Why Google Reviews Can Help You Find The Right Health Insurance

Did you know that over 50% of online shoppers in the US find customer reviews helpful when searching for products or services online? Using reviews in this way can apply to a range of products and services, with more and more Americans turning to various review sites, including Google, to help make purchase decisions.

When buying health insurance, checking online reviews before deciding can help you find a broker or insurance provider you can trust to help you find the right insurance for your needs. Online reviews can also help you find a local health insurance agent, so you can talk to someone who understands your needs based on where you live and understands the various rules and regulations that apply to specific states, such as North Carolina.

Why reviews matter

When around 85% of customers trust online reviews just as much as a recommendation from someone they know, online reviews are essential for customers and businesses.

We regularly ask our customers to post reviews about their experience so that potential customers can learn about the services we provide and how our agents can help. Recent research showed that around 88% of small businesses regularly monitor their online reputation. Many small companies recognize the value of maintaining their brand reputation by monitoring online reviews and social media posts.

Google reviews, and other online reviews, are essential to help boost word-of-mouth online referrals and help to build brand awareness and trust. When a business gets lots of reviews, Google recognizes that it is a trusted brand, which helps to improve search engine result rankings so more people visit an organization's website.

What to look for in customer reviews 

If you’re looking for health insurance, you can either purchase directly with an insurance provider or use an insurance broker or agent. Using an agent can offer you many benefits, including saving time on researching all the various plans available to you and understanding limitations, such as network providers or co-pay details. 

When looking for reviews, it pays to spend some time looking through customer reviews and checking multiple reviews when deciding which organization can best meet your needs. While reviews can offer insights into other people's experiences, they may not necessarily be relevant to your situation. There also may be other external factors not referenced in the review that skew their experience. Try to read at least five or six reviews where possible to get a balanced view or to look for consistent themes that give you a good indication of what to expect as a customer. Reading a few reviews can give you a good feel for the organization, including its products or services and the customer service they provide.

Also, check if the business responds to its customer reviews. A business that genuinely cares about its customers is likely to respond to reviews, follow up on any issues that need to be improved, or help resolve miscommunication to win back business. Just as important is responding to positive reviews and thanking customers for taking the time to complete a review online.

How businesses get reviews

Many businesses ask their customers to write a review to help share their experience with others. When posting with Google, a review can't be anonymous, so a customer has to share their review publicly, which is usually a good sign that they feel strongly enough (either positively or negatively) to take the time to post a review.

You don't need a Gmail account to leave a Google review, and there's no need to create an account to write a quick review on Google. Instead, search for the business you want to review on Google and once the company pops up on your search results, scroll down past the map to find the starred reviews. You can then contribute your star rating for that business, including writing more about your experience and adding images. Instead of signing in, ‌you can select 'create an account’, choose 'for myself,' and then select 'use my current email address' if you don't have a Gmail account on the next page. 

Why customer feedback matters to us

At Health Plans of NC, our North Carolina team of health insurance agents love hearing from our customers, whether that's direct feedback or online reviews that help us determine our customer's satisfaction with our services and areas we need to improve. 

We specialize in helping people living in North Carolina find the right health insurance plan for their family's needs and budgets. Whether you need help to understand Medicare, critical enrollment period information, ACA plans, or assistance with short-term insurance coverage, we can help. So get in touch with us today to find out more, or Google us or go to our agent page to read some reviews for yourself!