How to Remove Fake Reviews from Google

Fake reviews on Google are a growing problem that can cause serious harm to your shop’s reputation. Since Google makes it easy for anyone to create an account and leave a positive or negative review, it isn’t always easy to determine if the review was genuine or even verify that it came from an actual customer.

Google has rules in place to deter fake reviews, but they are not good at automatically catching violations. So, in order to get a fake review removed, you must initiate the process. Here are the steps:

1)      Stay calm. The most important thing to remember when you receive a fake or fraudulent review on Google is to keep your cool. The last thing you want to do is escalate the situation and have it blow up even bigger. Remember that future customers will see how you respond and will likely consider your response when deciding whether to do business with you. Nobody expects perfection, but they do expect your business to respond to complaints in a timely, professional manner.

2)      Evaluate the situation. When you receive a bad review, you should first determine if the review is from an actual customer with a legitimate gripe. In some cases, fraudulent reviews are left by competitors, but it is also possible that someone left the review for the wrong business. If the complaint is real, learn as much information as you can about the customer and their problem.

3)      Respond quickly. The faster you respond - the better. According to Yelp, people are 33% more likely to upgrade their review if you respond with a personalized message within 24 hours. Your response is critical so do not ignore the review, even if you know it is fake. Prompt action shows your commitment to customer service and lets potential customers know what they can expect if the same issue happens to them.

4)      If the review is fake, flag it for removal by taking the following steps:

• Open Google maps to find your business and see your reviews

• Find the review you want to flag and click on the three vertical dots in the upper right-hand corner and click “Flag as inappropriate.”

5)      Follow up on the status of your flagged review. Once you flag the review, Google will review it to determine if it was fraudulent according to their terms of service. If you need to follow up with Google, you can go to your Google My Business home page and click on the support button at the bottom left-hand side of the menu. If you are still having trouble and need to escalate the issue further, you can submit a Google form for a legal removal request. Keep in mind, however, that there are some strict requirements that must be met, so you may need the help of an attorney if you utilize this as an option.

Responding to reviews is a very important aspect of doing business in today’s digital marketplace. If you need some assistance with reviews on Google, Facebook, Yelp, or any other social media platform, Bloomerang Solutions is here to help! Give us a call today at (941) 806-1911 and let our team of Google experts boost your online reputation.

Nobody is Immune from Neglecting Their Online Digital Responsibility

One day last week I set off for lunch at one of my favorite restaurants in town, a barbecue joint that had been in the same location on the main highway for over 40 years. It was a Sarasota institution and a place you always knew was going to be delicious and consistent because they cared about their business and knew what they were doing when it came to smoking meat.

That’s why I was shocked to pull up to an empty parking lot and a ‘for sale’ sign in the window. After 40 years of business they were simply gone without any sort of a warning. They were out of business and local patrons looking for good barbecue are out of luck.

I don’t know why this particular business closed down, it could be any number of reasons, but I can guess that it wasn’t due to food quality or their location. Their food was award-winning and very modestly priced, and their restaurant was in one of the most desirable locations in the area.

As much as I loved their food and recommended it to anyone who was looking for good BBQ, I discovered that most people I talked to had never even heard of the place – even if they drove by it several times a day - because they did not advertise and did not appear to make marketing a high priority. Word of mouth took them a long way, but it only goes so far in today’s digital marketplace.

Online digital responsibility

As I mourn the loss of one of my favorite lunch spots, I can’t help but wonder if there was something more that could have been done to help save their business. Unfortunately, I’ve seen this same scenario play out time and again with well-established businesses who rely on word-of-mouth advertising. They do a great job, but the marketers beat them to the customers.

The restaurant industry is tough, competitors are doing everything they can to make themselves stand out from the crowd and create a reason for people to get excited about their dining experience. The savvy ones understand that many potential customers choose where to eat based on online reviews and don’t rely on past success to fuel tomorrow’s growth.

Fortunately, there are simple options that can level the playing field and protect your business. Bloomerang Solutions offers digital solutions including websites, social media, and reputation management for businesses of any size. We put your business first and help you lock down potential customers and keep them coming back for more.

Online digital responsibility is the future and it’s here now. One curve in the road isn’t the end of the road, unless you fail to make the turn. Give us a call today at (941) 806-1911 and we’ll hit the road together!

-Art

Mother's Day Week has Arrived and Bloomerang is Here to Help!

Mother’s Day has finally arrived and hopefully you’re already feeling the rush. With each day getting busier from now until Sunday, it’s important to remain focused on customer service and making sure your customers have the best experience possible.

With such a high volume of foot traffic and phone/online orders this week, it’s sometimes difficult to give every customer the personal attention they desire, but don't forget that many customers who only shop for flowers once or twice a year may not give you a chance next time if your customer service is lacking this time around.

Things to keep in mind this week:

1) Remember to smile - The busier you get, the easier it is to get distracted or overwhelmed. While some customers may be sympathetic and understanding, all customers deserve and expect a pleasant shopping experience. If they enjoy shopping with you, they are more likely to become repeat customers.

2) Focus on individual experiences - Some customers know exactly what they want before they reach your shop, but many customers are relying on you for knowledge and inspiration. Let them hold any pre-made arrangement or gift item that they are interested in while you close the sale. Remember, customers are much more likely to purchase an item that they are physically touching or holding.

3) Don’t forget finishing touches - Customers are looking for ways to make their mothers feel special this week, so many will be open to ideas in addition to flowers. Let them know about products that will enhance their gift. If you don’t ask, they may not even realize they have additional options.

4) Build your marketing list - This week may be the busiest week for you shop for the next few months. Take advantage of this opportunity to build your marketing list by collecting email address from new customers. Offering to email a receipt is an effective way to build your customer database.

5) Get employees engaged by keeping it fun - This week is stressful for everyone, so be sure to take some time to acknowledge employees and rewarding them for their hard work. Consider a prize wheel where employees with the most orders each hour get to spin the wheel for a prize. Not only will this improve employee morale, but it will also show customers that your shop is a fun place to work and visit.

6) Start each morning with a staff meeting - This is an important way to make sure everyone is on the same page each morning and be sure that no issues are being missed. It's also your opportunity to set your staff up for success. Above is a video of one of those morning meetings that I had with my staff a few holidays ago. It really does set the tone for the day.

Most importantly, please don't forget that we're here to help! We know you're busy this week, that's why we're here to help you out in any way we can! Unfortunately, we can't be there to answer your phones or help make deliveries, but we can help with your website or social media. Contact us anytime at support@bloomerang.solutions or give us a call at (941) 806-1911. Good luck and we hope you have a prosperous week!

Is a Rose Just a Rose? Yours Should be More!

Lately, it seems many florists claim to use a rose called the Freedom. I remember the first time I saw it, at Heroman's Florist in Baton Rouge and it was tremendous!

I went on to try it in my shop and failed miserably - it was very inconsistent. I soon learned of all the different ways it is being grown and the growers that grow them. This was VERY frustrating. I grew my personal retail floral shop on my unique red rose I brought in and it was a show stopper. To protect the name and grower, I called it the BLACK LABEL. You may want to consider that as well before saying you carry a Freedom. In case you are wondering why...

Look at this image I took at the local supermarket. Yes, they are putting it in print - FREEDOM ROSES! This was awful to see. You don't want to have to explain to your customer why you charge such a premium for a rose someone else is selling for $14.99. Make yourself unique or you may risk losing business to competitors who can afford to undercut your prices.

-Art

Do you need help standing out in your local market? Bloomerang Solutions can help! From custom-built websites to social media and Google marketing, Bloomerang is your secret weapon when it comes to acquiring new customers and our results are guaranteed. Give me a call today at (941) 806-1911 and watch your business bloom!

Winning at Google Marketing Requires 4 Simple Steps

Google marketing is one of the most effective advertising platforms in the world. If you’re not utilizing it to help your business grow, now is the time to start! It may sound complicated, but you will be successful if you follow these four steps:

Step 1: Define your goals

Structure your campaign. By setting up your account according to what you are looking to achieve, you will be able to measure your success by the hour. By targeting geographic areas most important to your business, you won't waste your budget on irrelevant search terms. For example, we promote Sunset Cruises in the Sarasota area. Many people have asked "how in the world did we attract all this traffic?” We simply targeted exactly what we were looking for from the local area. Had we not defined our parameters, we could have lost a lot of ad budget to search looking for sunset cruises elsewhere.

If we build it, they will come. In the eyes of your customers, your website is the heart of your company. It should not only be functional and easy to use, but it should help you produce the results you desire. That’s why we build websites with results in mind and structure them to maximize SEM and SEO considerations. It's important that clients and potential clients find it easy to use and navigate with search marketing and optimization. You want pages written and indexed with search results in mind. This increases the likelihood of being found online and appearing when being searched - those are the two most important considerations.

Step 2: Determine what you need to achieve those goals

Create a benchmark. Setting benchmarks and understanding what you are looking to achieve is the first step toward measuring results. I have found a lot of success in law, retail, and health, and the one thing I’ve learned is that it's not as much about the cost as it is about the acquisition. Other than retail or online sales, you can only measure the success by what it is you wish to accomplish and for that it is important to use forms to capture leads and/or tracking phone numbers to ensure you received the calls you desire.

Know your online ads are working. With online sales, we set you up with and tracking URL from Google that is placed on the receipt page on your website. Since you can only reach this page by completing a sale, you can rest assured the results are accurate. Google knows where the transaction came from, the receipt page only appears when the transaction has been completed!

Step 3: Set yourself apart from your competition

We GUARANTEE results. Unlike other companies who over-promise and under-deliver, our focus is on our customers - if you don’t succeed, we don’t succeed. That’s why don’t like 12-month contracts or complicated language and prefer simple, concise directions and steps to help you achieve success. If we can't accomplish what you need, we will tell you in the beginning. If for any reason you are not happy with our results you can terminate the contract with a 30-day notice.

Step 4: A winning formula

Google Adwords + Google My Business + Bloomerang Solutions

It's our responsibility to monitor your position, ad spend and conversions by targeting devices that are specific to your customers. Our unique approach to the connectivity to Google My Business and your marketing strategy will get you a lower cost per order when you have a higher quality score and when you always add content according to your strategy. While your competition is just adding keywords and this and that trying to keep up with you, the discipline and plan created for you will be the difference when it comes to actual results.

Bloomerang Solutions is your one-stop-shop for all your online marketing needs. From custom websites to targeted marketing and reputation management, we will position you exactly where your customers are looking. I am available anytime, so go ahead, give me a call at (941) 809-5000. I can’t wait to speak with you and start building your strategy.

-Art