We’ve discussed the importance of Google reviews for the success of your online personal injury presence. Not only can negative Goggle reviews really hurt your reputation and your business, but the lack of any reviews can as well. Google reviews are very visible, frequently appearing in website searches.
Neuroscience is a relatively new field where researchers believe that by tracking potential consumers’ emotional, unconscious reactions and decision-making to marketing messages, marketers will gain insights about and a better understanding of what people want. In this article we will talk about how you can get more (positive) Google reviews for your personal injury law practice with neuroscience.
How to obtain Google reviews using neuroscience
You or a staff member has to take the time to to contact your happiest clients asking them to write a review of their experience. This can be a time-consuming process, so how you approach them is important. Researchers have found that by using A/B testing (a method of comparing two versions of a webpage, email, etc.) and cognitive psychology the response rate to your requests for review can be more than quadrupled.
Below is a brief summary of the process that Roger Dooley, an expert in neuromarketing suggests using an email requesting past clients to fill out an online survey.
The survey request email
- To identify your happiest customers, send them an email using as your subject line your company name plus “Your Opinion Matters!” By using the pronoun “your,” you are personalizing your message, which can create a stronger emotional reaction. You should also use personal pronouns throughout the body of the email. Even better is to personalize the email by beginning it with the person’s name.
- The survey email body should state how long the survey will take. By keeping the survey under two minutes, you reduce a potential negative reaction, or friction.
- Always be polite and thank the recipient. This shows gratitude which can increase the chances of them responding to take the survey.
- Sign the email with your personal signature to take away the perception of it being a mass email.
The survey questions
The number of questions should be less than ten and should provide multiple choice answers. Two important questions to include are: “Based on your overall experience, how satisfied are you with [Business Name]?” and “Based on your overall experience, how likely are you to recommend [Business Name]?” The multiple choices should be “Definitely Would, Probably Would, Maybe, Probably Not, Definitely Not.”
Next: Send an email requesting reviews
The answers to the two above questions will immediately show you who your happiest clients are. Now it’s time to write your email requesting a review.
Below is the email Dooley composed:
“Hi there – can I ask you for a favor?
In your survey (thank you!) you said you were happy overall and that you would definitely recommend [Business Name].
Would you mind sharing your experience in an online review? It would be really helpful to other customers [or patients/clients/etc.].
The best site for this is Google: [Direct Link to Google review box]
Thanks in advance!
[Your name]”
By carefully choosing your words, the following can increase the likelihood for a more favorable response.
- Asking someone for a second favor (the first was to do the survey), since they granted the first.
- Showing gratitude by saying “Thanks!” and “Thanks in advance.”
- Reminding them they were happy with your services makes them feel more obliged to respond.
- Telling them that others will benefit from their review can motivate their altruistic leanings.
- Providing a direct link to the Google review box takes away any hesitation or friction by making it really easy to get there.
- Keeping the tone conversational makes the request feel more like a direct request, rather than an automated response.
- Keeping it short is being respectful of the person’s time.
After the review
Once you received a review, make sure to go to the review and thank the poster. By responding publically, trust and likability are created by those seeing your personal response.
The gold!
Google will start showing your reviews with star listings next to your business, after five reviews are posted.
If you need help developing a survey and accompanying emails to elicit Google reviews for your personal injury law practice, give us a call at Group Matrix. Our staff of experienced marketers and writers can help you increase reputation using all digital and traditional marketing methods.
Group Matrix Blog – August 8, 2018 – by Sharon Bowles
