Google reviews can help your business break new grounds. With more satisfied clients/customers engaged with your services and products, you get a notable boost to your SEO rank, brand image, and credibility.
Nonetheless, customers don’t usually have the incentive to leave a review. You can turn this around through personalised emails to your most loyal customers, and by having a streamlined review process in place.
Let’s explore how you can make the most of Google reviews, and how customers’ feedback can translate into substantial growth to your online presence.
How Can Google Reviews Boost Your SEO Score?
Google regards reviews the same way as backlinks, which means having more positive reviews makes your website more likely to appear in the top search results.
Factors like review scores, quantity, and diversity will further help Google determine the credibility and reputation of your business, granting you more online visibility.
Aside from the search engine ranking, potential customers judge whether they can trust a business based on their reviewers’ experience. We tend to weigh word of mouth in our purchase decisions, and customer reviews bring this social aspect to the online space.
Upon investing in building trust with your customers, you’ll notice more traffic, higher click-through rates, and an overall increase in your net revenue.
Always remember, though, that this is an ongoing process. The intention is not to collect a few positive reviews and depend on them for a lifetime.
Before opting for a product or a service, customers factor in the date of the reviews, too; statistics say that:
about 85% of online customers disregard reviews submitted over three months ago
That’s why it’s more important than ever to establish a sustainable network built on engagement, transparency, and timely support.
How to Get More Google Reviews
You’ll be surprised by how straightforward the answer is. All you need to do is ask; it’s as simple as that!
It’s been proven that sending emails asking your customers for their feedback is the best method to obtain more reviews.
Before composing your message and hitting the send button, you need to plan ahead and consider a few factors.
Customer Segmentation
When you’re still experimenting with the best ways to engage your customers, it’s wise to start on a positive note. First, reach out to your loyal customers who would make the perfect brand advocates.
Vocal consumers already praising your products and services on social media will be easier to get on board. A simple nudge in the form of an appreciation email is all it takes to encourage them to leave positive reviews.
After this initial wave of positive responses to your business, the process will be much easier moving forward. Sure, you’ll get some neutral reviews along the way; however, it’s not the end of the world.
If you have robust customer support policies in place, you can still get some positive buzz out of your unsatisfied customers.
By reaching out to them and trying to look into any inconveniences they experienced, you can change their minds and turn them to your side.
Timing
Another critical factor that contributes to the success of your review requests is timing. Make sure you give your customers enough time to get proper exposure to your business and carry positive opinions before asking for their feedback.
For example, you can time your review requests with some specific milestones like spending a given amount of money on your products and services, redeeming loyalty points to receive a discount on a subsequent purchase, or being a loyal customer for a certain period.
Such factors give you enough indicators that your customers are satisfied with the service they’re receiving, and they’re likely to express their appreciation in the form of positive reviews.
Also, nothing matches the excitement of unboxing a new package. Sending review requests around this time ensures the reviews capture the same energy and positive thoughts that your customers have.
Furthermore, if your business model relies on a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) subscription, consider reaching out to your clients a few weeks after a new major update is out. That’s a golden window of customer satisfaction that can translate to overwhelmingly positive feedback.
How to Structure Your Emails
Upon deciding on to who and when you’re sending your review requests, it’s time to start working on your email composition.
Emails are a non-intrusive, quick, and easy means to reach out to your customers
You can even automate the whole process once everything is in place to save yourself both time and resources. Without any further ado, let’s discuss the points to put in mind when tailoring your messaging strategy.
Personalisation
Right from the start, you want to ensure that your email stands out among the hundreds of newsletters spamming your customers’ inbox. Personalisation is key to show your customers that they’re valued.
Make sure you address your customers by their name, mention the product or service that they purchased from you, and include your brand name in the message.
Trial and error is part of the process. You’ll find yourself experimenting with different templates to see which one works better for a particular customer segment.
Tweak your emails accordingly to ensure you receive the most responses and conversation rate.
Make It to the Point
For higher conversion rates, keep your emails short and to the point. Cut any fluff and make sure your Google review URL link is front and centre.
Your customers are already doing you a favour, and you don’t want to discourage them by making them search for the review link on their own.
At the end of the day, you want the review process to be as seamless and straightforward as possible. It’ll also help if you mention how long it takes to submit a review.
Show Appreciation
Finally, you should wrap up your email by expressing your gratitude for your customers’ time.
You need to cement the notion that your business values feedback by emphasising that each review is carefully read and considered.
Furthermore, it makes a huge difference when you mention the reason you’re asking for reviews.
Your customers will be more willing to participate when they know that their feedback will contribute to improving your services to suit their needs better.
This way, your clients feel like part of a community and become more invested in providing their feedback with each new purchase.
How to Ask for a Google Review Email Templates
What better way to ensure you’ve got the grasp of all the different points we discussed than giving you a real-life example of how your email templates should read like.
I’m sure you’ll figure out something that works better for your particular business and clients, so feel free to tweak and change things around until the templates feel yours.
Email Template (1)
Hi [customer/client’s name],
Thank you for purchasing [name of the product]. We at [your company’s name] really appreciate your business and hope our product lived up to your expectations. We truly value you as a customer and want to hear your feedback.
Our goal is to ensure that we’re always improving our services and products to deliver the best value for our customers. Therefore, we’d highly appreciate it if you can spare a couple of minutes to leave us a Google review.
To submit your review, simply click the link below and let us know what you think!
[insert Google review URL link here]
Thank you for choosing to shop with us and taking the time to leave a review! If you have any inquiries, don’t hesitate to contact us on [insert number.]
Many thanks,
[your customer service representative name]
Email Template (2)
Dear [customer/client’s name],
Thank you for picking [your company’s name] as your [type of service] provider. We’re happy to have you among our valued customers!
Since we always go the extra mile to ensure our clients are getting the best services, we would love to hear your feedback! If you could take a couple of minutes to write a quick Google review for us, we would be incredibly grateful.
Your satisfaction is our number one priority, and we’re always committed to cater to our clients’ needs.
To leave a review, simply follow the link below and let us know what you think.
[insert Google review URL link]
I look forward to carefully reading your feedback to ensure the [your company’s name] community gets the unmatched support it deserves, so thank you for being part of the process.
Sincerely,
[your customer service representative name]
Asking for a Google Review – Final Words
Now that you know the best practices, we’re sure you’ll make the most of Google reviews to take your business to the next level.
Keep an eye on your site’s SEO ranking, and you’ll be surprised by how such a simple effort like asking the right customers for reviews can do wonders.
