81% of customers, including car buyers, research the Internet before buying. They start with vehicle research and move on to dealership reputation, which is why reading online reviews is such a crucial part of the car purchasing journey.
- 9 in 10 people trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.
- 95% of people read a review before buying anything.
Imagine you were a car buyer! Who would you trust? The dealership with 126 reviews and a good 4+ rating, or the one with zero reviews?
A dealership with zero reviews seems suspicious. Wouldn’t you rather buy a car from the better-reviewed competitor? Your customers feel the same!
FAQs - Your questions answered
The problem isn’t reviews, it’s bad reviews. What do I do when I get them?
You must respond! Customers today understand no business can satisfy every customer all the time. Even the best businesses have negative reviews. There’s nothing to fear.
How you deal with a bad review can make the difference.
Studies show responding to negative reviews with solutions yields positive results.
- 33% of genuine customers who received a response from a company after posting a negative comment turned it into a positive review.
- 34% of people deleted the original review after receiving a solution.
This can help you drown out negative reviews with more positive feedback. When customers see hundreds of positive reviews and a few negative ones, they perceive you as a genuine dealership and are far more likely to trust you.
Why should I respond to reviews?
Businesses should respond to ALL reviews by thanking them for feedback. This shows customers (and search engines) how much you value customer opinions and good service.
Responses to reviews make your dealership look more professional and credible.
Google and other search engines back this up by rewarding responsive businesses with better rankings on their pages. Reviews now account for 15.44% of how Google ranks a business in search results, which is up from 10.8% in 2015.
Can I just turn off review pages to avoid negative feedback?
Google My Business review pages can’t be turned off like Facebook. Turning off a review page may push customers to post bad reviews on other pages like Yelp, for example, which you cannot control.
Getting reviews on your own pages lets you control the message by responding, acknowledging and offering solutions if needed.
Why must I continue getting reviews even if I have enough now?
Every time a customer posts a review, it alerts Google to new content for your dealership. Google considers reviews when it ranks businesses online.
Customers also read recent reviews before making a purchase. If a dealership suddenly stops getting reviews, customers may find this suspicious and avoid your business.
How much will this cost me?
The basic package is $79+gst pm, and the managed premium package is $150+gst pm.
What is the difference between managed and unmanaged services?
The managed service includes a dedicated account manager who responds to all reviews on your behalf and will pass on any negative reviews to you for your action. This frees up your time to focus on good customer service and close more sales.
For more information on how to increase your dealerships positive reviews, please enter your details below and our friendly staff will get in touch with you shortly.