how do you ask a client for a Google Review? This is a question we get asked ALL the time and always a tricky one to answer. But they are honestly so important to make your business stand out from the crowd and here is why:
Reviews from genuinely happy clients are worth so much more than any marketing copy you can write. Approximately 93% of users have made buying decisions based on an online review. A further 81% of consumers use Google to evaluate local businesses.
There are many ways to ask a client for a Google review. You don’t want to come across as too pushy or as though you’re hyper-fixated on getting those stars! However, based on the statistics above, they are essential if you want to attract the attention of new potential clients.
Benefits of having Google reviews
There are few things more effective at building intrinsic trust in a company than seeing other people have an excellent experience. Google reviews, particularly for local businesses, help you project yourself as a company that people can confidently go to. For some people, taking the leap and branching outside of the massive cooperations and working with a small business, can be seen as a risk. Offering that reassurance in the form of a healthy collection of positive reviews is a must.
This might leave you thinking about how best to ask a client for a Google review, let’s discuss that…
How we ask clients for a Google review
Here at Sokada, we have several stages of production. We like to drop little hints and reminders to our clients that Google reviews are incredibly important to our business and, that we would really appreciate one.
We like to have an introductory or planning stage with each of our clients. During this stage, the main focus is gathering info about the client, their needs and expectations for the project. During this stage, we like to plant the seed that we’d be grateful to receive a positive review. Something along the lines of “when we’ve done a great job and we’re both happy with the end results, we’d love to get a great Google review from you guys!” Alternatively, we mention some of the statistics above and speak about how beneficial it would be for them to increase the amount of Google reviews they have. Even if it’s something mentioned in passing during the conversation.
We always try to keep things light-hearted and are never pushy for a Google Review. We mention how much we’d appreciate one and then follow it up with a service people think is worthy of reviewing. We’re currently knocking on the door of 50 Google Reviews! This acts as an excellent first impression for those in the market for a new website. On the flip side, it also gives the whole team a sense of gratification!
Touch base
Touching base with a client is a great way to nudge them towards giving you a great Google review. If you haven’t heard from or been in communication with a client for some time, touching base is a great way reignite that crucial communication. Simply asking how business is going and if they’re satisfied with your service is a great way to find out if you’re doing a good job. If everything’s going well enquire about a Google review. If the client is experiencing any issues or has any queries, now is the perfect time to take them on board. This will help you improve the service you offer, and could make them more inclined to leave a review!
Post-purchase email
A post-purchase email can be any communication you have with the customer after they have purchased a product of yours. This can act in a similar way to touching base with a client. You can offer them some sort of reward for leaving a positive Google review. An example of this could be a code that gives them 20% off their next order with you.
This gives a customer a much greater incentive, plus you receive another order!
Offer the client a Google review in return
You don’t have to be a customer of the client to leave a Google review. In our case, we start by mentioning how we were the people who designed their website. This lets a potential customer know that they are dealing with a legitimate business who has invested the resources into having a website built. We then talk about how they were as people to work with and what they did to help.
Informing people of this will sometimes give more reassurance than a review talking about their products. As it somewhat validates them as being ‘real’ people who believe in what they do enough to invest in a website. Furthermore, a review from a company legitimises a business more than an account that left five stars but has no previous reviews and left no comments.
You can use this if you have a close relationship with any other business. If you’re a supplier of goods to many companies offering this method works extremely well.
Face to face?
So do you ask for a review whilst face to face? Yes probably this is the best way! You can then easily show them how to do the review. However a personal email addressed to them is another great way, or if not via the phone or on Zoom. Just don’t send out a generic email – it never works!
Offer a service worthy of a Google review
You mustn’t be afraid to ask for a Google review. However, there are no magic words that will force someone to give you those five stars. The only consistent substitute we found is offering an ethical yet professional service and a high-quality finished product every time.
Get in touch
Here at Sokada, we design websites that enhance SEO and improve the user experience. The other half of our business is providing plenty of Online Marketing including Social Media Marketing for businesses throughout Sussex, Kent, Surrey as well as throughout the UK. We can help manage your social media profiles to help you gain a following and reach out to new potential customers. If you want to know how do you ask a client for a Google Review then we hope we have answered this question!
If you would like advice on this or any other marketing advice then please get in touch. If you’re interested in having a bespoke website that will focus on appealing to the user experience, then we would love to chat further with you on 01435 817226 or drop us an email at enquiries@sokada.co.uk. Alternatively, fill out our short contact form here.