Introduction.
The thin line between success and failure in business often comes down to focus.
Car dealerships, inundated with myriad platforms for customer feedback, face a peculiar challenge: prioritising which review sites to leverage for maximum impact on their reputation and sales.
This strategic decision is crucial for sustaining customer loyalty and driving revenue growth.
Popular Review Sites for Car Dealerships.
Google Reviews: Embedded within the world’s leading search engine, Google Reviews offers unmatched visibility.
Your dealership's Google Business Profile, including customer reviews, becomes a beacon for potential buyers, directly influencing local SEO and your ability to attract new customers.
JudgeService: This niche platform specialises in the automotive sector, offering bespoke review services that enable dealerships to highlight their commitment to excellence in customer service and vehicle quality.
Trustpilot: Known for its widespread recognition, Trustpilot facilitates detailed customer feedback, fostering transparency and trust, which are pivotal for your dealership’s online reputation.
Feefo: With a commitment to verified customer feedback, Feefo ensures that all reviews are authentic, bolstering your dealership's credibility through genuine, unbiased customer experiences.
Facebook Reviews: Leveraging Facebook’s extensive network, this platform allows customers to leave feedback directly on your dealership's page, enhancing engagement and visibility within a social context.
Each platform has its strengths, but strategic management is essential for maximising their benefits.
Why Google Reviews are Indispensable for Your Dealership.
Here are the main reasons why customers read Google reviews and how it impacts your dealership:
- Customers trust your Google reviews
- Customers are checking your credibility
- Customers intend to buy from you
- Customers are comparing you with your competitors
- Customers are watching your responses
- 81% of consumers use Google to evaluate local businesses.
Customers Trust Google Review: Google's surge in review volume underlines its commitment to boosting local business visibility. These reviews act as a testament to your dealership's service quality.
Customers are checking your Dealership's Credibility: With 85% of consumers viewing online reviews as personal recommendations, Google reviews provide an authentic peek into your operations.
Customers intend to buy from your dealership: A majority of customers are influenced by positive feedback on Google, making it a crucial factor for increasing conversions.
Customers are comparing your dealership with your competitors: In a saturated market, your Google reviews can give you the edge over competitors, influencing customers' final decisions
Existing Customers (and prospects) are reading your responses: How you respond to reviews, especially negative ones, can significantly affect your reputation and customer decisions.
Remember, it’s both the original reviewer (recently purchased), and car buyers (prospects) who are reading your reviews and responses.
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Which Review Platform Should You Display On Your Dealership website?
Maximise trust with Google reviews.
Ideally, displaying Google reviews directly on the website should be prioritised, as these carry a significant weight of trust and authority. Google's substantial brand influence, directly tied to its dominance in search, makes these reviews particularly valuable on key website pages such as the homepage and specific sections dedicated to sales or services. This strategic placement ensures that the powerful trust associated with Google's brand works to your dealership's advantage, enhancing credibility right from the first click.
Diversify with Multiple Review Platforms.
However, it's also wise to display reviews from all the platforms you actively manage—including Trustpilot, Feefo, JudgeService, and Facebook Reviews—within your budget and platform capabilities.
If these platforms offer the functionality to embed reviews directly onto your site, taking advantage of this can be incredibly beneficial.
This strategy not only highlights your dealership's dedication to transparency but also provides a well-rounded perspective on your customer service and satisfaction levels.
Featuring a diverse range of reviews showcases to prospective buyers your commitment to valuing customer feedback and your relentless pursuit of excellence in service.
Integrating reviews from various platforms into your dealership's website enables visitors to gauge your reputation directly, without the inconvenience of visiting external sites.
The Holistic Approach for Higher Conversions.
Adopting this comprehensive approach improves the overall user experience, fosters greater trust, and could significantly increase conversion rates by instantly affirming your dealership's credibility and the quality of service you provide.
Insights from an American Car buying Expert.
A car buying expert from the US recently shed light on using Google reviews to assess dealerships, focusing on both the number and quality of reviews.
Despite the differences in car buying cultures between the US and the UK, the significance of Google reviews remains universally acknowledged.
Conclusion: Maximising Impact with Google Reviews.
For car dealerships focused on distinguishing themselves, accumulating a strong portfolio of Google Reviews is essential.
They not only enhance your online presence and credibility but also play a pivotal role in customer engagement and sales.
While maintaining a presence across various platforms is beneficial, prioritising Google Reviews offers the most significant return on investment in terms of reputation management, customer retention, and sales performance.