Google Reviews - A struggle to get them!

[estwig]

I have over 700 previous clients. As part of a new website I have been working my way through some of them, asking for comment/referrals for the website. Most are more than happy to oblige with some kind words about me, which is great.

I only have two reviews on GMB (Google My Business), both are really sh*tty and quite nasty. I've been trying to bury these under good reviews and have been asking clients for reviews. I send an email directly relating to the client in question, it's not a generic cookie cutter email, as part of the email I ask for a review saying something like.....

If you get a minute can you do me a favour please, follow the link and leave a review ...... It'll open a browser window and will only take a minute to do. If you're not sure what to say, I'm told to imagine you are telling a friend about me and word it like that, casual, informal and honest.

Nothing not one, out of twenty happy clients asked so far, but if I ask for a review for the website, I get them by the bucket load.

Before I burn through more clients, any ideas why this is happening, where is this going wrong?

 

[tony84]

How well do you know your customers?
I used to ask for them to leave a reaview on facbook or google - with a link to both.

I used to say if you are struggling for things to say, others have said "amazing, "a star" and even "a life changer" #justsayin

But I would only do that with the ones I had got on with and I knew I could be a bit cheeky with.

 

[estwig]

You can't please all the people all the time, so I've only been asking the happy customers who I have got along with. Your suggestion of mentioning what others have said, therefore making a suggestion of what they could say, might work.

 

[Maya Catering]

We just set up our Google my business page for Maya Catering and are too hoping to get some reviews. Does the customer have to have a google account before they are able to leave a review?

 

[Minuteman Press]

A face-to-face request does make a difference.

 

[Nathan Hill-Haimes]

Give them a call, you can't speak to your customers enough! More often than not if you ask them nicely they'll give you a commitment.

 

[Local SEO Mastermind]

You would get far more reviews if you ask either in person or on the phone, immediately after you have delivered the service to your customers.

We just set up our Google my business page for Maya Catering and are too hoping to get some reviews. Does the customer have to have a google account before they are able to leave a review?

Yes, customers will need a Google account to leave a review.

 

[Nochexman]

We just set up our Google my business page for Maya Catering and are too hoping to get some reviews. Does the customer have to have a google account before they are able to leave a review?

Just tried to click through the link estwig supplied and the process seems to stop at the sign-in.

 

[Zak Cee]

it goes to the correct business via your link.

having 2 negative reviews is clearly not helping.

a number of reasons why people are not reviewing you.

1. they do not have a google account
2. they are too busy

try this approach.

go through your list
filter ONLY the ones with Gmail addresses
the ones you know that are likely to give you 5 stars, give them a quick call and explain
that you will be sending them an email shortly and if they dont mind writing you a quick review.
revise the message with the following message below and send to 10-20 selected. You should find a 30%-50% conversion this time round.

Let me know how it goes!!

"Dear [CUSTOMER NAME],

Following on from our phone call earlier, I am pleased that you were satisfied with the work carried out by myself.

I would also like to say a big thank you for agreeing to leave us a Google review when we spoke earlier today, as this will really help me improve my online presence.

Please click the link below and it will take you directly to the review box on our Google profile so you can leave a review.

[INSERT SHORT GOOGLE REVIEW LINK HERE]

Thanks again,

[YOUR NAME HERE]

[COMPANY NAME HERE]"

 

[Awinner2]

Looking at your two reviews I can see why you need to bury them with good reviews. They could potentially be off-putting to new business seekers. luckily not everyone looks at them but !

 

[Local SEO Mastermind]

it goes to the correct business via your link.

having 2 negative reviews is clearly not helping.

a number of reasons why people are not reviewing you.

1. they do not have a google account
2. they are too busy

try this approach.

go through your list
filter ONLY the ones with Gmail addresses
the ones you know that are likely to give you 5 stars, give them a quick call and explain
that you will be sending them an email shortly and if they dont mind writing you a quick review.
revise the message with the following message below and send to 10-20 selected. You should find a 30%-50% conversion this time round.

Let me know how it goes!!

"Dear [CUSTOMER NAME],

Following on from our phone call earlier, I am pleased that you were satisfied with the work carried out by myself.

I would also like to say a big thank you for agreeing to leave us a Google review when we spoke earlier today, as this will really help me improve my online presence.

Please click the link below and it will take you directly to the review box on our Google profile so you can leave a review.

[INSERT SHORT GOOGLE REVIEW LINK HERE]

Thanks again,

[YOUR NAME HERE]

[COMPANY NAME HERE]"

The email template you provided here is very similar to the one I wrote this morning after my breakfast to share with you guys in my new thread in this forum, although mines better of course!

 

[estwig]

it goes to the correct business via your link.

having 2 negative reviews is clearly not helping.

a number of reasons why people are not reviewing you.

1. they do not have a google account
2. they are too busy

try this approach.

go through your list
filter ONLY the ones with Gmail addresses
the ones you know that are likely to give you 5 stars, give them a quick call and explain
that you will be sending them an email shortly and if they dont mind writing you a quick review.
revise the message with the following message below and send to 10-20 selected. You should find a 30%-50% conversion this time round.

Let me know how it goes!!

"Dear [CUSTOMER NAME],

Following on from our phone call earlier, I am pleased that you were satisfied with the work carried out by myself.

I would also like to say a big thank you for agreeing to leave us a Google review when we spoke earlier today, as this will really help me improve my online presence.

Please click the link below and it will take you directly to the review box on our Google profile so you can leave a review.

[INSERT SHORT GOOGLE REVIEW LINK HERE]

Thanks again,

[YOUR NAME HERE]

[COMPANY NAME HERE]"

Liking this thank you

The email template you provided here is very similar to the one I wrote this morning after my breakfast to share with you guys in my new thread in this forum, although mines better of course!

Never mind talking the talk, let's see you walking the walk

 

[NickGrogan]

Why haven't you replied to and resolved those reviews?

 

[estwig]

Why haven't you replied to and resolved those reviews?

Unfortunately the World is full of absolute t*ssers and complete idiots, at times it seems they all gravitate towards me. You cannot resolve anything with an idiot and a t*sser is a t*sser. Replying would require me to sink to their level, easy on a Saturday night after 8 pints of Stella, otherwise this is a no win situation.

 

[NickGrogan]

You can reply to the reviews and answer the issues without talking to the clients involved.

If you're Kent trading standards approved and LABC approved, then this should be something you can link too.

Not replying doesn't look good.

 

[estwig]

There is no resolving these reviews, you cannot reason with idiots, to try and do so would be to sink to their level, which is that of an idiot.

Burying them under good reviews is my best option, this is what I am struggling with.

 

[DavidWH]

Resolving is the wrong word.

Reply, explain how you're sorry you didn't meet their expectations and you would have appreciated the opportunity to resolve any issues before leaving a review.

If they did something wrong, such as project creep, explain how you went beyond the agreed specification, and you have reviewed your internal policies to better handle this in the future.

Yes it's all BS, but it shows potential customers that you're proactive, you respond, and you actually care.

We try to reply to all reviews, even if it's just a thank you for leaving one.

 

[estwig]

Good points thank you David.

I think I'm going to tidy up GMB, it's looking a little unloved, reply to the negative reviews, something along the lines of, I'm going to come round your house and beat you to death with a piece of 4"x2"! Then start calling clients who have gmail asking for a review and follow up with an email. Sheer numbers of over 600 happy clients to work through, it's gotta bring results, eventually!

 

[DavidWH]

We stayed at a hotel in Egypt a few years ago. It had OK reviews, and some slating it.

We still stayed there, because the manager went along and replied to each review, good and bad.

They took the time to explain that the hotel was cheap for an all inclusive hotel in that resort, as such you got what they paid for, and they did the best they could for what you paid.

They genuinely did to, not the best hotel, but the staff were great.

 

[Brown99]

what did you say

 

[estwig]

What a difference, 2 weeks and and a determined attitude make! I've gone from worrying about two very nasty negative reviews, to burying them under 3 five star reviews, with more on the way. I haven't contacted any previous clients, I've just been casually asking clients I am currently working with, a nice casual ask:

Hope your happy with the work, I'd appreciate it if you left a review, then a link to leave a review.

The negative reviews were really worrying me, now I'm well on my way to having so many 5 star reviews, as to make it almost irrelevant if someone does leave me a bad review in the future.

Owning it!

 

[Davidincognac]

This is what I would do?

1. contact all of your ex customers offering follow up sales support "is there anything we can do" or "is there anything else you want" That warms them up.

2. Then of those who reply, answer them and then ask them to leave a review of your business.

3. Those who didnt reply, well send them a competition.
"hi we are launching a competition for our best review of the week, if you give us 4 stars or above you could win xwz"

 

[NickGrogan]

"hi we are launching a competition for our best review of the week, if you give us 4 stars or above you could win xwz"

This is a breach of the rules of all the major review sites, so not a good idea.

 

[jamesandjanie]

Do you offer them something in return of leaving a good review? I let them earn points, discount for next time shopping.

 

[aerialworx]

I'm in a similar predicament. I don't have any negative comments, but rather have zero comments. I've been trying to build our reviews, but all our clients seem too busy to take the time to review. I love the idea of offering something in return - like a competition as it encourages people to do something and they're doing it and hoping for a win! Good idea.

 

[estwig]

You can't offer something in return for a review, it's against the rules and it just looks bad to the punters, desperate, spammy, just nasty! What does work and is working for me, is to find a way to strongly hint that they may need your services again, that it is in their best interests to keep you onside, incase they need you again.

So something like:

I hope your happy with the work, if you could take the time to leave to leave a review, it would be appreciated. www.linktoleaveareview.com

Of course if there is anything we can do for you, or if you have any questions, please do get in touch.

 

[Darren Johnson]

There are tons of platforms that will automate this for you, look up review software or keywords like that

 

[George Owen]

Attach an incentive to an email campaign?

 

[Simon-M]

You're always going to get one or two people that just seem to go the extra mile to leave you a bad review. Sometimes it's an opportunity to learn something but other times it's just downright spite from a nasty person. The beauty of all these platforms is you can reply and that's your chance to show the world what a looney (maybe they have a valid point though ) the reviewer is.

I've just started building my GMB reviews up and it seems to be going OK although a lot slower than getting them on say TrustPilot. I too have one or 2 bad ones that were not merited (according to me that is) and you soon bury them when you get some momentum going.

Just keep doing what you are doing as that seems to be working out. Before you know it you will have hundreds.