Many automotive businesses are looking for ways to increase their revenue, and get more customers, and if you are reading this, it means you are, too. There are many ways to do so, but I’ll focus on one of the strongest tools you can use!
What’s better than word-of-mouth? A sincere referral from a happy customer? There is hardly any better way to get customers than from another satisfied customer. But the problem with word-of-mouth is that you don’t have any control over it and you depend on other people. You know that when acquaintances and friends recommend you something, you are more likely to buy it, right? What if you could do that for your automotive business, but multiply it?
And that’s exactly where Google Reviews play an important role. Okay, I agree it’s not the same when you read a review from a stranger versus when your best friend recommends a collision repair facility. But in my extensive experience in automotive marketing, social proof is extremely important. And Google reviews offer you exactly that, so don’t miss out on a chance to learn how to get Google reviews for your automotive business!
Let’s Talk Benefits of Google Reviews
“How to get Google reviews for your automotive business?” – before you ask yourself this question, let’s talk about why you should stream towards it.
Google Reviews can skyrocket your business’ revenue because they play an important role in the Automotive Industry, more than in any other! In what ways can google reviews help your business?
More Reviews = More Leads
More people will hear about your business, check it out, and consider buying from you!
More Positive Reviews = More Trust
Both positive and negative reviews are important. It makes your business seem real, legit and trustworthy. And people don’t buy from businesses they don’t trust!
A lot of business owners fear the negative backlash – but you need to understand the customer and what the customer wants. Yes, there will always be customers you can’t please BUT 99.9% of customers will be grateful for your services.
Negative reviews are normal, and potential customers expect them. If they can’t find anything negative, it might seem fishy. So, embrace both positive and negative sides and learn how to Get Google Reviews because it will positively influence your business and revenue!
Higher Reviews = Higher Rank on SERPs
The more reviews you get – the higher your business will rank on Google when people search for automotive businesses
Google is a place your business should exist! Because of that, it’s important to be discoverable, get Google reviews, and showcase your expertise there. People go to Google and search for answers to the questions that are bugging them. You want to be Google’s answer to automotive industry questions.
If your customers aren’t finding you on Google, it means your rankings aren’t that high. And unfortunately, that means you are missing out on a lot of new customers, which is crucial to the success of your business.
So how do you encourage Google to show your Google Business Profile more?
How do You Get Google Reviews for Your Automotive Business
How to make sure customers leave a review? The best way to get more Google reviews is to simply ask. But what more can you do to ensure success?
- Have a QR code at the front desk and invite customers to scan it to leave a review after their repair.
- Send them a text or email post repairs with a Thank you and link to Google reviews. It’s important to do it ASAP, while they are still influenced by the great service you provided them with!
- Attach a thank you gift (M&M tik tac toe game with QR Code on it). This is a great psychological trick that will make customers feel like leaving a review is a no-brainer for them! For many people, the idea of helping someone, especially someone who provided a great service is a reward for itself.
- Post a link on your website.
- Include a review link in your email signature.
- Create a quick personalized “Thank you” video to send via email or text and attach Google Review Link.
- Always politely ask your customers for a review. If you don’t ask, they’ll likely forget. But if you ask, there is a high chance they’ll do it. Especially when they see how important it is for you, and how much you’ll appreciate it.
- Include Link to Your Google Business Profile in your Newsletter or Email Marketing Campaigns
- Post Instagram Story with a Link to Your Google Business Profile
Try it out for a month or two and get Google reviews for your automotive business – don’t forget to let us know how it went!
The whole point is to make it as simple and as accessible for customers to leave a review and tell an honest opinion about your business to the world.
All of this information takes us to another question, which is:
What’s the Right Way to Ask Customers to Leave a Review for Your Automotive Business?
Google is pretty strict about it – you can’t bribe someone to leave you a 5-star review. For more in-depth information, read Terms of Service. and properly ask customers for reviews! However, since we all skip through boring TOS – I’ve summed up the most important parts for you!
Since Google can ban businesses from their services, I strongly recommend following these rules:
- Don’t pay customers to leave you a review! Google strongly prohibits this since their policy is to have honest and legit reviews that are influenced by how good your services are, not how high you can pay for a review.
- Employees, including yourself, can’t post reviews since it’s a conflict of interest in Google’s eyes. Don’t risk your business profile by adding a couple of reviews!
- You can’t and you shouldn’t stop anyone from leaving you a negative review. Reviews are there to inform other people about your business, and favoring only positive ones is a hard no from Google!
Don’t forget that people are more likely to leave a review when they are furious with poor service. That’s in human nature and you shouldn’t worry if that happens to you. To overcome this – it’s important to follow previous steps and encourage customers who are satisfied to leave a review. They usually need a reminder, unlike dissatisfied customers.
This will show an actual picture of your business, and hopefully, positive reviews will leave negative ones in the dust.
Take Time Every Week to Respond to Every Review
Your customers will appreciate you responding to their reviews, both positive and negative ones. But more importantly, your business will thank you for it. Why do I say this?
Communication is everything nowadays. You want to form strong relationships with your customers and show potential ones that you care. Because of that, you need to respond to every review, thank them for their positive feedback or offer to resolve issues with the negative ones.
It’s not enough to do your job great – you can be the best collision repair facility – but if your relationships with your customers are bad – they’ll go somewhere else. Make them feel appreciated and grateful, be kind and it will make your business the No. 1 place to go for anything automotive-related.
If you ever feel overwhelmed with daily tasks and can’t find time to manage your Google Business Profile, Auto+ performance has got you covered! Check out our Reputation Management. solution and let us manage your Google Business profile (Previously known as Google My Business).
Offer Outstanding Service and Customer Experience
In the end, it all comes to this. If your service and customer experience aren’t good, people won’t lie and leave a positive review. Always keep customers at the center of your service and make them feel good about leaving you a review. That’s the most important answer to the question of how to get Google reviews for your automotive business from customers!
Besides providing exceptional service, how people feel when they visit your auto repair shop is the second most important thing. Small appreciation gifts, a smile, and a good laugh will take you a long way. People will like visiting your automotive facility, and you can improve their day with little things that mean so much.
All of this will not only help you get Google reviews but will also spread a good word about your business and increase your customer base. Customer relationships are especially important in the local community and the amount of growth your business will experience if you apply these tips will amaze you!
Great power lies in having feedback from your customers – it works great to boost morale in your automotive facility, but it will also exponentially increase the number of customers your automotive business will get. What are you waiting for? Get those reviews! I am rooting for you!
