Over 93% of tourists believe reviews on Google influence their decision to buy a hotel during their vacation. In today’s digital era, online reviews make the customer’s voice louder and stronger, so practically speaking, they are the one thing that helps you get visitors to your hotels.
An hotel with more positive Google reviews will have a good reputation in its customers’ minds and better local SEO than its competitors. Hence, understanding the power of online reviews and exactly how to manage them helps hoteliers succeed today.
Some hotels even opt to buy Google Reviews to inflate ratings and reviews instantly. In this blog, we will outline how Google Reviews can increase your hotel’s reputation and bookings.
How Online Reviews Drive Your Customer’s Decision?
People often check online reviews of hotels beforehand to get an idea about the quality of a particular hotel’s service, room cleanliness, staff friendliness, or even breakfast taste.
This makes every review count an excellent deal for hoteliers. A stream of positive reviews creates confidence and convinces the traveler to make a booking.
The trust factor associated with online reviews is immense, and that really puts in perspective how important it is to keep an online presence positive.
The Impact Of Online Reviews on Your Hotel
One study found that 79% of consumers trust Google reviews as much as recommendations from friends or family members. That’s the power of Google reviews, and the following pointers offer a more in-depth analysis of the same:
- Building Trust and Credibility
Potential guests, upon seeing high ratings with positive reviews that have details, are more likely to think of your hotel as trustworthy and reliable.
Such reviews instill guest confidence that others relaxed and had a good time, thereby making them feel more content with their choice. Thus, it can make guests trust the property more and encourage repeated visits.
- Enhanced SEO and Online Visibility
Search engines like Google consider online reviews when determining results and, consequently, search rankings. Better-rated hotels with more positive reviews have the potential to appear at the top of the search list.
Also, local SEO is quite important through the utilization of reviews on Google My Business. They place your hotel in search and also give useful links back to your website.
- Increased Bookings
The connection in this case is quite clear: there is a link between good reviews and more bookings. A hotel with better scores tends to get more guests, hence higher occupancy rates and more money.
The one that is better reviewed will prevail by far between two identical hotels offering a stay to tourists. This is convincingly done because the guests feel satisfied paying a premium if they feel secure in getting a quality experience.
- Learn From Feedback to Improve
Positive reviews help your reputation, but negative reviews can also be helpful if you use them properly. When dealt with properly, negative feedback can show you where your hotel needs to improve.
Based on this feedback, you can respond accordingly and fix these problems before they get bigger. A graceful and helpful response to disappointing reviews underlines to future guests that you care about them.
- The Domino Effect: Bad Reviews Leads To More Bad Reviews
Bad reviews tend to multiply the negativity. When a potential guest sees a bad review, they may develop some sort of prejudice towards your hotel.
Negative reviews must be addressed promptly and professionally to prevent this cascading effect. A well-worded response can help make the situation right, provide reassurance to potential guests, and show your commitment to exemplary service.
5 Strategies To Get More Google Reviews For Hotel Business
The following strategies and tactics will help you elevate, and maybe even change the face of your GMB profile and overall hotel experience for your visitors.
- Encourage Satisfied Guests to Leave Reviews
Encourage happy guests to review and make this process effortless for them. This may include follow-up emails, a QR code on receipts, or website reminders.
Timing is everything, meaning the right thing to ask at the right time; usually, it’s when just after having a good customer experience with your staff or something he or she likes about the stay.
Respond to Reviews Professionally
Responding with appreciation for great reviews will make the guest feel positive. Negative reviews should be handled calmly, in a professional manner, and with empathy.
Discuss the guest’s concerns, if possible, provide a solution, and invite them to contact you personally in order to fix their problem. This shows you actually care about your guests and gives you a chance to turn a bad experience into a good one.
Use Monitoring Tools
To be in the know about your online reviews, one may resort to some tools that track reviews around different platforms. Tools such as Google Alerts, ReviewTrackers, and Reputology will be of paramount importance in helping one understand exactly what guests are saying about your hotel.
Train Your Staff
Train them to give the best services and teach them also to ask their guests how it was during their stay. Caring and friendly service often leads to a good experience for the guests. Your team will be empowered to be the key to good reviews.
Make the Process Simple
Lastly, give your guests an easy way to share feedback. Instruct them to provide the review and show them different options through which they could have submitted the review, such as Google, TripAdvisor, or your website. The easier it is for guests to give feedback, the more likely they will do it.
Conclusion
Within the hospitality industry, your online reputation is everything. The power of online reviews to your business runs deep; they inspire travelers to book their stay.
Remember, while focusing on your online reputation, be real. Real reviews from real guests create the very basis of trust and, thus, credibility. This, over time, will result in much more permanent returns and help forge a loyal customer network.
For hoteliers interested in enhancing their reputation management resources by adopting more quicker yet efficient approach can also take help from firms like BuyReviewz. By focusing on the key areas that are mentioned above, you will be able to build up a sterling online presence that fuels your hotel’s success.
