You run a business and often worry that you aren’t being found on the internet. But what if I told you that you’re already sitting on the Holy Grail of internet search? I’m not talking about Search Engine Optimization or paid advertising. I’m talking about something super simple and inexpensive: positive online reviews.

You’ve had one happy customer after another, loads of referrals and glowing testimonials. But your online presence doesn’t seem to reflect any of this success. Your reviews are scant to nonexistent–it’s hard to remember to ask clients for reviews and by the time it occurs to you or your team, the opportunity has passed. You don’t want to be a pest! Besides, what if they decide to leave a bad review? Reviews aren’t that big of a deal, right?

This couldn’t be further from the truth.

Think about the last time you researched a service or product. Did you read the reviews? Of course you did! Did you pay attention to the quantity and quality of those reviews? Why yes, you did. Your customers are doing the same.

Here are some quick statistics:

• 22% of consumers will not buy your product or service after reading just one negative review.
• Positive reviews produce an average 18% increase in sales.
• Reviews contribute 10% of the Google SERP (Search Engine Results Page) rankings.
• Consumers are likely to spend 31% more on a business with excellent reviews.

Ok, so reviews are important. You get it. Now what?

You need to get a system in place in order to prioritize the acquisition of positive reviews. Here are some tips:

• Where: Think about where your customers should go to leave reviews. There may be some industry specific sites to should consider: TripAdvisor, Zillow, Angie’s List. But at the forefront is Google–having a Google My Business profile with a slew of rave reviews is essential to high search rankings. If you’re not sure where to send them, I recommend Google every time!
• When: Consider timing for the ask. If your work is project based, perhaps ask upon project completion. If it’s work that’s ongoing, ask after a few quick wins, when spirits are high.
• How: Go with whatever feels most comfortable and genuine! In person, by email, in a video, a handwritten note with review instructions–get creative!

Of course, remembering to ask in the first place is key. Add a reminder in your Google calendar, make a note within the project itself or put a team member in charge of this task. Whatever works best for you and your workflow.

If you want to get serious, lead your customers through the review process, track the activity and see your reviews shoot through the roof, watch this video:

Lots of positive reviews means people trust your business. We all want to do business with people that we trust, right? Your business will get a boost in search results and your phone will ring more than ever. If you are a small, local business you simply cannot afford to skip this step.

Your customers want to rave about you! They just haven’t been asked or shown how to do so 🙂