Manage Your Online Reputation. Increase Sales.
If you’re going to take one thing away from this post, here it is:
Customer reviews online impact a business’s bottom line. Period.
Especially in the contracting industry.
Here’s why: we live in an era where the first thing someone does when looking for a service, if they don’t already know someone who provides such service or have a referral, is Google using specific keywords.
97% of consumers use online resources when researching products or services in their area.
Another fact: businesses with online reviews have higher search engine rankings. Getting to the top of the list in search rankings matter.
Think about it, when searching for a new restaurant, are you more likely to try one that has a 4.7 rating and 899 reviews with enthused comments such as, “You MUST try the fettuccine alfredo,” or do you choose the one that has zero reviews.
There’s reassurance in positive word-of-mouth reviews.
The same goes for your clients. They are concerned they’ll shell out tons of money to someone who won’t show up and work. So ease their minds by providing them with proven case studies.
Because the truth is when your online rating and reviews go up, your business generates more revenue.
How to Get 5-Star Reviews
You may be internet savvy and have established a thriving online presence. Or you may have zero reviews so far. No matter where you are on your journey, following these steps will increase the number of reviews you receive.
And we’re focused on getting those 5 stars!
Create social accounts to receive reviews. You need to have your accounts created so customers have a place to leave a review. The top platforms people search on are Google, Yelp, and Facebook. Make sure you have your business page created on all these sites and that they look professional and aligned with your brand.
Please note that when reaching out to customers for reviews, you want to ask them to leave just one review. Please do not ask them to leave reviews on each site unless they offer. We recommend starting with Google because if you are highly rated on Google, your SEO will go up, bumping you to the top of the search lists. It’s a win-win!Ask Customers to Leave Reviews. Asking your customer to leave a review is essential to increase reviews.
It’s best to ask immediately after you work with your client because their experience with you is fresh in their mind. Most people are willing to help small business owners, especially if they appreciate all your efforts.
This simple step can help increase 5-star ratings more than anything.Make it Easy for Customers to Leave Reviews. Before asking your customers for reviews, consider the easiest way to do this for them. Customers often are well-meaning and want to leave reviews, but they get caught up in the whirlwind of their lives.
So they push your review and continue their lives as they forget about it. So help them out! Send a follow-up message thanking them for hiring you, and make the direct ask for a review. Stress how important it is for future leads to read about their experience working with you.
Determining how you want to capture the information is equally important. You can share a direct link to your Google profile, set up a survey, or ask for a testimonial. There are many ways to decide, but getting the review is impossible if you don’t ask!Build Out a Funnel. Our favorite method to capture reviews is an email funnel because once it’s built, it automatically takes the work and stress of remembering from you.
Building a funnel with a dripped email campaign will help you generate more 5-star reviews. These emails should be short, friendly reminders prompting your customers to leave a review. It’s a simple and proven way to increase conversions when done correctly.
If interested, ask us for our Marketing team and we’ll make the connection.Respond to ALL Reviews. Responding to reviews is imperative for an effective online reputation management campaign. Taking the time to respond to both negative and positive feedback will show future customers you’re proactive in addressing concerns and committed to exceeding expectations. Plus, it shows others you value your customers’ feedback.
Positive & Negative Reviews
Now that you’ve got an action plan in place for reviews, we wanted to briefly touch upon responding to reviews, specifically responding to both the positive and negative—because they are both equally important and impact your business.
Positive 5-Star Reviews
5-Star reviews are highly coveted in the business world, and for a good reason. Just take a look at these quick stats:
Customers are willing to spend 31% more on a business with excellent reviews.
An increase from a 3 to 5-star rating results in an average of 25% more clicks on a Google Business Profile.
So clearly, positive reviews can increase your business and revenue flow and we love when they come in!
But one thing to remember is that even though you received your 5-star review for a job well done, you want to still engage with this reviewer publicly so others can see you are a business owner who cares about the service their clients receive. Additionally, for businesses with high online engagement:
Responsive industry leaders get higher ratings
Getting an exclusive 5-star rating significantly impacts how consumers perceive a brand’s products and services. For a small business, a single review can greatly affect a future customer’s first impression.
Social proof generated from authentic reviews outweighs what a business has to say about its products and services. Consumers are more likely to trust review platforms than what a company has to say about itself online.
After all, which would you be more likely to trust? So keep responding and seeking those positive, 5-star reviews!
Negative Reviews
This flip side is receiving discouraging reviews. Sometimes they are from a disgruntled customer who wanted a “freebie” or didn’t communicate clearly, so they are publicly taking out their anger on you. And even worse—not all reviews online are authentic. Sometimes people write fake reviews out of spite or to slander a brand.
The effects of a bad review can be harmful to a brand:
94% of consumers chose not to purchase from a company due to a bad review.
87% of potential customers won’t consider a business with too many lousy consumer reviews.
But hear this.
How you handle the negative feedback says more about your business than the actual review itself.
Your professional public response to these mistakes determines how customers perceive your brand.
Being transparent is always the best way to respond to a negative review.
And people respond very well to a brand that is eager to engage and communicate with a negative reviewer:
53% of customers expect businesses to respond to negative reviews within a week.
33% of customers expect companies to respond to negative reviews in three days or less.
So when confronted with an unhappy customer that leaves a negative review, the best course of action:
Take the time to respond thoughtfully to their feedback. And then fix it!
When you receive a negative review, it’s time to up your game and refine your process. It’s an opportunity to do better and be better.
But what about responding to those pesky fake reviews? You should respond to those too.
It’s another opportunity to showcase your professionalism. When drafting the response, remember you’re not writing to the person who left the fake review. Instead, you’re writing the response for all your future customers to read.
When dealing with a fake review, all you have to do is state:
That you take all customer concerns seriously.
That there is no transaction history of their patronage.
To contact your team directly to resolve the situation for all parties involved.
Online reviews are the best way to give prospective customers a look into what their experience will be working with you and why they should choose you for the job. And when done right, reviews can help boost sales by increasing your SEO, word-of-mouth referrals and establishing a baseline of trust for new clients.
So make sure to include these online interactions, and their management, as part of your business plan. Your bottom line will thank you.
Giving you a 5-star send-off,
Your Team at K&K Supply
Note: We sourced these stats from Be Aligned Web Design.
PS: Are you a K&K customer? We’d be super grateful if you left us a review here.
