Did you know that nearly 2/3 of shoppers check a business's user reviews before visiting in person? And that a business with at least 5 Google reviews has already increased its chances by 2.5 to 3 times of being chosen by a consumer over a business with no customer reviews?
In our times, the problem is that anyone can present their business online in whatever light they like. Consequently, customers have lost trust in such advertising and marketing content.
It’s no surprise that 9 out of 10 buyers believe that user feedback is much more important than what the seller says about their own product, service, etc. You’ve probably experienced this yourself when looking for a tire repair service nearby or the best-reviewed restaurant on Google Maps while on vacation.
These reviews are much more credible to us because users can write about their real experiences with the service.
Take a restaurant or StreetFood joint for instance, where hundreds of guests may visit daily. Yet, on Google Maps, we usually find only a minimal number of reviews. The number of Google Reviews provides a significant clue about how busy a place is, ergo how popular it is among guests.
However, having many reviews from years ago isn’t much help. Users prioritize recent reviews. They want to know how a given restaurant and its current staff are serving guests right now. A review from a few days ago holds much more weight than one from two years ago in this context.
Google’s search system places a high emphasis on providing users with up-to-date information. It achieves this by monitoring new content on websites and reviews on Google Business Profiles, which generally come through Google Maps. This means it will rank these places higher in search results.
Asking customers to open Google Maps on their smartphones, search for your business locally, and then click on the review button? From a user’s perspective, this is too complicated and lengthy process.
At ClickMe Smart Card, we’ve been working for years on smart displays through which users can leave Google reviews with a single click.
This is a high-quality PVC board with a custom-made wooden stand that can be placed on a table or reception desk to collect instant reviews. The review display contains an NFC chip, meaning if a guest touches their smartphone to it, they are immediately navigated to the company’s Google review page.
The NFC function works with all iPhone and Android devices sold today. Think of it like the contactless payment where you pay by tapping your phone at the terminal.
Of course, we’ve also thought about those who can’t or don’t want to use their smartphone’s NFC function. That’s why we included a QR code on the board. Scanning the QR code also immediately navigates to the Google review page.