Why it’s a good idea to review your business reviews

Like it or not, new customers will increasingly judge your business on what others say about you. Whether it's good or bad, what people are saying about you online can define your reputation and impact the amount of new business success you have.

Why invest time in getting good reviews

• Many potential customers will naturally contact the nearest firm with the most positive reviews, as they help build the credibility of your business.
• Good reviews can help push your business up Google’s rankings, making it more likely that your website will be viewed by prospective new clients.
• Reviews can help give you a local advantage over bigger companies with bigger budgets, making you stand out from your competitors.

Two things you’ll need in order to gain these benefits using Google reviews

• A fully optimised Google Business Profile listing.
• A minimum of five positive Google reviews.

How to gain at least five good reviews

• Make a list of clients and suppliers who'd be happy to give you a review.
• Contact them (if you're comfortable to do so). Be single-minded and straightforward about your intentions. Use the points above to make your case and demonstrate the value of reviews – both to you and them.   
• If appropriate, motivate them by offering to reciprocate.
• Follow up with an email that tells them exactly what they need to do. This draft email copy may help or you can use our Broker Create template to ask for a Google review.

A few things to keep in mind

• Don’t make your own fake reviews or pay someone else to, it can get your business blacklisted on Google.
• If you don’t ask your clients for reviews, you simply won’t get as many!
• Don’t ask clients to write reviews using a computer in your office, as Google can presume them to be fake.
• Set up alerts, so you receive a notification when a new review has been posted.
• Respond to all reviews and manage any negative ones by responding quickly and politely, taking any ongoing conversation out of the public domain.
• Consider evaluating the key themes of your business reviews by using an AI tool to do the hard work (more suited for a business with lots of customer reviews). This could help produce a useful summary for clients and prospects to read and help you identify areas of your business that perform well and those that may need some additional focus.
• Finally, go back to our advice on gaining testimonials. Convincing wavering prospects that you’re the best choice is key to new business success.
   

_.