Online customer reviews are growing in importance to help people make a decision on where to do business. Google reviews are one of the most viewed and most trusted on the entire Internet. Recently, Google announced that it will notify customers when businesses respond to their reviews. This can have important implications when trying to increase your Google local optimization.
Reviewers receive an email from Google and can soon opt in to receive push notifications. The notification is sent 5 minutes after the business responds to the review. It features a link so people can read the full response. The response is available immediately on Google Search and Maps.
This is important because business owners should give some extra thought to the response they leave. They cannot assume the customer will not see the response. For example, if a customer leaves an unfavorable review, the business should not respond rudely or inconsiderately. You don’t want an online war with a customer. Conversely, many issues can be resolved if you show that you are open and willing to talk with the customer to see how you can help improve their experience.
This gives a business the opportunity to show they care about the customer experience and will do whatever it takes to make things better. This can help your Google local optimization because there is activity on your profile. It also shows potential customers you pay attention and that you care about what customers are saying.
Even if a positive review is left, responding to it shows that you value a genuine relationship with your customers. Communicating with your audience and customer base is a major part of your overall marketing. A customer who sees that you took the time to respond to a review is much more likely to visit you again.
Google local optimization is all about people finding your business online. Having a rating and customers reviews pull up quickly can help people make a decision on whether or not to do business with you, no matter if they are local or just passing through the area.
