When utilized properly, Google My Business can greatly help companies reach their customers and vice versa. It is also fairly easy to utilize, you don’t have to be a computer whiz to help your business with GMB. All you need to do is to follow certain best practices such as promoting Google My Business reviews that can help boost your business’ visibility to customers in your area.
Boost Your Business by Asking for Reviews and Responding to Them
When businesses provide more information about their products and services, customers become more confident about making purchases. Such information includes reviews from other customers describing their experiences with the business’ products or services.
A local business with a lot of good reviews will naturally get more traffic. Who wouldn’t be attracted to a brand with a proven track record? So be sure to get reviews from your customers. Simply ask or encourage them to share their experiences. Google My Business actively promotes customer reviews, you can even send links to your customers so they can input their ratings.
Additionally, you should respond to customer reviews promptly so audiences will see that your business cares about its clientele. Thank them for their positive reviews. If they have criticisms then reach out to those customers and ask them what your business can do better.
This kind of engagement and authenticity will make your business stand out whether it’s a large company, a startup or an SME.
Even bad reviews can be opportunities for businesses to engage with their customers. According to Review Trackers, 53% of people expect responses to negative reviews. What’s more, customers are 44.6% more likely to visit local businesses that engage with negative reviews.
Plus, the feedback will be invaluable in helping you fine tune your business and improve its products or services.
Other Best Practices to Increase Customer Engagement and Sales
Aside from reviews, your GMB profile is a listing that contains your business’ operating information, reviews, posts and much more. Optimizing it by filling it with information that customers are looking for will naturally generate more traffic compared to a sparse GMB that lacks details. Additionally, Google’s search engine optimization algorithms will naturally favor businesses that put up more details.
So ask yourself:
- What are your customers looking for when they search for your business?
- Can they get your phone number quick enough?
- How easy is it for them to know your business hours, if parking is available at your store, etc.?
Your customers need to be able to get this information before they even enter your website. By making these details more accessible and convenient, you can help more potential customers decide and purchase your products or services sooner.
Takeaway
All in all, Google My Business is a useful tool that can help businesses reach more customers and generate more revenue. Be sure to make the most of it! For further information about using Google My Business or local SEO services, reach out to Jack Pine Media.
