Category: Reviews

A Lawn Care Company’s Guide to Responding to Reviews

Posted on by Robyn Rivera

Every lawn care company needs to take a proactive approach to reputation management. By building a strong reputation for your lawn care company, you can increase your visibility, build trust with prospective customers and grow your business. 

Reputation management is a critical part of lawn care marketing, and responding to reviews is an important part of reputation management.

Today, we’re going to cover the basic dos and don’ts of how to respond to reviews for your lawn care company. 

Do make it a point to respond to all reviews, negative and positive

No matter what the review says, make it a point to respond. This shows that you are taking the time to listen to your customers and you care about their experience with your lawn care company. A simple “thank you for your feedback” goes a long way.

Plus, when you respond to negative reviews, it allows you to share your side of the story with the world and set the record straight about your lawn care services. It also gives you a chance to show off your customer service and turn an unhappy customer into a loyal one. 

Don’t get into a back-and-forth argument

If the review is negative, resist the urge to get into a back-and-forth argument with the customer. This will only make the situation worse and damage your lawn care company‘s reputation even more. 

Instead, take the high road and apologize for the poor experience. Then, offer to make it right by giving the customer a discount on their next lawn care service or a freebie, like a lawn mower blade sharpening. 

Not only will this help you to turn a negative experience into a positive one, but since the interaction is public, it also helps to demonstrate the kind of service you offer your customers. 

Do take the conversation offline

If the customer is unhappy with their experience, take the conversation offline so you can resolve the issue without everyone watching. This shows prospective lawn care leads that you are committed to making things right and that you care about your customers.

The best way to do this is to reach out to the customer directly through phone or email and offer to make things right. You can also give the customer your direct line or email address in your response, where they can reach out to you to discuss the matter further. 

Don’t delete negative reviews

Even if a negative review is unfair or unkind, don’t delete it. This will only make you look like you’re trying to hide something and will damage your reputation even more. 

Instead, use it as an opportunity to show off your customer service skills. By responding professionally and taking the conversation offline, you can turn a negative experience into a positive one.

In some cases,  if you can turn the situation around, customers may even be willing to edit their reviews. This can help to keep your lawn care company‘s average star rating high on review sites. 

Do ask for additional feedback

In your response to a positive review, be sure to thank the customer for their feedback and ask them for more details about their experience. This helps to show that you value their input and that you’re always looking for ways to improve your service. 

It also helps to build a relationship with customers and turn them into loyal advocates for your lawn care company. When they have good things to say, they’re more likely to share their experience with others, which can help to attract new customers. 

Don’t wait too long to respond

The sooner you respond to a review, the better. This shows that you are paying attention to what customers are saying and that you care about their experience. 

If you wait too long to respond, the customer may think you don’t care and that you’re not interested in their feedback. This can damage your relationship with the customer and your lawn care company‘s reputation. 

So, make it a point to check for new reviews on a regular basis and respond as soon as you can.

Do let customers know how you’ll use their feedback

When you ask for additional feedback in your response to a positive review, be sure to let the customer know how you plan to use their input. This helps to show that you value their feedback and that you’re always looking for ways to improve your lawn care services. 

It also helps to build a relationship with customers and turn them into loyal advocates for your lawn care business. When they see that their feedback is being used to make positive changes, they’re more likely to share their experience with others, which can help to attract new customers. 

Don’t forget to proofread your responses

Before you hit send, be sure to proofread your response for grammar and spelling errors. This shows that you are taking the time to respond thoughtfully and that you care about your image. 

It also helps to avoid any misunderstandings or miscommunications that could damage your lawn care company‘s reputation. So, take a few minutes to proofread your response before you hit send.

Do use reputation management software

The right reputation management software can help you to keep track of your lawn care reviews and respond to them quickly. This can save you a lot of time and help to ensure that you never miss a review. 

The Marketing 360® Reputation app has everything you need to build a strong reputation for your lawn care business. This includes requesting reviews, monitoring your reviews from across the web, responding to reviews and more. 

With the Reputation app, you can get more five-star reviews from your customers and become the go-to lawn care company in your area. 

These are just a few of the dos and don’ts of how to respond to reviews for your lawn care company. By following these tips, you can build a strong reputation for your business and attract more customers.

The Reputation app is just one of the many tools available to lawn care companies with Marketing 360®’s all-in-one marketing platform. 

From one place, you can build a beautiful website, master SEO and content marketing, drive exclusive lawn care leads, connect with your community on social media and so much more. 

Learn more about growing your lawn care business with Marketing 360, and see our plans and pricing. 

How to Get 5-Star Landscaping Reviews

Posted on by Robyn Rivera

Hiring a landscaping company requires a lot of trust. After all, your work has a direct impact on the curb appeal of a home or business. That’s why reviews are so important in the landscaping industry.

But, getting those five-star reviews can be tough. This is unfortunate since many people won’t even consider working with a local business unless they have at least a four-star average on review sites.

Luckily, there are many things you can do to get more positive reviews and build a strong reputation for your landscaping business.

Here are five tips for getting five-star landscaping reviews:

1. Train your team properly

This one is simple — if your team provides great service, you’re more likely to get positive reviews.

Make sure your employees know the importance of providing top-notch service, and that they have the tools and knowledge they need to do their jobs well.

It’s important to remember that training isn’t just necessary for new employees. Ongoing training can keep your seasoned employees sharp and up-to-date on new methods, products, and procedures.

While employee training requires time and money, it has a direct impact on the service you provide your customers, and on your landscaping company‘s reputation.

2. Make great customer service a priority

For better or worse, your landscaping reviews are a reflection of the customer service you provide. That’s why it’s important to make sure your customer service is top-notch, every single time.

Start by treating every customer with respect, regardless of whether they’re calling to ask a question or are already a paying customer.

It’s also important to be responsive to customer inquiries and concerns. If you don’t address them in a timely manner, they’ll likely take their business elsewhere — and leave you a negative review in the process.

Make sure your team is prepared to handle customer service inquiries by providing them with the training and resources they need. This could include anything from product knowledge to conflict resolution skills.

Last but not least, it’s important to set the right expectations with your customers. If you know a project will take longer than expected, let them know as soon as possible. That way, they won’t be left feeling disappointed or frustrated when the work isn’t completed as quickly as they thought it would be.

Proactively managing customer expectations is an important part of providing great customer service — and it can go a long way in preventing negative reviews.

3. Ask for landscaping reviews

It may seem obvious, but one of the best ways to get more positive reviews is to simply ask your customers to leave one.

This can be as simple as including a statement on your invoice that says, “We would appreciate a review on Google or Top Rated Local®.”

You can also include links to your review profiles on your website or email signature, or include printed instructions or a QR code on your invoice on how to leave a review.

One of the easiest ways to ask for landscaping reviews is by creating an automated email marketing campaign for gathering feedback.

After a landscaping service has been completed, send out an email asking for feedback. Ask them to indicate whether they have a negative or positive experience with simple thumbs up and down buttons.

Send customers who indicate that they had a positive experience to your Top Rated Local or Google profile, where they can write you a review. And, send customers who indicate that they had a negative experience to an internal feedback form where you can address the problem directly.

By using an automated email marketing campaign, you can make asking for landscaping reviews part of your regular business process, and ensure that every customer has the opportunity to leave feedback.

4. Make writing reviews easy

The easier you make it for your customers to write landscaping reviews for your business, the more likely they are to actually do it.

That’s why it’s important to make sure your review profiles are easily accessible, and that the process for writing a review is as simple and straightforward as possible.

After creating or claiming your Top Rated Local profile, be sure to include links to it on your website and email signature. You can also include printed instructions or a QR code on your invoice on how to leave a review.

You should also consider embedding the Top Rated Local reviews widget on your website. This widget displays your most recent reviews, and makes it easy for website visitors to click through to your profile to write a review.

Last but not least, don’t make your customers hunt around for your review profiles. Create and claim your local listings across all of the most popular local sites, directories and apps. This allows your customers to use whichever site is most comfortable for them.

5. Respond to your reviews

It’s not enough to simply collect landscaping reviews — you also need to interact with the feedback that you receive.

When customers take the time to write a review, whether it’s positive or negative, they’re giving you valuable insight into how your business is performing.

Make sure you’re monitoring your review profiles on a regular basis, and that you’re responding to both positive and negative reviews in a timely manner.

When customers write positive reviews, take the opportunity to thank them for their feedback. A simple “Thank you for your review!” goes a long way in showing your appreciation.

And, when customers write negative reviews, don’t ignore them or delete them. Instead, use them as an opportunity to demonstrate your commitment to customer service.

Address the issue directly in your response, and take the conversation offline if necessary. By responding to negative reviews in a professional and constructive manner, you can turn an unhappy customer into a lifelong fan.

By following these five tips, you can make sure that your landscaping business is getting the reviews it deserves — and using those reviews to attract new customers and grow your business. Landscaping reviews are an important part of any landscaper marketing strategy, and should be given the attention they deserve.

The Marketing 360® Reputation app gives landscapers everything they need to get more five-star reviews and build a reputation that makes them stand out. And, it’s just one of the many marketing tools available to landscapers with Marketing 360.

The Marketing 360 landscaper marketing platform has everything a landscaping company needs to build a convertible website, drive exclusive landscaping leads, master SEO and content marketing, harness the power of social media and so much more.

Learn more and see our plans and pricing.

A Contractor’s Guide to Responding to Reviews

Posted on by Robyn Rivera

Before a potential contractor lead will trust you with their business, they need to know that you’re the right contractor for the job. One big indicator consumers rely on when choosing a contractor is your reputation.

What you have to say about your contracting business matters a whole lot less than what your existing customers have to say. And, contractors who have lots of five-star reviews are not only more likely to be chosen by potential customers but also more likely to be found on search engines and local directories.

But, here’s the thing, getting contractor reviews is just one aspect of reputation management. You also need to make it a point to respond to your reviews.

Why it’s important to respond to contractor reviews

  • Show that you care – When a customer has a concern or has had a bad experience, they need to know that their feedback is heard. When you respond to your reviews, it shows customers (and everyone else reading your response) that you are listening and that you care.
  • Turn a negative into a positive – The right review response can win over an unhappy customer and change their mind about your business. Believe it or not, you can turn some of the worst situations into your most loyal customers.
  • Tell your side of the story – You can’t control what people say about your contracting business in your reviews, but you can control how you respond. Responding in the right way shows your side of the story to the world, which can help to build trust and drive conversions.

Now that you know why it’s important to respond to your contractor reviews, it’s time to learn how to do so properly.

How to respond to contractor reviews

Different types of reviews require different types of responses. You shouldn’t respond to a glowing, five-star review the same way you’d respond to a one-star review that drags your reputation in the mud.

But, before we get into the gritty details about how to respond to different types of contractor reviews, here are a few tips to keep in mind when responding to all reviews:

  • Be prompt – Your customers expect you to respond when they write a review for your business, and they expect you to do so promptly. It’s especially important to respond in a timely manner when it comes to negative reviews. The longer a one-star review stands without a response, the more damage it can do to your reputation.
  • Say thank you – To write contractor reviews, it takes time out of your customers’ busy schedules. Regardless of whether the feedback is positive or negative, show them that you appreciate the time they took to provide it for you.
  • Be professional – When responding to your contractor reviews, it’s important to remember that anyone can read your response, not just the person who wrote the review. How you respond could influence how prospective customers see your business, and can have a huge impact on your overall reputation. Make sure that you always keep it professional when responding to reviews.
  • Use reputation management software – Contractor reputation software, like the Marketing 360® Reputation app, can help you take a more active approach to managing your reviews. With the Reputation app, you can request, monitor and respond to your reviews from across the web — all from one place.

Positive reviews

Positive reviews are the easiest to respond to because there’s nothing to dispute or apologize for. Simply thank your customer for taking the time to write the review, their business and their kind words.

Negative reviews

Responding to negative reviews can be a bit more complicated. Here are a few things to keep in mind when responding to negative reviews:

  • Give yourself time to cool off if necessary – It’s easier to keep your response professional when responding to some reviews more than others. Sometimes, unhappy customers can resort to personal attacks or other unprofessional behavior. If a review gets under your skin and upsets you, don’t be afraid to give yourself time to cool off before responding.
  • Apologize for their negative experience – Not everything is in your control, and you won’t make every customer happy no matter what you do. However, regardless of the circumstances, if someone had a negative experience with your contracting business, it’s good form to apologize.
  • Offer a solution – If someone on your team dropped the ball or made a mistake — or if there’s a weak spot in your contracting service — let your customer know what you’ll do to make it right. Whether it’s a discount on future services, a refund or a redo, the right solution can turn an unhappy customer into a happy customer. It also shows the world that you truly value your customers.
  • Invite the customer to contact you directly – Some of your customers may be unhappy no matter how much you apologize or what kind of solutions you provide. The last thing you want is to get into a public argument with a customer when responding to a negative review. That’s why it’s better to invite an unhappy customer to call or email you directly to discuss the matter further.

As a contractor, a strong reputation is key to success for your business, and responding to reviews is a big part of that.

The Marketing 360 Reputation app has everything you need to manage and respond to your contractor reviews, and it’s just one of the many tools available in our all-in-one contractor marketing platform.

With Marketing 360, contractors can build a convertible website, generate exclusive leads, master SEO and content marketing, connect with their communities on social media and so much more.

Learn more and see our plans and pricing.

How to Get Roofer Reviews

Posted on by Robyn Rivera

No one hires a roofer on a whim. Hiring a roofer is a big deal. People need to know that they can trust you before they’ll do business with you.

One key way a roofing company can build trust is to build a strong reputation and get lots of five-star reviews. Reviews are powerful because they come from your real roofing clients.

Of course, you will say that you are the right roofer for the job, but so does every other roofer in the area. But when one of your clients says that you are the right roofer, it makes a much bigger impact.

When deciding on a roofing contractor. People will read roofer reviews. It’s a big part of the research process, and it’s important to make sure your reviews are current and up to date.

If you’ve got great reviews, but they’re all from five years ago, it’s not going to do you as much good as if you have recent five-star reviews. So, how do you get roofer reviews? Here are a few quick tips.

1. Provide great customer service

In this day and age, customer service is a huge deal with consumers. In fact, people will stay with a brand, even if it has higher prices than another brand so long as they offer great customer service.

Customer service builds loyalty, repeat business and word of mouth for your roofing company.

If you want to get five-star reviews for your roofing company, you need to offer five star
customer service. Reviews are a direct reflection of the kind of service you provide.

That’s why any reputation management strategy for your roofing company has to start with prioritizing customer service.

2. Ask for reviews

The easiest and most straightforward way to get reviews for your roofing company is to simply ask your existing clients for them.

If you make it a habit to ask for feedback immediately after every roofing service, you’ll start to see more roofing reviews in no time.

That’s because even though most people don’t really write reviews on their own, the majority are more than happy to do so when asked.

Not only is asking for reviews a great way to build a strong reputation for your roofing company, but it’s also a great way to gather valuable feedback about your roofing company. This will help you improve your customer service, which will, in turn, improve your reputation.

3. Use email and text message marketing

Asking for reviews in person is not the only way to get them! You can also use the power of technology, like email and text messages, to request reviews from all of your clients.

Simply create a campaign to automatically send a text or an email following up with a client after a service has been provided.

Send a text or email that asks the client about their experience with your roofing company. If they indicate that they were happy, send them to a review site, like Yelp or Top Rated Local,
where they can write a review for your roofing company.

If they were unhappy, send them to an internal form where they can give you feedback about your business.

This will allow you to filter happy customers to reviews while also giving you the tools you need to address concerns before they turn into one-star reviews for your business.

4. Embed the Top Rated Local® widget on your website

Your roofing company can and should have review profiles on multiple sites, like Top Rated Local, Yelp, Angi, HomeAdvisor and Google.

However, since it’s important to make it as easy as possible for your clients to leave reviews, it’s also a good idea to embed a reviews widget on your website

With the Top Rated Local widget, your roofing clients can leave you a review in just a few clicks and without ever leaving your website.

Plus, having a Top Rated Local widget on your website can also help to build trust with visitors and roofing leads. With the Top Rated Local widget, your visitors can quickly see your high average star rating and great roofing reviews, which will help to create the right first impression of your business.

5. Use a QR code in direct mail

Another way that you can follow up with a client after a roofing service has been
completed is to send them mail the old-fashioned way.

Sending a thank-you follow-up through the mail is a great way to show that you appreciate their business and that you really care.

By including a QR code on your mailer. You can make it easy for your clients to visit your review profile and write a review for your movie company.

You can also include QR codes in brochures, business cards and any other physical marketing materials you may have.

6. Be responsive

If someone is reading your reviews and notices that you’re not responding to them,
it gives them very little incentive to give you feedback about your business in the form of a review.

To them, the lack of response means that you’re either not reading your reviews or you don’t care about the feedback your customers are giving you.

Not responding to reviews can mean lost roofing leads for your business, but it can also deter your existing clients from writing reviews of their own.

Make sure that you respond to every roofing review you receive, whether it’s negative or positive.

When responding to negative reviews, give yourself a few minutes to cool off if the review has upset you. You don’t want to come off as offensive or unprofessional when you respond.

Another great way to handle negative reviews is to provide the client with your phone number or direct email address where they can contact you to discuss the matter further one on one.

This is a great way to avoid a public argument that can make you look unprofessional to other people in your area.

Every roofer needs a strong reputation and great reviews, and there are a lot of things that you can do to get more reviews for your business.

Building a strong reputation is just one aspect of roofer marketing. The Marketing 360 roofer marketing platform has all of the tools and talent you need to grow your roofing business and maximize your success. Learn more and see our plans and pricing.

5 Ways That Bad Reviews Can Be a Good Thing for Your Business

Posted on by Robyn Rivera

Bad reviews don’t have to mean the end of the world

Research has found that 91% of people at least occasionally read online reviews, with 84% of people trusting online reviews just as much as they would trust a personal recommendation from a friend or family member.

As you can see, every review holds a lot of weight. That’s why many business owners and managers think that bad reviews are the worst things that can happen to their growth prospects. But if you’ve ever gotten bad reviews before, you’ll be glad to know that, contrary to popular belief, they can actually benefit your business.

Here are the top five ways that bad reviews can actually be a good thing for your business:

#1. Bad reviews help to build trust

Nobody is perfect, and since businesses are run by human beings, mistakes are bound to happen. It’s for this reason that many people don’t trust businesses that only have five-star reviews or impeccable online reputations. When people see only positive reviews, it leads them to believe that either the reviews are fake or the business owner has tried to hide bad reviews. Either way, it’s not a good impression to leave on potential customers. Customers expect to see a few bad reviews mixed in with several good reviews, so do yourself a favor and don’t try to hide them or cover them up.

#2. Bad reviews help you show off your customer service skills

A bad review is an opportunity to turn around a client’s experience for the better and show the world that you truly value feedback and learn from it. It’s important that you always respond to your reviews, especially the bad ones. And when you do, you should apologize and then make the issue right, whether that means giving the client a refund, a gift certificate or redoing the work for free. Not only does responding to bad reviews help to turn around that individual customer’s experience (and could potentially lead to a customer for life), but it also shows other potential customers that, when issues come up, you’ll own up to them and make them right.

#3. Bad reviews help you get better as a company

No, most business owners aren’t in it to provide as little service as possible at the highest costs. Instead, most business owners do what they do because they genuinely want to provide a valuable service for their customers and to make their lives better. Bad reviews are great because they show you what you need to work on in order to become the kind of company you want to be. They help you learn from past mistakes, and they teach you how to provide more satisfaction for your customers in the future.

#4. Bad reviews give prospective clients a fuller picture of your services

As we mentioned before, many people utilize reviews when making purchasing decisions or deciding whether or not to work with a particular company. People like to know that they’re getting the full picture of a company or product when they read reviews, and if you only have positive, five-star reviews, it can often leave people feeling like you’re too good to be true. As we mentioned in our first point, bad reviews help to establish trust and humanity in a company, but they also paint a fuller picture of your business and lead to more informed decisions.

For example, say you’re a consumer deciding between working with two different plumbers. They both have mostly positive reviews with only a couple of bad reviews. One plumber’s bad review shows that they have accidentally underestimated the cost of a project in the past, but that they worked with the client to make it right. The other plumber’s bad review showed that they arrived at the job three hours late and ended up having to reschedule after they finally got there because they didn’t have the right equipment, and there are no responses from the plumber. Clearly, you’ll choose the first plumber in this scenario.

#5. Bad reviews make your good reviews stand out more

A few bad reviews in with multiple good reviews not only build trust and educate consumers, but they also make the good reviews stand out even more. When you have both good and bad reviews, it shows that, while you may not always succeed, you try your best with every customer.

Take your online reputation into your own hands with Marketing 360® Reputation 

With so many people reading reviews and using them to make purchase decisions, it’s more important than ever before to closely monitor your online reputation. Luckily, reputation management software from Marketing 360 is here to help. 

Learn more and see our plans and pricing. 

Originally published on 11/1/18

How to Handle Bad Reviews

Posted on by Top Rated Local

Reviews are an important part of how people perceive your business, for better or for worse. Learn what to do when you get a negative review online.

Reviews are a vital part of your online reputation

While we all hope that everyone would want to sing the praises of our business, the reality is, sooner or later, you are likely to be the recipient of a bad review. Getting a bad review for your business can definitely feel like a personal attack. For many small business owners, your business is your baby.

It’s likely that you pour your heart and soul into your business, so it’s only natural that you would want to protect, not only your business, but also your image. Throughout this article, we will take you through six vital steps that will help you protect your reputation and learn how to deal with bad reviews when they do come in.

Step #1. Notice your reviews

The first step towards managing your reviews is to know that you have them in the first place. More and more research shows that people rely on reviews to make decisions about where to shop and what products to buy. In fact, according to BrightLocal research, 91% of people read online reviews; 84% trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation and 68% form an opinion after reading between only 1 to 6 online reviews.

With so many people relying on reviews to help them choose which business is even worth going to, it is more important than ever to stay on top of your online presence.

Find a process that works for you to encourage, monitor and interact with the reviews you receive, and make reputation management a part of your routine. You can get started by claiming your online profiles, which will make it easy to spot and manage your reviews.

Step #2. Don’t ignore negative reviews

While you don’t want to be reactive, you also don’t want to shrink back and hope that a bad review will just go away, because it won’t. Oftentimes, when someone has left a negative review, they just want to be heard or feel valued, and they won’t get either of those things if you don’t acknowledge their review. In fact, ignoring bad reviews is more likely to make it look like you don’t care about your customers.

Seeing no follow-up after a negative review will plant seeds of doubt into the minds of potential customers, and ultimately, makes the negative review seem more believable. Don’t forget, it’s not just the upset customer who sees their review and your response (or lack thereof), it’s also your potential future customers.

People will feel reassured of your professionalism when they see that a complaint has been addressed, and it looks good when you are able to handle a potentially negative situation with humility and grace. It might feel uncomfortable in the moment, but in the long-run, you get the opportunity to display your customer service skills and your commitment to the people you do business with.

This is the gift a negative review gives you, and is a great chance for you to showcase your best side in a very public space.

Step #3. Take a step back before you respond

While you definitely want to respond to all negative comments in a timely manner, you don’t want to be reactive and jump to your own defense without taking into regard the feelings of your customer or the way your reaction will read to others.

Receiving a negative review can be shocking, and yes, it can feel personal. At the very least, take a deep breath and remind yourself that this is a customer who is feeling hurt, unsatisfied, unheard, or somehow mistreated. It can be easy to forget that the person on the other end of that comment is just that — another human being, and not just a faceless screen set on ruining your business and reputation.

Take a minute to gather your thoughts before you start typing. Maybe try to write out your response in an email to yourself, and read it out loud to see if your tone sounds balanced and professional.

Step #4. Apologize

Responding to a negative review is a great opportunity to show yourself the way you want to be seen. In this moment, it is crucial to empathize with your customer and apologize without placing or accepting blame.

Even if you feel there has been a misunderstanding, it’s likely that you really are sorry that the customer did not leave your business on a happy note, and that’s a great way to start your apology! You don’t need to assume blame; you just need to showcase understanding and care.

A well-crafted apology can be an excellent way to turn a bad review around and show off your business’a credibility.

According to a report conducted by Harris Interactive, business owners have an opportunity to turn an upset customer into a loyal advocate. The survey found that when customers received a reply to their negative reviews, 33% turned around and posted a new, positive review, and 34% deleted the original, negative review.

Mistakes happen, and what matters now is how you take responsibility for the customer’s experience. If you accept the mistake and put your customer first, people will feel more confident about trusting you with their business. Keep your apology brief and sincere. Remember, you do not want to accept or place blame here; simply offer empathy and a chance to give the customer a different outcome.

Here is one example of a short but effective apology:

“I am very sorry that you left our business without having experienced the excellent customer service we strive to give. Our customers are important to us, and we would like the opportunity to chat about what went wrong and see what we can do to make things better. Please email me or call me at…”

Step #5. Take the conversation offline

While it’s important to give a timely reply directly in response to your bad review, end your apology with an invitation to clear things up and rectify the situation in a private setting. If the reviewer is genuinely interested in chatting, you have a great opportunity to turn this situation around, and if they are not, you avoid a public internet showdown, which, while extraordinarily entertaining for those not involved, definitely looks bad for you and your business.

Creating a space for you and the reviewer to hear each other out can give you the opportunity to give them a new opinion about you and your business. While you make a public apology in response to the bad review, always end with an invitation to email or call you to see what can be done to turn things around.

Step #6. Learn and implement change when necessary

Make sure you are listening and learning when negative reviews come in. While some reviews might be the result of an unreasonable venting session, that won’t always be the case. Another value you might get from negative reviews is the opportunity to receive some unfiltered feedback. If the topic of customer service, or timeliness, or store cleanliness always comes up, those are things you are likely going to want to address.

Hearing feedback and doing something about it is a responsible and professional way to handle your business, and customers will notice that you care about their experience. In some cases, taking a noticed negative and making a change will make you and your business look even better than if nothing had been wrong in the first place! People respect someone who can learn and change, and customers certainly want to feel heard, appreciated and valued.

Manage your reviews and build a strong reputation with the Marketing 360® Reputation app. See our plans and pricing. 

Originally published on 9/1/19

Starting Your Year Off On The Right Foot

Posted on by Top Rated Local

Can you believe 2022 is just a couple of days away? I can’t either! If 2021 taught us anything, it’s that a business’s online reputation is more important than ever before. Here’s how to start your business’s online reputation off on the right foot for 2022. 

Claim your business listings

Claiming your business listings online is going to be step one of your New Year’s Resolution to have a stronger online reputation. Many people overlook this vital task because they don’t realize how important having a claimed business really is.

When you claim your business, you are showing your customers, current and future, that yours is a reliable and authentic business. The fact of the matter is, more and more customers are searching for local businesses online, and ranking ahead of your competition is very likely going to be what makes or breaks their decision to choose your business over any other.

Think about it, when a customer is going online to search for a business, but ends up finding an unclaimed business profile with inaccurate information, like their phone number, address, or business hours, they’re not likely going to trust that business with their time or money. Claiming your business and making sure your information is accurate and up to date is really simple considering how important an outcome doing so has. In fact, according to research done by Google, three out of four shoppers who find local information in search results to be helpful are more likely to visit stores in person. Thankfully, claiming your business listing is also usually free.

Claiming your business listings doesn’t only show your potential customers that you are a reliable business, it also gives search engines a reason to trust you and give you a better ranking. Search engines look for and promote legitimacy. By claiming your business, you not only show search engines that you are legitimate, but you also help boost your SEO (search engine optimization) and the likelihood of your business being seen more frequently. By claiming your business on verified sites, you improve your chances of increasing traffic to your website by making it more accessible and easy to find.

Claiming your business profiles should be one of the small business basics, and since claiming your businesses is such a simple way to get the attention of customers and search engines, it’s surprising that more small businesses don’t prioritize the practice, but that just means that a business that does claim its listings is going to stand out among the crowd.

Build your online presence

When you search for your business on Google, take notice of what comes up. How does your website look? Are there reviews for your business? What kinds of photos are there? Is your website mobile-friendly? What about social media? Which social media profiles are your target audience likely active on? Are you easy to find there? Making it simple for your target audience to connect with you makes your business appear accessible and personal, which is important when it comes to building trust and showing your customers that you are reliable.

Your potential customers need to be able to find you, and when they do, you want them to be impressed by what they see. Start by investing in an awesome website. Your website will be many customers’ first impression of you, and no matter what business you are in, you will find that an eye-catching and professional website will be beneficial to your business.

Even a company that has traditionally operated by word of mouth, like tree removal or lawn care, can benefit from having a nice, up-to-date website. Your website can tell your customers your story, humanizing your business; it can showcase some of your favorite reviews, giving customers a reason to trust you, and it can give your customers the basic information they need, like your address, hours, phone number, and pricing options.

Too often, businesses that have gotten by thanks to word of mouth have lost out on potential new customers because so many people are turning to the internet to find new local services. In fact, the number of local searches is on the rise, with 46% of all Google searches being people who are looking for local information and 82% of smartphone shoppers using the phrase ‘near me’ in their searches, a number that has increased 900% in the last two years.

You need more than to simply be present; you need also be active in order to have a strong online presence. That means updating your website and social media pages with new photos, current reviews, blog posts, and updates. Always respond to your reviews, both positive and negative, in order to show your customers that you care about their experience with your business.

Ask for reviews

Just like having a great website, having a handful of reviews on verified websites is crucial to the overall success of your business. Reviews are a vital tool when it comes to generating trust and increasing your overall sales.

Nowadays, almost everyone is turning to the internet to do their research before making their purchasing decisions. Customers can turn to websites, like Google, Bing, Facebook and Top Rated Local, to read about the experiences of past customers. While each of these sites has its own way of collecting and prioritizing reviews, reviews left on any of them will count as fresh content in SEO algorithms. Reviews will end up helping your business ranking by improving your overall SEO since fresh reviews count as fresh content, which search engines tend to like.

In addition to helping out with your SEO, reviews can also help you to connect with your customers. Your customers will naturally have some feedback for you, and their feedback is undoubtedly going to be incredibly valuable to you and your business, whether it is positive or negative. Positive reviews offer a great incentive for others to trust you with their business, and negative reviews offer you some insight into where your business might be slacking. Negative reviews also give you a chance to show others how you would like your business to be seen. For example, if you receive a negative review, you can respond to it, showcasing your responsiveness as well as your willingness to receive feedback. In your response, you can highlight some of the things you hope your business will be known for, like:

“We’re very sorry you did not get a chance to experience the outstanding customer service we hope to provide to every person who visits us…”

Customers like to see that someone will be attentive to their needs if anything goes wrong, and the fact of the matter is, they are more likley to trust a business that has had a few things go wrong. When they see only five-star ratings, they start to become suspicious that the feedback may not be authentic. A sprinkling of less-than-perfect reviews with well-worded and thoughtful responses is more likely to inspire trust in potential customers than a hundred bland five-star reviews.

Knowing how important it is to have online reviews, you should also know that there is absolutely no shame in asking for them! Chances are, you really do value and appreciate honest feedback, and there is no reason not to say so to your customers. As long as you are not paying for or somehow incentivizing people to leave you feedback, you can be confident that you are acting ethically in your request for reviews.

Revamp your customer service policies

Now is a better time than ever to make sure your employees are all on the same page when it comes to the kind of customer service your business offers. Establishing some customer service basics, a set of values, and even an overall business mission can unite your staff and help to set the baseline for how to behave with the customers.

Having a solid foundation in excellent customer service is a surefire way to gain the kinds of reviews that will instill some trust in your business.

Your customer service skills need to extend into your online presence as well. If you have multiple employees responding to reviews, posting to your social media pages, and interacting with your customers online, you need to have a unified voice that you feel best represents your company. It might be beneficial to start out by having a few templates for responding to customer concerns or negative reviews.

Build a strong reputation with Marketing 360® Reputation

Taking on the responsibility of managing your online reputation may seem daunting and could take more time than you have to invest into it. For many companies, the role of online reputation management is a full-time job. While most small businesses don’t necessarily have the budget to hire a full-time staff member to perform these duties, there is reputation management software out there that can save you time and help you get it right without having to hire someone. See our plans and pricing. 

Originally published on 1/2/20

A Guide to Turning Your Seasonal Shoppers into Loyal Customers

Posted on by Top Rated Local

For many small business owners, the end of the year comes with a serious upswing in sales. With so many people out and about shopping for their various holidays, you are probably going to see a surge of new faces turning to you for goods and services. While retail seems to get all the spotlight during the holiday shopping season, there are many businesses that will benefit from the winter festivities. Company parties will be looking for caterers; homeowners hosting their families will be turning to house cleaning companies; people will be headed off to nail salons, barbershops and beauty salons to get ready to look their best in photos, and weary travelers who were trapped on a plane next to a sneezy toddler may end up making a trip to urgent care. At the end of the day, no matter what kind of business you are in, we encourage you to take the time during this busy season to turn these seasonal shoppers into repeat, and even loyal, customers.

Expand upon the basics

Now more than ever, you need to showcase your very best customer service skills. With traffic, travel, looming deadlines and busier-than-ever stores, many holiday shoppers are feeling a bit more stressed out than usual. That means that they will be that much more grateful when you or your employees are able to listen to them, help them and show them that you genuinely care about their experience.

It is easier than ever to take care of all of your shopping needs online, so it is special and important when people choose to shop local and support a small business rather than go the easy route of online shopping or the cheap route of big-box retail. For many shoppers, choosing a small business is a personal choice, made either out of a desire to fuel the local economy or to experience the level of customer service you can only find in these kinds of stores. That is why it is so important to make sure you don’t neglect customer service during this busy shopping season. To read more about the importance of customer service, check out our previous blog, Why Nothing Beats Great Customer Service.

If you feel like you can definitely handle an increase in customers while maintaining your standards of customer service, then we’re going to recommend taking it up a notch and thinking about some of the ways you can expand on and exceed your customers’ expectations. If you can find a few easy ways to stand out to people now, you will have a much better chance of sticking in their minds, impressing them and, ultimately, bringing them back in to do business in the future.

You can start by making sure your store is in tip-top shape, possibly even investing in a good deep-cleaning. It might be fun to decorate the space, turning it into a winter wonderland, creating a whimsical window display, putting up a hashtag wall or going all-out with any seasonal decor of your choice.

Maybe you could offer free shipping on any in-store purchases over a certain price, giving your customers a chance to continue their shopping unencumbered by bulky bags. One surefire way to stand out is to offer the option of gift-wrapping! For many, the idea of wrapping a gift comes with an overwhelming feeling of dread, and even for those who don’t mind wrestling with yards of paper and tape, the option to save time or have a beautifully wrapped gift is a hard one to pass up.

Any way that you can enhance the experience of shopping in your store, whether by making it more beautiful or whimsical, having attentive and knowledgeable staff or by making your customers’ lives easier, the more likely you will be to stand the test of time and come to the customers’ minds the next time they are in need of whatever you provide.

Expanding on your customer service basics can also extend beyond the time your shoppers are physically in your store. At the time of checkout, if you ask for an address, you could send a hand-written thank you note to them, reminding them of your business and the excellent service they received there. This small gesture is one way you can show your customers how grateful you are that they chose your business, and reminds them of the kind of personalized attention and care they can receive when shopping with a small business. These are the kinds of things that give small businesses an advantage over the big chain stores.

Give shoppers an incentive to come back

You can expect that seasonal shoppers aren’t only shopping at your business, and with the whirlwind of shopping, cooking, travel, and family that many people experience during this season, it can all pass by in a blur to them. If you want to stand out in the memories of these shoppers, you might want to consider giving them some kind of incentive to revisit your business.

One way to incentivize shoppers to revisit your store is to offer some kind of coupon or discount on a future purchase. Remember, this does not just apply to retail stores; a home cleaning company can offer a coupon for a spring cleaning discount, like, “Redeem this coupon in April for 10% off any one cleaning service.” Someone coming in to get their hair cut and colored before visiting family for the holidays could be surprised when you offer them a free conditioning treatment with the next service. Someone who signs up for a gym membership in the month of December could be wowed when they are offered a punch card to bring along a set number of guests for free. Since they are already committed to returning, maybe you can incentivize them to bring along a friend!

Many holiday shoppers are likely to be out purchasing gift cards for family and friends, meaning they may not spend much time in your store looking around or getting an idea of the out-of-this-world customer service you provide. You can persuade them to come back and spend some more time in your business by offering coupons or discounts with the purchase of a gift card. By giving them a coupon that is good through the end of January, or by providing an offer like, “If you buy a gift card worth $25 or more, you get 15% off your next purchase,” you are inviting this shopper to come back and check out your store for themselves. There are many bigger retail locations that successfully use a similar model: “For every $50 you spend now, get $10 off between January 1st and February 12th.” Giving your shoppers a discount in order to get them back in your store could end up paying off for you in the long run when they become familiar with you and your service, and become loyal future customers.

Stay in their minds after they’ve left

In addition to staying fresh on the minds of your customers through coupons and future shopping incentives, one simple way to stand out in the minds of your customers is by offering the option to email their receipt to them.

I know full well that, when a cashier hands me a receipt, I am shoving that thing into my purse, never to be seen again. With e-receipts, you cut down on unnecessary paper waste, your customer will have a hard-to-lose digital copy of their transaction, you can craft a sweet and personalized message to accompany the receipt and you can send a follow-up thank you message to their email a few days or weeks after the transaction, reminding customers of your service and your business.

While you never want to spam your customers into a state of resentment, a well-crafted, post-holiday thank you message could be really appreciated and could make you stand out in their minds. You could even send out a discount code as a message of appreciation, reminding people of your store and giving them a tangible reason to revisit.

Be ready for returns

While we may all be out there trying our best, sometimes, we don’t quite hit the mark with the gifts we give. After the holiday rush is up, you can probably expect to see a few people coming in to make returns or exchanges. Make sure your employees are well-trained and ready to handle these requests. When a customer is making a return, it might be worth it to see if they would rather exchange their item for something else. By giving them the chance to at least take a look around your business, you give yourself the opportunity to get to know this customer and wow them with your service. Even if they don’t want anything for themselves, they may be inspired to come back and get something for someone else. Make sure that you have a process in place to handle returns and exchanges, and make sure it is a simple process for your customers.

From all of us here at Top Rated Local, have a safe and happy holiday season!

Originally published on 12/23/19

The Importance of Reviews for Small Businesses

Posted on by Robyn Rivera

No matter what industry your small business is in or how long it’s been around, reviews matter.

It used to be that word-of-mouth referrals were the key to small business success, and while referrals still matter in the digital age, online reviews are a must for every small business.

What the stats have to say:

  • In 2017, 97% of consumers made it a point to read reviews for making an online purchase
  • In 2016, consumers would read an average of 6 reviews before deciding to trust a business, and in 2017, that number rose to 7 reviews
  • More than 57% of consumers will eventually make a purchase from a business they’ve researched online
  • When making a buying decision, more than 46% of consumers pay attention to the quality of a business’s reviews
  • Half of all consumers will question whether to trust a business after reading negative reviews online

5 reasons why online reviews matter for small businesses

#1. Mobile search is the new driving force for local business

In the good ol’ days, most people found local businesses by word-of-mouth referrals. For instance, if you were looking for an electrician, you’d probably start by asking your friends and family or maybe your co-workers for referrals.

But today, most of us have the internet literally in our pockets, giving us the ability to find an electrician or any other local business on the spot. More and more, mobile search has become the biggest thing driving consumers to local businesses. However, consumers aren’t likely to simply put their trust in the first listing that pops up, and in order to earn their trust, reviews are key.

#2. With online reviews, the customer comes to you

It used to be that, in order to advertise your business and get your name out there, you had to use outbound forms of marketing, like television, radio and newspaper ads. Outbound marketing is all about throwing out what you have to offer to a broad audience with the hope that at least a percentage of those consumers will have a need for your product or service.

Consumer reviews, on the other hand, are an inbound marketing strategy. In order for a consumer to find your brand and your reviews, they have to be looking for a product or service you offer, which means that a far greater percentage of your audience will actually want to work with you. And it’s those reviews that turn a prospective buyer into an actual customer.

#3. Websites with the best reviews rank better organically

In this day and age, every business needs a website because, as we mentioned, that’s how people today find businesses. However, it’s not enough to simply have a website. In order to get new consumers to visit your website, it has to rank on page one.

The simple fact is that most people never look past that first page of listings, and if your website doesn’t show up, it may as well not exist. Although there are many things that go into Google’s ranking algorithm, one very important piece is reviews. Google wants to promote the best companies, and they do that by ranking websites with the best reviews higher.

#4. Reviews help to establish trust in your brand

Let’s face it, there’s a lot of competition out there, and that’s true whether you own a small retail business or a dental practice. With so many other businesses competing for the exact same customers as you, you have to be able to demonstrate to the consumer why they should take a chance on you instead of choosing the others.

It’s not enough just to have one or two positive reviews, either. The more positive reviews your business has, the more likely new consumers are to trust you. Only about 3% of consumers will trust a company after reading 1 review, but a staggering 32% will trust a company after reading 4 – 6 reviews.

#5. Reviews lead to more sales!

The driving force behind any and every business is the sales. At the end of the day, if your business isn’t making sales, it’s not making a profit, and you won’t survive. Luckily, reviews are a great way to increase your sales.

If a consumer is deciding between a similar product or service from multiple businesses, they are going to choose to purchase from the business that has the most positive reviews, plain and simple. As we mentioned in the beginning of this article, 97% of consumers will read a business’s online reviews before deciding whether to make a purchase or not, and the bottom line is that, if you don’t have reviews, you’re going to miss out on those sales.

The Marketing 360® Reputation app offers a better way to manage your reviews

Businesses have very little control over their reviews and their online reputation using most review sites, which leaves a vulnerability to illegitimate, negative reviews from disgruntled employees, competitors and other malicious reviewers. The Marketing 360® Reputation app was created to address these everyday problems, and to help businesses build and manage strong reputations.

Are you ready to become a Top Rated Local® business?

If you’re not earning positive reviews for your business, the fact is that you’re missing out on the many benefits associated with them. There are so many incredible reasons to start earning positive reviews and managing your online reputation, and the Marketing 360 Reputation app can help.

Don’t let another sale, search result or consumer pass you by. Get more reviews and build an unstoppable online reputation for your business with Marketing 360 Reputation. See our plans and pricing.

Originally published on 10/10/18

5 Easy Ways to Make Your Small Business Stand Out on Black Friday

Posted on by Top Rated Local

Black Friday, the unofficial kickoff to shopping season, is finally upon us. Traditionally the busiest shopping day of the year, for many, the upcoming season can make up the majority of a business’s yearly revenue. So, you’ve got your inventory stocked, your shop cleaned up and your staff caffeinated. The competition is fierce, especially with retail giants and online shopping, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make an impact on your shoppers. We’re going to outline a few simple ways you can stand out to all the busy, likely stressed, shoppers that visit your store. It can be easy to let a day this bustling with energy rush by in a blur of customers and transactions, but remember that you have a chance to show off what makes your store so wonderful and worth facing the crowds for.

5 ways to make your small business stand out on Black Friday

Know your product

You have a significant advantage over online retailers here. If people have a question about a product, if a customer wants to see an example of what they are purchasing or if they want to know what a product looks like in another color, you have the opportunity to talk with them, show them and interact with them. You and your staff get to be the experts here, and it is important that you establish trust with your clients by showing them that you are knowledgeable and prepared.

Practice the basics

Today, more than ever, you will need to showcase your finest customer service skills. You’re busy and people are stressed, so taking the time to show them that you are willing to give them individualized care and attention will stand out that much more. These might sound like the basics, but it is more important than ever to maintain and practice them. To start, smile, or at the very least, be friendly and genuine. Make eye contact when you talk to people to show them that you are engaged and listening to them. It is important that your customers feel seen and heard, as that can make a world of difference in their overall experience. Introduce yourself and try to use people’s names when you speak with them. This added level of personalized attention will put you leagues ahead of any online retailer.

Share on social media

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to share content and show off the excitement of the day on your social media feed! Now is a great time to show your followers that people are turning up and getting what they want from your store. This might just be the motivation someone needs to get up and out of the house and into your store. This can also help you set the tone for the kind of reputation you want your business to have. Are you guys fun and silly? Genuine? You can use this day to show your audience that that is who you really are, even on what might just be the most stressful day of the year.

Say thank you

Remember to thank your customers for their support. In today’s world, it would be very easy for them to do business at a chain retailer or online, so it means something that they chose to support you. The least you could do is tell them as much. Offering some gratitude is simple, meaningful and, most likely, genuine. This one-on-one attention and care might be the reason they chose to shop at a business like yours instead of at one of the chains.

Ask for feedback

Black Friday and the approaching shopping season means an influx in traffic, and each of those customers should be reminded that you would love to get their feedback online. Ideally, you will get a huge boost in your online reviews, ultimately helping out your search engine optimization, your online presence, and your overall reputation. By remembering to provide the kind of service and attention that nobody is expecting on a day as busy as Black Friday, you’re sure to stand out in people’s minds as being a five-star establishment worthy of a five-star rating.

We here at Top Rated Local wish the best to you, your business and your customers during this busy season!

Originally published on 11/29/19