In this article, we'll show how to display your Google reviews on your digital signs with OptiSigns.
With the Google Reviews app, it's possible to show your business's Google reviews on your screens, alongside a map and a QR code. Show off what your customers are saying, and make it easy for new visitors to scan the code and leave a review of their own.
Let's get started.
What You'll Need
- An OptiSigns account - any plan
- An OptiSigns-enabled device
- A screen, set up and paired with OptiSigns (see our Getting Started guide)
Creating a Google Reviews App
From the OptiSigns portal, go to Files/Assets and select Apps.
Search for Google Reviews and select the Google Reviews app.
Choose how you'll find your reviews:
- Enter Public Place - Search for any business or place on Google Maps. Google only shares up to 5 recent reviews this way.
- Sign in with Google - Sign in with the Google account that manages your business's Google Business Profile to show your own place's reviews. See Using Sign in with Google below.
For this example, we'll select Enter Public Place.
Give your wall a Name, then start typing your business into Place. Select your business from the suggestions.
The Google Reviews app settings will appear, with a map of the place you chose.
Fill in the following:
- Name - The name of your Google Reviews asset. This is for organizational purposes within OptiSigns only and will not display on your screens.
- Place - The business or place whose reviews you want to show.
- Rating - Only show reviews with a certain star rating. Choose from Any, 5, 4+, 3+ or 3 or less.
- Language - The language for the wall's labels.
- Display Mode - The layout used for the wall. Choose from Review, Box, Carousel or Sidebar. See Display Modes below.
- Show Map - Turn this on to show a map of your place on the wall.
- Show nearby places - Turn this on to show nearby businesses and points of interest on the map. See Show Nearby Places below.
Display Modes
Display Mode changes how your reviews are laid out on the screen.
- Review - One review at a time, shown next to the map.
- Box - A grid of reviews shown next to the map.
- Carousel - A row of reviews shown under the map and business details.
- Sidebar - Your business details and map on the left, with a column of reviews on the right.
Show Nearby Places
If you're a hotel, you may want to turn on Show nearby places so viewers can see what's around you. If you're a restaurant and don't want to show competitors in your area, leave it off.
Here's how it looks with Show nearby places turned on. Notice the businesses and points of interest on the map:
And here it is turned off, with no other businesses shown on the map:
Content
Click Content to choose what appears on the wall:
- Show Review Date - Turn this on to show the date each review was posted.
- Show QR Code - Turn this on to show a QR code on the wall.
- QR Code - Where viewers go when they scan the QR code:
- Google Place – Write Review - Opens Google so they can write a review of your place.
- Google Reviews - Opens your place's Google reviews.
- Google Map - Opens your place in Google Maps.
- Custom - Choose a QR code from your Files/Assets, such as one that opens your website, a menu or a survey. Learn how to create a QR Code.
- Leave a Review Instruction - A short message shown above the QR code, such as Scan to review.
Display Options
Click Display Options to change how the wall looks:
- Theme - Choose Light Theme or Dark Theme, or choose Custom and set your own Background primary, Background secondary, Text primary and Text secondary colors. Enter a hex code or click the swatch to use the color picker.
- Background Image - Keep None, or choose Custom and hit Choose to use an image from your Files/Assets.
- Font Size - The size of the review text. Keep Default, or choose Custom and enter your own size.
- Speed - How fast the wall moves between reviews. Choose from Slow, Medium or Fast, or choose Custom and drag the slider.
Advanced
Click Advanced for more options:
- Filter Type - Keep None to show all reviews, or choose By Time and enter a number of days in Show Reviews From to only show reviews from the latest days.
- Only Show Reviews With Text - Turn this on to hide reviews that only have a star rating.
- Scrolling Strip Font Size - Keep Default, or choose Custom and enter your own size for the scrolling strip text.
- Always Show New Reviews - Keep this on to show new reviews on your screens as soon as they come in. Turn it off to approve new reviews yourself before they appear. See Moderating Reviews below.
| NOTE |
| If none of your reviews have text, turning on Only Show Reviews With Text may leave the wall empty. |
Now hit Save. You'll have created a Google Reviews app, and it will appear in your Files/Assets.
| TIP |
| It may take a few seconds for the app to fetch your reviews. Once saved, click the app in Files/Assets to see a live Preview of your wall as you change its settings. |
Moderating Reviews
To choose which reviews appear on your screens, click your Google Reviews app in Files/Assets and open Advanced. Turn off Always Show New Reviews, then click the Moderation button next to it.
The Moderation window will open, listing your reviews. Search for a review or sort the list, then use the buttons on each review to hide it or remove it from your wall.
Using Sign in with Google
Instead of Enter Public Place, you can select Sign in with Google when creating your Google Reviews app. Sign in with the Google account that manages your business's Google Business Profile, and your business's place will be filled in for you.
The rest of the settings are the same as above.
Deploying a Google Reviews App
To push your Google Reviews app to a screen, go to the Screens tab, then click Edit next to the screen you want to display it on.
The Edit Screen pop-up will appear. Select Asset under Content Type, then hit Change next to Selected Asset.
The Select Asset window will open. Search for your Google Reviews app, click it, then hit Select.
Back in Edit Screen, hit Save. Your Google reviews will now display on your screen.
Your Google Reviews app can also be displayed in a Playlist or Schedule, or as one zone of a Split Screen.
That’s all!
OptiSigns is the leader in digital signage software. If you have any additional questions, concerns or any feedback about OptiSigns, feel free to reach out to our support team at support@optisigns.com.