Google reviews are important. And contrary to what some business owners think, it’s not the number of reviews that matters—it’s their quality.
It's important that you collect Google reviews consistently over time to develop and maintain a strong online reputation. Most insurance agencies should try to get one or two new Google reviews every couple of months.
Below are four things you can do to make sure you continue to receive a steady flow of quality reviews.
1. Send a handwritten card
Handwritten cards are a great way to build relationships with clients. When you build stronger relationships, people are more likely to leave you a good review. A couple of handwritten cards throughout the year can make a big difference in how clients feel about you. If they received a birthday card, a loyalty card and a holiday card from you this year, they would know you care about them outside of renewal times. And when that review request comes in, they will be more than happy to leave one.
2. Follow up with clients who don’t leave a review
If a client starts a review but doesn’t finish it, you can send them a follow-up email to ask again. People are busy—they may have simply forgotten or got distracted and may need a gentle reminder. If you use ClientCircle, we'll let you know when a client started but didn’t finish a review.
You can also try texting customers to request a review if they’re unresponsive to emails. Everyone has different communication preferences, and your clients may prefer the convenience of leaving a review from their phone.
3. Call promoters after they respond to your surveys
Promoters are clients who respond with a 9 or 10 on the Net Promoter Score (NPS®) survey.
You know calling detractors is important to increase client retention. But there's a lot of value in calling your promoters as well.
Calling promoters after they scored you highly on the survey results in them having a positive experience with your agency not long before they receive an online review request. This unexpected phone call goes a long way in inspiring them to make the effort to give you a review. And just like a card, it gives them a recent positive experience with you to recall when writing feedback, resulting in higher quality reviews that resonate with prospects.
4. Play by the rules
Make sure you follow Google’s terms of use, which means you can’t offer rewards or payment for reviews. Google monitors activity that makes it seem like businesses are paying for positive reviews, such as a sudden spike in the number of positive reviews.
Instead of asking all your happiest customers to leave reviews at once, try asking them for reviews at a slow and steady rate. This will also help you have a continuous stream of positive reviews on your Google business page for prospects to see.