Why Google reviews are not enough
Published: September 10, 2020 | Last updated: April 5, 2023What are Google reviews good for?
Reviews on Google are crucial for success. They influence the ranking of search results and encourage users to visit a site. Especially companies with a local focus can benefit from this. The search engine links reviews to the Google Maps service. For example, if a user wants to know where the nearest fabric store is, the map shows the location of the stores including reviews. According to Splendid Research's online rating monitor, 6 out of 10 consumers who know the Google service use this function. A ConversionXL Institute study shows that Google ratings, whose results are indicated by a total number of stars in the organic search, have a positive effect on the number of visitors to websites. For example, star reviews in Google's search results increase the number of clicks by 35 percent. The Spiegel Research Center also proves that just five reviews increase the conversion rate by 270 percent. The chances that users make a purchase or are active on the company's website, for example by reading an article or using the contact form, are therefore more than twice as high.
What else do you need besides Google reviews
The numbers clearly indicate ─ there is no business without Google. On average, every Internet user relies on the Google search at least 3 times a day. More than 50 percent of users reach a website via Google. This means that SEO is important and Google reviews are also important, but those who rely exclusively on Google reviews lose valuable visitors. This is because not all users give feedback via the search engine. That's why it's important to be present on the review portals that your target groups use regularly.
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Bundle customer feedback from industry-specific review platforms
According to a Splendid Research survey, Amazon, Check24 and eBay are among the best-known websites with a review feature. The sites play a particularly important role for online retailers and insurance or telecommunications providers. On the other hand, local companies and service providers are primarily present on industry-specific review platforms. There are now several portals offering comparisons for each industry where users can search for and review products, manufacturers or service providers. Manage all those profiles individually is hardly manageable and not effective. Therefore, platforms like ProvenExpert offer entrepreneurs and freelancers a connection to all relevant review profiles. This means: Changes on a review platform become visible in the ProvenExpert profile. All reviews can be easily overviewed and managed with minimal time effort.
Social media as a review platform
An online survey by Greven Medien and GfK shows that 11 percent of consumers check social networks before deciding for or against a purchase. Likes and scores therefore have less influence on the purchase decision than reviews on Google or Amazon, for example. On the other hand, users of social networks are "conditioned" to give feedback in the form of likes, comments or, for example, as a review on Facebook. In practice, companies can use social networks primarily to collect customer and user feedback. The most important function of these sites? They bundle all the reviews that users give for your company. In this way, users can see all reviews that your customers have submitted - regardless of whether they are on Amazon, Yelp or Facebook.
How do you get your online reputation under control?
