Issue 3 of 6
Customer reviews on Google My Business (GMB) can have a HUGE impact on how Google views your business and how you rank relative to your competitors. It’s very important to pursue and maintain a good review ranking (and high volume of reviews) on your GMB listing. Here are some reasons why.
GMB Review Facts
If you review average is less than 4/5, Google won’t list you in the top results for phrases like “best used car dealer near me” or “best car service near me”. Your GMB average directly affects your search ranking.
For 9 out of 10 shoppers, an online review counts as much as a personal recommendation.
Customers spend up to 31% more if a business has excellent reviews.
Up to 86% of shoppers think twice before purchasing from a company with negative reviews.
Your Game Plan for GMB Reviews
Now is the best time to work on your GMB reviews, while things are running a little slower. This is especially true if your score is less than 4/5. Remember, your GMB review score affects your search ranking and can improve average spend per customer while also nudging that 86%, the second-guessers, to buy from you instead of another car dealer.
If you’re one of the dealerships that has a score higher than 4, you’re doing great. However, don’t get cocky. Pull up your reviews and do the following. You don’t need to do all this work at once. Spread it out over time and just do a bit each day.
- First, answer every review: It’s important to answer every single review, whether good, bad or mediocre. If you’re unsure how to respond, this link shows you how to frame brand messaging into your review responses. Answering every review demonstrates that your dealership cares what your customers think (and it gives you direct insight into where your dealership is working well, and where it is failing. Pay attention to what your customers say. It will make you money.).
- Next, check how many reviews you have, compared to your competition. If other car dealers have a lot more reviews than you do, it’s time to start gathering more. If you have more than they do, keep doing what you’re doing and work on building your lead.
- Finally, does your dealership have a process in place for getting reviews? If not, take a look at this article to establish a simple procedure for getting reviews. If you already have a process, are you performing well compared to the competition? If you are, great. If you’re not performing as well as they are, it’s time to rethink your approach. (“Performing well” means two things: Do you have a high review rating and do you have more reviews than your key competitors?)
How to Get GMB Reviews
If you only have a few customers coming in, how do you get reviews on GMB and other social media? I’ve thought this over, discussed it with some of our dealers and we’ve come up with a few ideas:
- Contact any previous customers who you’ve sold or serviced recently and simply ask for a GMB review. Be direct and honest, explaining that in these hard times you’re working hard to keep your dealership on good footing. Be sure to let them know you appreciate their help. People like to help, and right now it can actually help them feel less powerless if they’re helping a local business out.
- Another variation on this theme is to email all of your customers and ask them about their last visit to your dealership. Have them rank their experience from 1 to 5 and if they rate you at 4 or 5, ask them for a GMB review in a follow-up email. If their rating was lower than 4, ask them why, take notes and clean up any issues they may have. They’ll remember your interest in customer satisfaction once times get better. You’ll have gained a reinvigorated customer when things pick up again. They may even change their previous review for the better.
- Get customers who gave you good reviews on other social media sites to give you the same review on GMB. This is pretty simple. Just pull up your social media sites one at a time, find a good review, and then contact the customer ask them for a good review on GMB. Be honest. Tell them that you’re trying to build your GMB profile to help your dealership and that you need their help. Most people will help without even thinking about it.
Let’s Work Together
I sincerely hope this information is helpful. Please send us feedback with any good ideas that will help your fellow dealers. As Americans, taking care of each other is the best thing we can do in days like these. That strength is what’s made us great for the last 240+ years.
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