty.
Getting more (or better) reviews for your local business is easier when you develop a strategy around the process. Waiting around for customers to leave a rating isn't going to suffice and buying Google reviews is definitely not an option.
For some people asking for reviews is as difficult as asking for money. But in both cases, the success of your business depends on it. So the first hump might just be getting over the discomfort of asking every customer for that quality review.
That said, your life as a business owner is busy, and it can be easy to forget to ask for that review. But even if you have to put a sticky note on the windshield of your van to help you remember, it will be worth it.
Do your best to ask for reviews every time. For a lot a of business owners, learning to always ask for that review is half the battle.
The type of business you have will determine the best time to reach out to customers for a review. For example, if you own a local gym, then you may want to wait 30 days of regular visits.
This way, they can post their results using photos, videos, or text.
For a lot of local businesses, it's a great idea to ask right after the customer completed their purchase. This keeps the great experience they had fresh in their minds.
Source: GoSite Reviews
People are busy and easily distracted—a bad combination when you're asking a customer to take time out of their life to review your company.
So the key is to make the process as simple as possible. If you send an email or text asking for a review, then include the right link. Give them a two to three ideas and tips on what to point out on their review whether it's the quality, speediness, or care of your products and services.
If you're like a lot of business owners, you might already be in regular contact with your customers. Home services providers in particular have to text their customers before, during, and after they've completed a job.
So whichever mode of communication works best for you and your customers, use it to ask for your Google review. Be sure to include a link to your Google Profile page, along with a clear request.
So what should you say in your email to customers? Here's a quick example:
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Hi [CLIENT NAME], Thanks for purchasing/booking [PRODUCT OR SERVICE] with us! It was a pleasure to serve you. As a valued customer, we'd like to ensure you're satisfied with your purchase. We'd love to hear about your experience with [PRODUCT OR SERVICE]. If you could take a few minutes to leave us a review on Google [LINK], we'd greatly appreciate it! To write your review, just click the link below and let us know your feedback! [LINK] Thanks in advance for your review. Please don't hesitate to contact us with any questions or if you need assistance with [PRODUCT OR SERVICE]. Sincerely, [YOUR NAME] [COMPANY NAME] |
Just a heads up - SMS messages get FAR more views and responses over email. So if you have the customer's phone number (and permission to text them), we strongly recommend texting them your review request. You can say something like this:
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Thank you for trusting [BUSINESS NAME], it was a pleasure serving you! Please take a moment to post a review of your experience on Google [LINK] |
For texts, the shorter your message the better, so long as you identify your business and make the request clear.
If your site regularly attracts your customers, then this is an easy, must-have website feature to add. You can add a link to the header or footer of your site and include testimonials feed to encourage prospective clients to book your services.
And with a product like GoSite, you can automatically showcase your best reviews on your business home page.
Source: GoSite Reviews Site Widget
If you're worried you won't have the time to manage an email campaign or manually request reviews—there's another way.
You can use get reviews, which allows you to do everything in one place. In your dashboard, you can send and automate client communications—including review requests!
This tool will help make the process easy and seamless. You can also use your GoSite dashboard to read and respond to online reviews on multiple platforms in one place. If you're worried about negative feedback, the Reviews tool allows you to resolve negative feedback before it goes live.