We recently offered tips and insights on leveraging pay-per-click ads to increase brand awareness and convert visitors into customers. However, it’s important to utilize a wide range of digital marketing efforts to get the best results possible for your business. We recommend including Google Business Listing and Reviews as easy, free ways to increase customers in your local market and boost your company’s overall reputation.
A Google Business Listing Increases Your Local Impact
A Google Business Listing is vital whether you are a B2C or B2B organization. Even if your business serves customers beyond the local market, having a business listing can be valuable for several reasons.
A business listing helps:
- Increase customers in your local area
- Improve SEO ranking
- Provide social verification to increase trust from potential customers
Tips When Creating a Google Business List
When creating a Google Business List, consider these essential tips to optimize efforts and ultimate success:
- Fill out as much information as possible on the profile
- Update your business listing regularly, so it reflects current offerings and hours of operation
- Use keywords (yet another invaluable use for them) in your description
- Add photos of your products/services, people, office, or building (if applicable)
Leveraging the Power of Online Customer Reviews
Online reviews are a powerful way for customers to get and give real-life feedback on your business. Some business owners initially feel uncomfortable soliciting online reviews from previous and current customers, but it is absolutely okay to ask for them! People love an opportunity to share information about products, services, and businesses they’ve enjoyed, so a best practice is to request reviews from customers on a consistent basis.
When you ask for the review depends on what works best for your organization. Some companies prefer to ask for a review with every purchase or close of a project. Other business owners ask in the middle of a project to gauge satisfaction and progress. Some may request reviews a few times a year. Find the cadence that makes sense for your business.
Other Things to Know About Online Business Reviews
Some other things to consider when asking for online business reviews:
Use Different Platforms
There are many different review sites available online — and potential customers could be checking out multiple pages for feedback on your business. Whenever possible, request reviews on different platforms for wider coverage, such as Facebook, Google, Yelp, etc.
Simplify the Process
When requesting reviews, make it easy for the user to accomplish the task. Automate as much of the process as possible. Also, link specifically to your profile on each platform. If you can link directly to the “add a review” form, that’s even better!
Know When to Respond
Respond to good views when you can, but always respond as quickly as possible to bad reviews. Promptly responding to bad reviews demonstrates that your business still maintains its full dedication to customer service excellence even when something doesn’t go smoothly.
Make Them Accessible
Finally, display reviews on your website. You can automate this to include as many reviews as possible or choose a few of your favorites and sprinkle them throughout the site.
Green Tulip Design
Green Tulip Design creates websites and digital marketing solutions that optimize results and conversions. Schedule a call with one of our specialists to discuss Google Business Listing or customer reviews today — we’d love to talk about it!
