As the most popular search engine in the world, Google is the starting point for many a buyer journey. According to its own stats, 51% of consumers use Google to research a purchase they plan to make online, and over half use it to discover new brands.
So it’s pretty crucial that your eCommerce store stands out with a stellar reputation.
That means you’ll need an impressive Seller Rating - an aggregate score awarded by Google based on verified company reviews. The more of these reviews that sit at the 5-star end of the spectrum, the higher your Seller Rating will be, and the more trust and credibility your eCommerce store will gain with potential customers.
So how do you optimize your review management strategy to get more of those 5-stars rolling in?
First thing’s first - there’s no shortcuts to a strong Seller Rating. If you want to get more Google reviews of the 5-star variety you have to earn them, and that means prioritizing customer satisfaction.
Every shopper has a preferred means of contact, so offer multiple communication channels like email, phone and live chat, as well as self service options like chatbots and product page Q&As.
Crucially, make sure your customer support team is well trained and knowledgeable, and has the tools to handle inquiries efficiently.
Advanced helpdesk solutions like Gorgias are invaluable here. They provide a unified platform where agents can manage interactions across various channels, with features like automated ticketing and customer segmentation for personalized support.
To gauge how well your customer service levels are perceived, try implementing post purchase surveys. These are a simple way to collect metrics like Net Promoter Score (NPS) and Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT), helping you measure overall sentiment and pinpoint areas for improvement.
Ultimately, it’s all about creating those positive experiences that naturally translate into more 5-star Google reviews.
Just as important as fostering positive experiences is addressing the negative ones. If you’ve prioritized customer service these shouldn’t crop up all too often, but mistakes do happen, and unfortunately negative reviews are inevitable.
But it’s not inevitable that they negatively impact your Seller Rating.
Have a process in place to deal with them quickly and effectively (check out our blog post on how to handle negative reviews to help you here). Once you’ve resolved the issue, follow up with the customer and ask if they’d consider amending their review based on their updated experience.
To encourage your support team to actively engage in fixing low star reviews, try implementing a reward system, whereby you award agents who successfully turn negative reviews into positive ones, or meet certain performance targets in resolving customer complaints.
If you’re proactive in dealing with them, negative reviews can be 5-star Google reviews in waiting.
Timing is everything when it comes to soliciting reviews, especially when what you’re after is 5-star feedback.
We’d normally talk about timing in terms of product reviews - making sure you give the customer enough time to experience a product in full before asking for their opinion. But that’s arguably just as important for company reviews, as the product experience will impact how a customer feels about your brand as a whole.
Time your review requests to land when the recipient is likely to be most enthusiastic about their purchase, and therefore more likely to give your eCommerce store a 5-star rating.
There are tools available that allow you to create custom email sequences for review requests. You can set these up with specific time delays and sending triggers, as well as gentle and persuasive reminders for customers that are yet to submit their feedback - all automated and all designed to land you more stars.
You might also find you get more Google reviews for your store if you send product and company review requests combined. Provided they’re timed well, combined requests let you piggyback on a customer’s positive product experience to collect company reviews that boost your Seller Rating.
Alongside Google reviews, you should collect Google My Business Reviews, which are especially crucial for businesses serving local areas.
These reviews appear prominently on Google Maps and impact local search results, which can significantly affect customer decisions.
Here’s how to optimize your GMB review collection:
The most common way of sending a review request is via email, and for good reason. It’s convenient, cost effective, and yields a pretty decent conversion rate. But it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, and it’s certainly not the only way to ask for a review.
You might just find a world of untapped 5-star potential if you shake up your approach and cater to different communication preferences.
For example, if you have a customer whom you know to prefer text over email, use SMS review requests to capture their attention. On average, these convert at 3x the rate of email requests, so they’re certainly a good way to get your positive review count up.
By leveraging multiple channels for requests, you can reach customers where they're most comfortable and increase the likelihood of receiving 5-star Google reviews.
Incorporate a link to your Google My Business profile or a review link in your email signature.
This serves as a subtle reminder for customers to leave a review and builds trust through visible feedback.
Adding a line like "Leave us a review" with a link to your Google page can boost engagement and conversions.
Make the review process as easy as possible for customers. Provide clear instructions on how to leave a review with screenshots or step-by-step guides. Here's a quick overview:
Most review platforms have a feature that enables you to send review requests to not only new customers but previous customers too.
At REVIEWS.io we call this a review booster, and we can direct customers receiving this email to leave a Google review.
This means you can really crank up the number of reviews you've collected on Google and start improving your online reputation almost instantly.
For company reviews to contribute to your Seller Rating they must be collected through a Google Licensed Partner like REVIEWS.io.
You’ll also need to meet certain conditions before you’re awarded a Seller Rating, like receiving a certain number of company reviews of a certain rating within a given time period.
The REVIEWS.io solution has plenty of user-friendly tools to help you achieve a 5-star rating and achieve it quickly.
These include Flow for automated email sequencing, allowances for SMS review requests, and integrations with the likes of Gorgias and Klaviyo so you can create first rate customer experiences.
We also offer a Review Booster tool, allowing you to send company review requests to past customers to meet the Seller Rating requirements sooner.
Book a free live demo today to learn more about the benefits of using REVIEWS.io for Google review management.
