This is the third and final article in a series all about Google reviews - why we want them, how to get them…. And now - what to do with them!

Responding to Google Reviews is just as important as getting them.

By responding, you improve customer retention rates by boosting the loyalty of happy customers. You’ll also increase your chances of acquiring new customers by showcasing how committed your brand is to keeping communication channels open. When I see that brands have taken the time to personally respond to reviews - good or bad - it immediately increases my trust in them.

Another bonus - responding to as many customer reviews as possible can also increase your SEO. When Google is determining its local ranking, it factors in “Prominence”, which can be improved by encouraging and responding to reviews. It shows that you’re engaged online.

So, with that being said, what are the best ways to respond to positive reviews? Let’s tee up a pretend positive review as an example.

“So happy with the flowers I purchased for my mom’s birthday - they were delivered quickly and the customer service was great. - Kyle ”

Step 1 - Make it Personal

Start your reply using the customer’s name. Your response will come across as more natural and sincere.

Step 2 - Acknowledge All Points

In the same way you would respond to all points made by an unhappy customer, all positive points should be recognized and responded to, too!

Response Example: “…It’s great to hear that you were pleased with our service and the delivery time.

Step 3 - Broadcast Your Brand

You can support positive comments made by the customer by reinforcing your brand’s purpose, message or values.

Example: “…It’s very important to us to ensure that our customers are happy.”

Step 4 - Show Appreciation

Thanking your customer once again for their positive review and for being your customer will go a long way in setting a good tone.

Example: “…Thanks once again for taking time out to leave your feedback and thank you for shopping with [insert store name].”

Step 5 - Keep it Personal and Positive

Adding a little extra positivity or personality by mirroring the customer’s info at the end of the response adds sincerity. I like to sign the review either personally - my shop’s name is Bloom so signing it “Kelsey at Bloom” or “The Bloom Team” can really make a connection.

Example: “We hope your Mom had a great birthday and wish her many more!”

The end result is… “Hi Kyle, we appreciate the review. It’s great to hear that you were pleased with our service and the delivery speed. It’s very important to us to ensure that our customers are happy. Thanks once again for taking time to leave your feedback and thank you for shopping with Bloom Floral. We hope your Mom had a great birthday and wish her many more! - Kelsey at Bloom.

RESPONDING TO NEGATIVE FEEDBACK

Let’s turn this into a negative review response now. Yep, responding to negative feedback is super important. It shows customers that you are a real person, that you care, and that you’ll make things right.

What if Kyle’s review was this?

“Not happy with the flowers I purchased for my mom’s birthday - they were delivered late and were not the colors I had chosen. - Kyle ”

We’re going to apply the same exact formula - Personal touch, acknowledgment, branding, appreciation and positivity.

“Hi Kyle - We are sorry to hear that you weren’t pleased with the flowers or delivery timeframe. It’s very important to us to ensure that our customers are happy. We appreciate that you took the time to leave feedback. We’ll be contacting you for further details, and look forward to making it right - Kelsey at Bloom.

See how I apologized for making him feel that delivery was sub-par, but didn’t apologize about anything else, or offer excuses or explanations. Odds are that his Mom wasn’t home until late in the day and the flowers he had ordered needed to be subbed to be full value. But until you have the full story, getting defensive online isn’t a good look.

If this review happens really promptly after the delivery and you were able to connect with Kyle and fix the problem, don’t respond to the review until it’s resolved, then include that in the review. So the last sentence would now be: “Thank you for connecting with us to make it right - we appreciate your understanding about product substitutions and we hope your Mom loved the fresh bouquet that we delivered this afternoon”.

Now this is just an example - you need to follow your own store policy on how things are handled. But using that formula for review responses is going to make you look professional and compassionate. If you can solve the problem, reviewers can go back and adjust or comment on their own review. This is an instance where a photo being sent can be a really good thing - they can attach the new bouquet picture as well.

So I want you to think - how do you currently gather Google reviews? And what is one thing you can do this week - one system you can put in place - that will help increase your review volume? The beauty of all of these examples is that once you’ve taken the time to generate your link and add it to your email, envelopes, or checkout process, it’s just part of your workflow. But it’s one that generates results, both in terms of potential buyer confidence and your SEO.

So your action task this week is to review - how do you currently gather Google reviews? And what is one thing you can do this week - one system you can put in place in just one of the 6 areas we covered - that will help increase your review volume?

Getting more Google reviews pays. It boosts your online presence, it increases browsers confidence in your brand, and it can lead to more sales. Do one small thing this week that will move your business in the direction of more reviews.

I’d love to hear what you end up doing. You can find me on Instagram, or contact with me here online.