It’s always nice when you receive a glowing 5-star review on Google, but is there any point in responding? And what about the negative reviews? Does it have any impact on your business and reputation or is it a waste of time? In this article we’ll tell you everything you need to know…
Should you respond to customer reviews on Google?
The short answer is yes. It’s good practice to respond to all of the reviews that you receive on Google – and on social media as well.
It might seem rather tedious and like a waste of your precious time, however, there are some excellent ways in which it can benefit your business. Read on and we’ll elaborate further.
How does responding to customer reviews on Google impact you?
So, how does taking the time to respond to customer reviews on Google impact you? Is it really worth the effort? We’ll let you decide…
1. Responding to reviews on Google can help your SEO
Google has stated that one of the best ways to improve your local rankings is by managing and responding to all of the customer reviews that you get. This is because it shows that you value your customers and the feedback that they have to offer. It also helps to build relevancy and authority in your local community.
For example, if you were looking for SEO services in Singapore, and you can see plenty of positive reviews with friendly and professional responses from the agency on their GMB profile, you’ll likely feel a lot more confident in hiring their services. It’s all about building authority and establishing trust!
2. It signals to other potential customers that their opinions matter
When your customers (existing and prospective) see that you frequently respond to all of the feedback that you get on Google, it demonstrates that you value their opinions. This will often sway customers to share their own thoughts and feelings, especially when they’ve had a positive experience!
3. It gives you a chance to offer solutions to disgruntled customers
Responding to negative reviews is an effective way of appeasing disgruntled customers and sometimes even pulling them back and converting them into loyal, returning customers! It might sound crazy, but most people really do appreciate it when brands and businesses take the time to listen to them – and indeed try to provide solutions.
For example, if someone has had a particularly unpleasant experience, you can offer a discounted price on their next meal, or a free return / replacement on a faulty item, etc.
4. Justify unwarranted 1* reviews
It’s not uncommon for people to leave poor reviews without a good reason. You know the type. The world is full of ‘em! However, the benefit of being able to respond to reviews is: fighting your corner (so long as you do so respectfully).
Here’s a great example of this:
- An Etsy store that sells digital download Murder Mystery games received an unwarranted 1* review that only said: “There are too many documents to print.”
- The store owners kindly responded: “We’re sorry that you’ve had an unpleasant experience. For future reference, we do clearly state on all of our products that printing is optional. These games are also wireless and can be played on your mobile device.
In this approach they have clearly signalled to any potential customers who see this unreasonable negative review that the customer was indeed in the wrong.
5. Build strong customer relationships
And finally, responding to all customer feedback is an effective way of building strong customer relationships. When you thank people for their wonderful feedback, they’ll be far more likely to recommend you to their friends and family, and indeed return to you again in the future.
The long and short of it; it’s well worth taking the time to show some love to the customers who have taken the time to offer you their feedback.