Google is by far the most popular platform for checking business reviews. In order to maintain their online reputation, businesses need to consistently monitor and respond to Google reviews.
In this guide, we’ll explain the benefits of replying to every Google review and show you how to do it properly.
Why responding to Google reviews matters
Responding to all the Google reviews your business gets helps you:
- Build trust: Replying to reviews shows that you care about your customers’ experience and that you value their opinions. This can help build trust and allow you to attract repeat customers.
- Improve local SEO: A business’s online reputation plays a part in how Google ranks it in local search results. And responding to reviews regularly results in happier customers who recommend your business to others, leading to more positive reviews.
- Gain valuable insights: Addressing all the reviews your business gets, especially negative ones, can help you learn about common issues customers are having. You can then improve on these to create a better customer experience.
How to respond to positive Google reviews
When responding to positive Google reviews of your business, it’s important to craft thoughtful replies that reinforce the customers’ positive experience but also encourage continued engagement.
Firstly, thank the customer for their feedback and support. Acknowledge the specific aspects of the business that the customer praised. And let them know that you’re striving to become even better.
Invite them to visit your business again or recommend your products and services to their friends and family.
It’s also a good idea to personalize the response by addressing the customer by their name and mentioning a specific detail related to your interaction with them.
Here’s an example:
“Hi [Name],
Thank you so much for the kind words!
We’re thrilled to hear you enjoyed the quick service and cozy atmosphere. It means a lot to our team.
We’re always working to make the experience even better, so we hope to welcome you back soon.”
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How to respond to negative Google reviews
You need to be a bit more delicate when responding to negative Google reviews. It’s important to not anger the customer further.
First, make sure to acknowledge their frustration and validate their feelings. Don’t try to shift blame or get defensive.
Take accountability for their negative experience and let them know that you’re set on making things right.
Ideally, you’ll want to take the conversation off-platform by inviting them to call or email you. And then resolve the matter in private. This might include providing them with a refund, a do-over, or a discount on their next purchase.
Here’s an example:
“Hi [Name],
I’m really sorry to hear about your recent experience with us. That’s not the level of service we aim to provide, and I completely understand your frustration.
We take your feedback seriously and would love a chance to make this right. Please reach out to us directly at [your email address] so we can discuss how to resolve this for you.”
How to respond to star-only Google reviews
Sometimes, customers won’t leave any written feedback, but will just give your business a star rating. Handling these types of reviews can be tricky because you have limited context about the customer’s actual experience.
Here, you’ll want to thank the customer for their rating and invite them to share more details about their experience.
If you received a low star rating without any written feedback, let the customer know that you’re concerned about their experience and that you’d like to get an opportunity to make things right. And invite them to share more details via a phone call or an email.
Here’s an example:
“Hi,
We noticed that you left a low rating but didn’t share any comments. We’re really sorry to hear that your experience may not have met expectations.
We’d truly appreciate the chance to learn more and try to make things right. Please contact us at [your email address] or [your phone number]. Your satisfaction is important to us.”
Best practices for responding to Google reviews
1. Respond to every review
Replying to every review your business gets (including positive, negative, and neutral ones) is crucial. It shows that you care about your customers and their experience.
Apart from building trust with existing customers, thoughtfully responding to reviews also lets you improve trust with potential customers who might be reading your responses.
And it can even help reduce the negative effects of a bad review. According to our research, 78.3% of buyers state that seeing a thoughtful response to a negative review made them more likely to trust a business.
2. Stay professional
You need to remain calm and professional in all your review responses. This can sometimes be difficult, especially when you receive an unfair or overly negative review.
Responding in a kind and professional way helps shine a positive light on your business, even if the review was negative or unreasonable.
Here’s the key thing to remember: you’re not just posting a reply for the reviewer, you’re posting it for any potential customers that might read it, too.
3. Be quick
Our research shows that consumers expect businesses to respond to reviews within 1-3 days.
This makes sense—timely responses show that you’re attentive and care about your customers’ experience and opinions.
But, it can be difficult to track new reviews, especially with everything else you need to take care of in your business.
This is where a tool like ReviewsOnMyWebsite can help. It can send you automated notifications as soon as your business receives a new review. That way, you can simply log in and respond to each new review quickly.
4. Create a response playbook
Creating a response playbook will help your team respond to customer reviews in the most effective way possible.
Your response playbook should include your brand’s tone and voice, common scenarios that might occur, and templates for replying to both positive and negative reviews.
You should also include timing expectations and guidelines on when an issue should be escalated to your legal department.
Manage your Google reviews with ease
Get more reviews, build trust, and grow your business with ReviewsOnMyWebsite.
5. Use the right tools
Managing customer reviews can get tedious and time-consuming. Especially if your business gets reviews across multiple platforms (like Google, Facebook, and Yelp).
You can use ReviewsOnMyWebsite to check and reply to all your business’s reviews from one central location.
There’s even an option to generate personalized review responses using AI. This can help speed up your review management process significantly. And allow you to respond to reviews in seconds.
Transform Google reviews into growth opportunities
Managing Google reviews is a crucial aspect of managing a business’s online reputation.
Use the tips outlined above to respond to positive and negative Google reviews effectively.
While you’re here, check out our guide on how to get more Google reviews.
