Experts Blog

How to Charm Customers into Writing Reviews on Your Google+Local Business Page

By Kristi Hagen on Dec 28, 2012 - 09:40 AM

If your business is now listed with Google+Local then congratulations. However, before you stop to celebrate and catch your breath be sure that you've taken the time to see where you stand with your customer reviews.

As you may already know, many of your customer reviews probably didn't make the transition for any number of reasons and we can feel your frustrations - believe me. We also know that pain. The important thing is to move on and see the bright side of this shift. Your competitors also lost a large piece of their reviews so you are not behind and now is the time to get ahead!

On the flip side - if you're still struggling with your listing, need a little help troubleshooting issues or just want to read the latest news on the topic then look to our SEN featured article for the answers

Customer reviews within G+Local is knowing and understanding the Zagat score, which is triggered when your business gets enough reviews to be measured, as a 30 point scale that includes snippets of customer reviews. As an example, we searched for restaurants in Kailua Kona, HI within Google+ under the 'Local/Maps' tab on Google's new search bar.

google+local-restaurants.png

There were a lot of restaurants coming up for that search. In fact, we had a hard time finding a business that was missing! On top of that, we found most of the reviews matched up with our personal opinions about each place we've visited. We were a bit impressed considering what a mess this all was less than 30days ago!

qr-code.pngWhen you're looking to build your customer reviews don't be afraid to ask and be creative! Send out an email directing your customers to your G+ profile. Ask them how satisfied they were with your services. Have a QR code printed on your shopping bags, business cards and even on a sticker you can attach to your receipts that links to your G+ page and ask for honest reviews. (Need a refresher on QR codes? Check out these resources:

Don't be afraid of negative feedback. Embrace it, address it, and do your best to correct it. Engage with your customers online but never in a negative manner. Thank people for the negative and positive things they have to say. Engaging in argumentative behavior with your customers online is like poking a angry bear in a zoo. Don't poke the bear!

A local restaurant here in Kona called Jackie Rey's, has a rewards program. Every dollar you spend gets you closer to a coupon for $20 off your next visit. They pride themselves on the fact that they're a restaurant where locals eat and they reward locals that do so! In order to sign up you have to share your email address, they regularly ask their customers how they're doing via email pushing them to write a review. As you can see based on their Google profile I've shared below - they're not doing too bad.

jackie-reys.png

So when it comes to your Google+ Local Profile

  • Be Accurate.
  • Be Complete.
  • Encourage your customers feedback in creative ways.
  • Respond professionally to reviews and comments both negative and positive.
  • Don't game the system with fake reviews - Not only is Google getting better at determining when a review is fake but so are your potential customers!

If you're looking for even more resources on customer reviews check out the numerous articles we've published over the years.