Integrate Google reviews into your in-store digital signage

Are you a website publisher? You probably monitor your online reviews and know just how important they are for your digital performance and e-reputation. Do you own one or more points of sale? With theROPO effect, online reviews help drive traffic to your stores. But did you know that they can also be very useful offline? Find out why and how you should use Google reviews directly in-store.

Why use online reviews in digital signage?

Why display Google reviews of your company if your screens are inside the store? You might think that most of the conversion process has been completed: the audience captured by your digital signage is already present in your store, and should be convinced by your brand... However, not everyone present in your store is actually a convinced customer! 

If you've got positive reviews, make the most of them by distributing them wherever they're visible to reinforce your image. Seeing their positive comments about your products, your customer experience or your after-sales service, you'll provide the reassurance you need to trigger a purchase. 

Online reviews are perceived as trustworthy by a share of your customer base: according to a study published by BrightLocal in February 2023, 46% of consumers place the same trust in online reviews as in personal recommendations from friends or family members. This trust is much stronger among the new generation: according to a 2018 BrightLocal survey, 91% of Millenials (18-34 year-olds) place the same value on online reviews as they do on recommendations from friends and family.

Posting these reviews shows your existing and potential customers that you value their opinion and want to engage with them. And consumers rely more on the opinions of other consumers than on a company's own. Viewing reviews in a sales space such as a store helps consumers project themselves into the act of buying. They identify with the reviews and buy in order to have a positive experience too.

There's a fine line between online and offline shopping. Consumers use both distribution and communication channels, and synergies and bridges exist between online and offline. Customers use their smartphones to search online while in-store, and rely on online comparisons to decide which physical store to shop in. Displaying reviews in stores, or at collection points if you offer click & collect, reminds customers that they can write a review online, which will improve your ranking and generate a virtuous circle. You can even create interaction by, for example, displaying the QR code for leaving a review on Google.

How to use online notices in digital signage?

To reap the full benefits of your Google reviews and integrate them effectively into your digital signage strategy, you need to follow a few clear rules.

1/ Manage your Google listing perfectly

The Google business listing (formerly known as Google My Business) is an essential step in effectively collecting reviews on Google. It's free to create, and all you need is a Google account. However, you'll need to prove that you have the right to manage the listing, for example by receiving a code by post, which you'll need to enter in your space.

A Google business listing lets youadd useful information for your customers , such as your phone number, opening hours or specific measurements. You can also add a logo, cover image and photos to personalize your listing.

By carefully filling in your listing, you'll be able to stand out on Google Maps and in a selection of local links that appear on the first page of Google. Users searching for businesses in your sector close to their geographical location will be able to find you more easily. You can also respond to reviews left by your customers, thank Internet users for placing their trust in you, or intervene to resolve a more complex situation as it arises.

A well-managed Google business listing will give you greater visibility in search results.

2/ Preferably collect positive reviews!

Positive reviews, rated 4 stars or more, contribute to the visibility of your business listing and play a role in your natural search engine optimization (SEO) on Google. Getting new reviews on a regular basis is also a criterion of SEO relevance, and contributes to developing your reputation and brand image.

You can run acquisition campaigns to collect new reviews. To invite your customers to write reviews, you can :

• Send a link to a review form via your Google My Business account.
• Create a QR code.

These different methods willspeed up the process of acquiring reviews from your customers. You can also offer an internal review form, and send the link to Google only to those web users who have given a positive review. As a reminder, you can ask your customers to write a review, but Google's policy prohibits you from offering them any compensation. All reviews must be honest and free of charge, and cannot be bought.

Online reviews, especially Google reviews, have a major impact on your business. Positive reviews have the power to convert prospects into customers, and customers into a community. Make sure that all your efforts to obtain positive reviews are not in vain, and make the most of them.

3/ Use reviews to improve the customer experience

Any company can be confronted with a justified negative opinion. A mistake can always be made, and a malfunction can be a source of frustration for a consumer.

Have you decided to display your Google reviews in-store and on your website? You need to implement a communication strategy that takes into account all reviews, including the most difficult ones. Such a strategy offers several advantages: 

• You provide an answer to a dissatisfied customer, and enable him to change his opinion of your company;
• You reassure other potential customers, who notice your ability to listen and question;
• You identify stumbling blocks and areas for improvement, to meet your customers' expectations as closely as possible. 

Beyond the communication stakes, collecting reviews and ratings on Google allows you to benefit from a real "satisfaction barometer". A drop in your rating should alert you, and enable you to take the necessary corrective measures.

4/ Display your customers' online reviews on your website

You can easily display reviews on your website, thanks to the use of a plugin. You have a choice of extension or widget on WordPress or Prestashop, and some platforms like Wix integrate this functionality natively. An API is available from Google to facilitate the display of reviews of your establishment on the support digital site of your choice. For e-commerce sites, the overall rating can even be displayed on the first page of Google thanks to structured data.

Displaying Google reviews allows you to create reassurance andincrease your online conversion rate .

Other verified review solutions can also be used, in addition to Google. 

5/ Integrate your notices into global digital signage communication

You can integrate your Google reviews into your digital signage strategy, customizing their delivery according to your strategy and screen inventory: 

• Distribute local notices, personalized for each point of sale;
• Only display positive reviews with 4 stars or more;
• Focus on the most recent, trustworthy comments for your target audience;
• Combine opinions and content to meet your communication challenges 

Digital signage helps you to multiply your objectives: creating links with existing customers and building loyalty, developing sales, building your reputation or brand story.

At Cenareo, we offer a new feature that lets youeasily integrate Google reviews into your digital signage by displaying the latest reviews written by your customers on Google.

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