Google Business Reviews : How The World Views Your Community

Google Business Reviews : How The World Views Your Community

What is the very first thing that we all do before visiting, or checking into a specific place? Almost like muscle memory, we type the name into Google and check the most recent reviews. In fact 85% of consumers research a company online first.

Customers are using Google Business Reviews as the major search tool of choice to gauge the nature of operations at senior living communities, skilled nursing facilities, and healthcare providers before scheduling an appointment to tour your location.

What your reviews say, and how many there are – matters most

Accushield Google Business Review Page

In today’s world, it is critical to maintain your online reputation. The comments and ratings from online reviews are your first and most important glance into the quality, operations, and nature of a business before you even physically step inside the building.

Google Business Reviews could be a deciding factor for a family member somewhere out there who is having trouble choosing the right senior living or skilled nursing facility for their parents. It is after all, the health, wellbeing, and happiness of the ones we love most that is at stake.

2022 Best Practices for Review Management by Google

Google suggests these best practices to request reviews here:

  • Verify your Business Profile: This makes your business information show up on Maps, Search, and other Google services. To respond to a review, you must have a verified business.
  • Remind customers to leave reviews: Let them know it’s quick and easy to leave reviews. Business owners shouldn’t offer incentives to customers to leave reviews. You can also get customers to leave reviews if you create and share a link.
  • Reply to reviews to build customer trust: Your customers will notice your business values their input if you read and reply to their reviews.
  • Value all reviews: Reviews are useful for potential customers when they’re honest and objective. Customers find a mix of positive and negative reviews more trustworthy. You can always respond to a review to show the customers that you care and provide additional context. If the review doesn’t follow our posting guidelines, you can request its removal.

Google also offers a Google Business Profile Marketing Kit “to help customers stay informed about your business, create custom posters, social posts, and more from reviews and updates on your Business Profile on Google. All for free.”  Check out the free things Google has to offer, here.

When managing your online reputation, engagement with your reviewers is essential.  According to a recent article “The 7 Most Effective Ways to Manage Your Online Reputation” from business.com, the things that you should consider when creating a reputation management muscle in your organization should ideally include:

  1. Monitoring your social footprint
  2. Responding to people promptly
  3. Asking for Google reviews
  4. Encouraging brand advocacy
  5. Being transparent
  6. Setting goals
  7. Knowing your audience

Accushield- A natural fit for online review requests

Accushield’s platform is at the forefront in capturing all of your staff, resident/patient, and visitor’s data at the Accushield Kiosk and Mobile applications.  While using our mobile application and kiosk, visitor attention is captured at the kiosk and mobile application in the normal sign in and sign out process.  This is a perfect intersection to request feedback.

With Accushield’s Reputation Accelerator feature enabled, you can capture a rating with an emoji-based Likert scale and trigger a Google Review request when visitors are signing out. Not only can you create a Google Review campaign, you can also run campaigns for review requests to social media websites, as well as private surveys. Additionally, you will also receive instantaneous prompts when a user leaves a satisfied and dissatisfied review so you can reach out and take the necessary actions without wasting a moment.

We’ve seen some pretty creative use cases that communities are running. For example: Staff-only satisfaction surveys, Family and Friends Google review campaigns, and even Caregiver Instagram campaigns. Accushield Reputation Accelerator can help increase engagement everywhere.

Stats speak louder than words

Let’s look at the numbers that our current Accushield Reputation Accelerator customers are noticing:

  • 49% of unique visitors leave a rating from our Likert scale.
  • Less than 1% of the ratings are ‘Bad’ or ‘Poor’.
  • The number of ratings is growing rapidly – and has risen exponentially (6x, to be precise) since January 2022. Between August and September, the ratings showed a staggering 38% spike.
  • For every ‘Bad’ or ‘Poor’ rating received, you can expect up to 108 positive ratings.
  • Over 52% of Google Reviews in September 2022 can be attributed to Accushield Reputation Accelerator Google reviews prompts.

Reputation Accelerator – The verdict is in

Referral commentary matters, too! Here is what customers are saying about Reputation Accelerator today:

“Legacy Health Services started using Reputation Accelerator and within just three weeks, we saw almost 4x the reviews in one month than we had seen for all of second and third quarter.  We love how user friendly the system is for both our visitors and our administrative staff. Accushield has offered us a program like no other and we plan to utilize it well after the pandemic is over.”

—Kelly Zalokar, Director of Strategic Marketing for Legacy Health Services

“Reputation matters, especially in the senior living industry.  Before adding this feature, we were only receiving maybe two reviews a month on Google.  With Accushield’s Reputation Accelerator feature, we have been able to obtain thirteen new Google Business reviews over a month.  The real-time feedback we have been able to obtain has allowed us to improve everyday operations, celebrate successes, and implement a new customer experience program throughout our communities.”

—April Smith, Marketing Strategist, Careage

Online impressions are everlasting – Secure yours

Accushield is the number one way for senior living communities, skilled nursing facilities, and healthcare offices to accelerate their reputation, both online and offline.

While you take care of our seniors and loved ones, we’ll take care of how the world sees you on the web. Learn more about Accushield Reputation Accelerator today, here!

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Accushield is a healthcare technology company. Our onsite hardware and software provide visitor/staff management, infection prevention and control, and health/safety compliance via automation and reporting.