Tag: Online Reputation

The Importance of a Mobile-Friendly Website for House Cleaning and Janitorial Services

Posted on by Robyn Rivera

Picture this: It’s a chilly morning in September. Cindy, a busy working mom, spills her coffee on the living room carpet. Her day is already hectic and now she needs a house cleaner, stat! 

She whips out her smartphone and types in “house cleaner near me.” What does Cindy expect to see? Fast-loading websites, streamlined content and a simple way to book services.

Welcome to the mobile era! If you are a house cleaning or janitorial service, you must be part of it to thrive. 

The modern consumer, just like Cindy, wants things done yesterday. They want to be able to find, evaluate and hire services on the fly. This is where a mobile-friendly house cleaner website or janitor website is invaluable. Let’s dig in.

Breezing through the stats

Did you know that over 50% of web traffic worldwide is generated through mobile phones? This nugget from Statista is not just an idle number. It tells you where your audience is. 

Let’s not even get started on how Google loves mobile-friendly websites and often ranks them higher.

But, let’s go back to Cindy for a moment. She found two house cleaning services. One has a house cleaner website that’s a nightmare to navigate on her phone. The other, a dream. Guess which one got her business?

Mopping up the competition

In an age where options are aplenty, you have to sweep customers off their feet. Having a mobile-friendly website is like that sparkle on a clean surface. It can make customers choose you over your competition. 

Just think about how often you have chosen one product or service over another simply because their website was easier to use on your phone.

Make the connection

Okay, so you have a great mobile-friendly janitor website. How does this translate into connections? Simple. The easier it is for potential clients to access and use your site, the more likely they are to contact you.

Remember Cindy? She’s not just a one-time deal. She loved how easy it was to find and book your services. She might book you for regular cleaning or even recommend you to her friends. That’s the kind of organic growth that’s worth its weight in gold.

Buffing up your online reputation

We all know that in this day and age, online reputation is everything. Online reviews, feedback, and testimonials can either make or break a business. So, how does having a mobile-friendly website help?

Imagine Cindy’s friend, John. He is the office manager at a local company and he’s looking for a janitorial service. 

Cindy recommends yours. John quickly looks up your janitor website on his phone during his lunch break. He’s able to easily navigate through your testimonials and positive feedback. Guess what? You might have just landed another contract. 

This is how a seamless mobile experience helps build a strong online presence and reputation.

The cherry on top: Enhanced customer experience

There’s something deeply satisfying about a hassle-free experience, isn’t there? Your mobile-friendly website is not just about getting new clients. It’s also about giving your existing clients an effortless way to engage with your services. 

Simple scheduling, easy access to invoices and quick customer support make a world of difference. This, in turn, enhances customer retention and loyalty.

Take Mr. Anderson, for example. He’s a loyal customer who loves your house cleaning services. His children surprised him with a smartphone on his birthday. 

Now, he can effortlessly book your services, view his schedule and even chat with your support team, all through your user-friendly house cleaner website. Mr. Anderson is ecstatic!

Spick and span social media integration

Social media has become an integral part of our lives. Your mobile-friendly website should have social media integration as clean as the services you offer.

Consider Sarah, a social media influencer who just used your janitorial service for an event. Impressed with your services, she decides to give you a shout-out on her Instagram. 

With a mobile-friendly janitor website, not only can her followers easily find you, but they can also effortlessly share your page. The potential for new leads and brand exposure is enormous.

Brushing up on SEO

Let’s not forget about SEO! Google has been using mobile-friendliness as a ranking signal. This means that if your website is optimized for mobile devices, it’s likely to rank higher in search engine results. 

Higher rankings mean more visibility, and more visibility means more business.

Our friend Cindy might not have found your website if it wasn’t for your mobile optimization. SEO might sound like a tech-heavy term, but it’s essentially making sure that your shiny house cleaner website is seen by those who need it.

Keeping up with technology

As we move forward, technology will keep evolving. From smartphones to smartwatches, the variety of devices through which users can access your website will continue to expand. 

Having a mobile-friendly website ensures that you are not left in the digital dust and can adapt to new platforms as they arise.

In conclusion, having a mobile-friendly website is not just an option, but a necessity in today’s world. 

From getting found by new customers like Cindy, enhancing your online reputation for people like John, giving long-time clients like Mr. Anderson a seamless experience, to brilliant social media integration attracting leads through Sarah’s network – it’s evident that mobile optimization for your house cleaning and janitorial services is crucial.So, are you ready to make your website gleam as much as the services you provide? 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

Reputation Management Tips for Local Businesses

Posted on by Robyn Rivera

People who own local businesses often make the mistake of ignoring or failing to maintain their online reputation. Don’t miss out on the many benefits of online reputation management for your local business!

From restaurants to plumbers, every local business needs a great online reputation.

Your business’z online reputation matters, and that’s true regardless of how much business you actually do online. Whether you’re a mom-and-pop coffee shop or operate a full-blown retail store on your website, you absolutely need to take ownership of your business’s reviews and online reputation — the future and success of your business depend on it!

If you’ve had a chance to read our blog — The Importance Of Reviews For Local Businesses — then you already have a good understanding of why reviews are so essential for your business’s online reputation. Today, we’ll be going over the many things you can do as a local business to build your business’s online reputation and keep it strong.

10 reputation management tips every local business needs to know

#1. Commit to providing great customer service

A lot of things go into your business’s online reputation, but the most visible aspect of that reputation to prospective customers consists of the reviews your customers have given you. While a negative review here or there won’t hurt you, most business owners would prefer to have as many five-star reviews as possible. But here’s the thing — in order to get five-star reviews, you have to provide five-star service.

Great customer service is something that every business needs to prioritize, especially when you consider how much competition your typical local business has. For example, say you run a pool service company. Most other pool service companies offer similar services as you, and for a similar price as well. So what can you do to make your business stand out? Provide the kind of customer service that will wow your customers and make them want to go online to tell the world about it.

#2. Claim your business listings

The first step any business should take in building and maintaining their online reputation is to claim your business listings on any and every possible review and/or directory platform. After all, your business is already listed, so you may as well reap all of the benefits that come with claiming the listing. Why is this important? Here are a few of the top reasons:

  • Build trust with your audience – When you claim your listing, you’re also making sure that any information about your business is accurate. That’s also why consumers tend to trust verified listings more than nonverified listings.
  • Respond to reviews – One of the biggest benefits of claiming your listing is that it allows you to respond to reviews about your business.
  • Increase your business’s visibility – Having multiple verified listings means that a link to your website exists on all of those sites — trusted sites that Google sees as authoritative — will help to improve your business’s rankings in the SERPs (search engine results pages), making you more visible and getting your name in front of more people.

#3. Prioritize social media management

Social media management is an essential part of any effective marketing strategy these days, but it’s simply not enough to have profiles on Facebook, Twitter, etc. You need to be active on social media. Social media is a powerful tool for any business owner this day and age, because these platforms allow you to interact with a wider audience, develop your brand and learn all about the customers you’re targeting.

Another big benefit of being more active on social media is that it will help your posts — as well as your website — rank better in the SERP. This is especially important if there’s any negative information about your business out there. The more positive content you have, the further down in the results the negative information will be pushed.

A good social media management strategy includes researching your competition, getting to know your audience, sharing your story and posting interesting, original content on a regular basis.

#4. Pay attention to your online reputation

Your online reputation is there — either growing or diminishing — all of the time, whether you are actively managing it or not. You can’t wish your business’s online reputation away, and ignoring it or pretending it doesn’t exist won’t help, either. That’s why, if you take nothing else away from this article, we hope you learn why it’s essential to pay close attention to your online reputation.

How can you possibly build the kind of online reputation you want, if you don’t know what kind of online reputation your business already has? It’s imperative that you monitor your online reputation closely so that you can be proactive about addressing any issues that come up. Plus, when you have a better understanding of what the online reputation your business already has, you can form a better plan to help you mold it into what you want it to be.

A few things you can do to stay on top of your business’ online reputation:

  • Set up Google Alerts – Google will notify you when new content containing keywords you preselect — like your business name — is published.
  • Monitor your reviews – Reviews can be published across a variety of platforms, but no matter where they are posted — or whether they are negative or positive — it’s important to respond as soon as you can, which means that you need to monitor your reviews.
  • Monitor blog comments – Blogging, as we’ll learn more about soon, is a great reputation management tool, but if you’ve opened comments up on your blog, you need to make it a point to monitor those comments.
  • Ask your customers! – It never hurts to ask your customers what they think about your business and how it’s perceived online.

#5. Write blogs on your website

SEO is a vital part of your business’s online reputation management strategy. When you can ensure that the first few results in the SERP for specific keywords consist of your website, your Facebook page, your Instagram page, your LinkedIn page, etc., you can push down any results that may not be so favorable or positive for your business. But how do you ensure that your website ranks well on Google and other search engines? Publish new content on your website regularly!

The phrase, “content is king,” has been a mantra in the SEO industry since the beginning, and it still rings true today. Blogging is one of the best ways to do that, and as an added bonus, you can use your blogs to better inform and educate your customers. Blogs are also very shareable on social media sites, and they help to establish your reputation as a thought leader in your industry.

#6. Start asking for reviews

A lot of business owners get hung up about the idea of asking their clients for reviews, and some of them even think that reviews that are asked for somehow aren’t legitimate. However, if you’re really dedicated to building an effective online reputation for your business, failing to ask for reviews is no longer an option.

A lot of people simply don’t write reviews on their own, because they don’t think about it. And if they do think about it, it’s probably because they are unhappy and want to vent a little about their experience. The simple fact is that people are much more likely to write a review on their own if they’re unhappy than if they were satisfied with their experience.

Asking for reviews helps to ensure that all customers, whether they’re happy or not, will get a chance to share their feedback with you and the world. Plus, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with asking for reviews! As long as you’re not bribing customers to write a review or directing what your customers are saying in the reviews, there’s absolutely no reason to feel uneasy about asking for a review.

#7. Respond to every review

While it’s important to ask for reviews, that doesn’t mean that you’ll be able to control what your customers choose to put in those reviews. You can only control what you do and how you respond to their feedback, and you absolutely should, regardless of whether that feedback comes in the form of a glowing, five-star review or a bleak, one-star review.

When someone leaves a five-star review about your business, make sure that you thank them for taking the time to write that review. As we mentioned, writing reviews doesn’t exactly come naturally to most people, so recognize the effort they took to write the review. And when someone leaves a negative review, it’s even more important to respond to it!

If the negative review consists of honest feedback for your business, take it to heart, apologize and take steps to make it right. And if the negative review consists of misleading or, worse, wasn’t even written one of your customers, responding will help you to set the record straight.

The bottom line is that responding to reviews allows you to control the conversation.

#8. Learn from your reviews

You can learn a lot about how your customers perceive your business by reading and paying attention to your online reviews. Of course, stuff happens, and one bad experience isn’t necessarily indicative of the kind of service you offer day in and day out. However, that doesn’t mean that those one-off issues aren’t important, or that you can’t learn anything from reading your reviews.

One of the best ways to learn what areas of your service need a little improvement is to look for overarching themes in your reviews — particularly the negative ones. For example, if eight people have complained about your technicians showing up late, it’s not a one-off issue — it’s an ongoing problem that needs to be addressed.

#9. Know what to do about fake reviews

Fake reviews, as well as competitor reviews, occasionally happen. But like with everything else, it’s how you deal with those fake reviews that makes the biggest difference. Here’s what to do when you get a fake review:

  • Never point out that a review is fake – If you craft a response to a fake review, it’s not helpful to point out that it’s fake — this will only make you look petty. Instead, say something like, “We don’t have a record of having done business with you in the past, but we’d love to address your concern. We invite you to call or email us to discuss your experience.”
  • Flag the review with the website’s administrator – Some review sites allow businesses to flag reviews that aren’t appropriate. However, you should know that it can take a long time for a fake review to come down — and that’s if it comes down at all. But it doesn’t hurt to try!
  • Generate more authentic reviews! – The very best way to deal with fake reviews is to drown them out with legitimate reviews, so make it a point to start asking for them!

#10. Consider hiring a reputation management specialist

An effective reputation management strategy won’t happen overnight and isn’t a one-time thing. Reputation management is a long-term strategy that has a lot of moving parts, and it can be a lot for a business owner to take on. If you don’t have the time or resources to dedicate to your business’s online reputation, you aren’t doing it any favors.

Hiring a professional to help you manage your business’s online reputation will free you up to do what you do best — which is running your business!

Start managing your business’ online reputation with the Marketing 360® Reputation app!

Your business’s online reputation can make or break your success, and we hope that these tips will give you a good idea about how to create the kind of reputation you want. One of the easiest things you can do to start taking control over your online reputation is to start using repuation management software, like the Marketing 360® Reputation app. See our plans and pricing.

Originally published on 9/7/19

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

Maintaining a Strong Online Reputation This Holiday Season

Posted on by Robyn Rivera

During the holidays, it’s more important than ever to have a strong online reputation.

‘Tis the season to get your business’s online reputation in order.

Every store you turn to is playing holiday music. Lights sparkle on homes. Eggnog is in stock once again. In other words, the holidays are finally here at last.

The holiday season is a busy time of the year for most businesses, and not just retail. People want to look their best for holiday photos, leading to an increase in business for barber shops and beauty salons. People host their out-of-town family members, giving local restaurants more business and the need for plumbers to unclog more toilets. People get a little stressed by all of the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, which leads them to treat themselves with a massage or a trip to their favorite nail salon.

The bottom line is that there is a lot of business to be had over the holiday season, and if you want to cash in on some of that business, you need your business to be found online and you also need to have the right kind of online reputation behind you to encourage your customers to keep choosing you, and to encourage new customers to choose you, too.

10 reputation management tips for the holiday season

#1. Make sure that your staff is ready

The holiday season leads to an increase in activity for your business, and it’s essential that you know that your staff is ready to handle it. This might mean that it’s time to hire a little extra help for the holidays.

Not only does seasonal help enable you to handle a greater number of customers, but it also frees up more of your time to focus on your online reputation. Seasonal help can make it easier to survive during the holidays, and employing seasonal employees gives them a few extra dollars to help them create holiday bliss.

In addition to making sure that you have the appropriate number of people to help your staff, you should also ensure that your staff is trained properly to handle the increase in business. It won’t help very much to have more staff members if they are constantly turning to with questions or guidance. Make sure that every member of your staff is properly trained and as dedicated as possible to providing a great experience for your customers.

#2. Manage/claim your listings

One of the most important aspects of reputation management is managing and claiming your business listings across any and every review platform and/or directory site that it’s listed on. This is something that you should make a point of doing as soon as you can — holiday season or not — as it’s a key part of ensuring that your business stays successful online.

If your business is already listed on review sites and/or directories, what’s the point of claiming or managing your listings? The algorithms that pull information into these directory sites and review sites don’t always get it right, and it’s essential that you make sure that the information out there about your business is accurate. If someone sees an outdated listing on Yelp or Facebook and tries to get ahold of you, it doesn’t send a very good message when the number listed no longer works or when they drive to your old location only discover that you’ve already moved.

#3. Stay relevant by posting content regularly

Businesses these days absolutely have to stay relevant if they want to stay in the public eye, which is essential during this time of the year. When your customers have a need that you can meet, you want your business’s name to be the first thing they think of, and one of the best ways to ensure that that happens is to post content regularly on your website and social media platforms.

Ensure that your business ranks highly in the SERPs (search engine results pages) so that you can be found when people google related search keywords by blogging regularly. Keep consumers in the know about any up-and-coming sales or events you may be having by publishing a press release. Stay in contact with your customers and help them see the personal side of your business by posting on social media.

#4. Make customer service a top priority

The holiday season is the perfect time of the year to show off your customer service skills, and when you have so many customers to work with, it can lead to an increase in reviews for your business, both good and bad. And the kind of customer service you provide will have a direct impact on the kind of reviews your business gets during the holidays.

In addition to helping you get more reviews during the holidays, by focusing on customer service, you can also help to increase customer loyalty, which leads to an increase in spending and a decrease in the need for customers to look elsewhere.

#5. Start a campaign to generate more reviews

Reviews are the bread and butter of a business’s online reputation, and the more reviews you can get, the better off your business will be. The holidays are a great time of the year to generate more reviews for your business because of the increase in customers you’re likely to receive, and there are a lot of simple things you can do to encourage your customers to leave you more reviews this holiday season:

  • Ask for feedback – The simplest way to get more reviews for your business is simply to ask. Sadly, most people won’t write reviews on their own no matter what kind of service you provide, but when you ask, more people are more than happy to leave a review.
  • Send follow-up emails – After someone has shopped with you or relied on you for service, send an email following up about their experience. This is also a good opportunity to send customers a link to the review sites you prefer they use.
  • Make it convenient for them – The easier you can make leaving your business a review, the more likely your customers will leave you a review. That’s why it’s important to ensure that your business is listed on a variety of sites, so that your customers don’t have to set up a profile on a new review site in order to review you. Another way to make the process convenient is to have a tablet in your shop that customers can use to leave you a review in the moment, which means that you don’t have to rely on them to leave you a review on their own later on.

#6. Respond to your reviews

When your customers take the time to write a review for your business, it behooves you to take a few minutes to respond to them, especially if the review is negative, the customer asked a question in the review, there was a complaint or the review consisted of particularly kind feedback. If someone leaves you a blank review with five stars, there’s no reason to respond, but when someone shares their genuine experience with your business, making it a point to respond will show them that you appreciate them.

Not all responses to reviews are made equal, and if you want to make a good impression, it’s important to get your response right. Here are a few tips to help you respond to reviews like a pro:

  • Don’t wait; respond promptly. Believe it or not, a lot of people expect a response to their review within a few days, so make sure that you don’t put it off for too long.
  • Whether the review is negative or positive, always thank the customer for making it a point to write it in the first place.
  • If the review is negative, it’s important to apologize, and that’s true regardless of whether the review paints an accurate picture of what really happened or not.
  • Don’t argue online. Whatever you do, don’t get into an argument with someone reviewing your business online, even if you don’t think the review was fair. Instead, give them your contact information and invite them to call you to discuss the matter further online.

#7. Interact with your clients through social media

As we mentioned previously, posting content to your website and social media profiles is a great way to stay relevant over the holidays, but posting content is just one part of a healthy social media management strategy. You also need to regularly monitor your social media profiles so that you can respond to any feedback or customer interaction online, and you’ll be in the know about what people are saying about your business on social media.

Whether people are interacting with your business on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Snapchat, it’s important to give them a little love. When you interact on social media, you’ll be demonstrating that you truly care. Not only that, but your customers expect for you to interact with them online, and in a timely fashion. When a customer interacts with you through Facebook, they expect a response within six hours, and when someone interacts with you through Twitter, they expect a response within just an hour.

#8. Keep your emotions in check

Emotions run high during the holiday season. Feelings of depression, anxiety and family discord are all magnified during the holidays, making everything just a bit more challenging. On top of that, a lot of people thrive on the holiday parties and excitement, which means that your emotions might be running the gamut, and it can be more difficult to keep them in check and act professionally day to day.

But regardless of whether you’re writing a blog for your website, designing a social media post or responding to a negative review, whatever you do, keep those emotions in check. This is especially tricky when you’re dealing with feedback online that you may deem unfair, inauthentic or downright fake, and the last thing you need is to get into an emotional brawl with someone online for the world to see.

Although people expect a response in a timely manner when they interact with your business on review sites or social media, it’s important not to rush your response, especially if you’re feeling emotional. You’re better off taking a breath and collecting your thoughts than jumping into an emotional response that will only accomplish making you look bad online.

#9. Be in the know

The more you know about your business’s online reputation as a whole, the better you’ll be able to manage it and make it as strong as possible. But with your business listed on so many different sites, how can you possibly keep track of all of them? Luckily, Top Rated Local has a solution for you.

Top Rated Local is not like any other review site out there. When consumers are checking out a business on Top Rated Local, not only will they be able to read the business’s Top Rated Local reviews, but they’ll also be able to read that business’s reviews from Yelp, Google, Facebook and a long list of other verified review sources. Top Rated Local also provides each business with its own Rating Score™ (with 100.00 being the highest), which is determined by the number of review sites the business is listed on, the number of reviews they have and the average star rating of their reviews, among other things. With the Rating Score, consumers can get a good idea of how a business stacks up against their competition and businesses can keep a pulse on their online reputation easily.

Another thing you can do to keep a close eye on your business’s online reputation is to set up Google Alerts, which will keep you in the know about conversations surrounding your business. Google Alerts are free, quick to set up, easy to use and can be delivered every time your brand gets mentioned, once a day or even once a month. In addition to monitoring your brand, you can also use Google Alerts to monitor what people are saying about your competitor’s subjects of interest and questions in your industry and more.

#10. Use reputation management software

The fact of the matter is that building and managing your business’s online reputation takes money, attention and — hardest of all to find — time, and that’s especially true during the holiday season when reputation management becomes a priority. The last thing that you want is to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the season and leave your online reputation in the dust, and with the right reputation management software, you’ll get the help you need to get all of your i’s dotted and your t’s crossed without dropping a single ball.

With the right reputation mangement software, you can ensure that your business is always putting its best foot forward online, your business could become more of an authority in your industry, you’ll gain powerful insights into your reputation management strategy and you’ll likely see an increase in sales! The benefits of managing your reputation more effectively can’t be overlooked, but the biggest reason to get some help is that it frees up more of your time to manage your business, help your customers and do everything else on your ever-growing to-do list.

With so many people out there looking to spend a little money this holiday season, it’s the perfect time to start building and maintaining the kind of online reputation you want. And when you have Top Rated Local and the Marketing 360® Reputation app on your side — including the invaluable tools, like the five pillars of the customer experience, real-time review notifications, the ability to respond to your reviews, monthly email updates about your online reputation, syndicated reviews on Google Maps and the one-of-a-kind Rating Score — you’ll be able to manage your business’s online reputation from one convenient place.

See our plans and pricing. 

Originally published on 12/5/19

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

How to Monitor Your Online Reputation

Posted on by Robyn Rivera

An effective reputation management strategy involves regular monitoring.

Reputation management is akin to physical health. Just as you can’t just go to the gym one time and expect to be in great shape for the rest of your life, you can’t expect your online reputation to get strong by merely claiming your listings or responding to a single review.

And, just as building physical strength and maintaining that strength takes constant vigilance, so does building and maintaining a strong online reputation for your business. It’s not an overnight thing; it takes time, hard work and, maybe most important of all, consistency.

In order for your reputation management strategy to truly be effective, it needs to be about staying up to date on how your business’s online reputation is doing on a regular basis.

A negative review is really not a big deal and can sometimes even be a beneficial thing for your business, but only if you’re able to turn the situation around with your response. And, the longer you leave a negative review unresponded to, the more weight and truth you’re giving it, at least in the eyes of anyone researching your business online.

You don’t have any control over what other people say about your business online, and you also never know when someone is going to surprise you with a one-star review. That’s why monitoring your online reputation should be a regular thing in your schedule.

Tips for staying on top of your online reputation

#1. Check review sites

It may be obvious, but one of the most critical parts of monitoring your online reputation is checking any review sites your business is listed on regularly. Responding to reviews, whether they’re positive or negative, is a great habit to get into, and what’s more is that your customers expect a response from you. That means that you need to be in the know about any new reviews by checking on your review sites.

Not only do your customers expect a response from you when they write a review for you; they expect a prompt response. If you only check your review sites sporadically, you can’t possibly respond to them in a timely manner.

#2. Keep track of social media accounts

Most business owners know that they should post on their social media profiles consistently. But, even if you don’t post on social media every single day, you still need to login and check on your social media accounts.

Just as people expect you to respond when they review your business online, they also expect you to respond when they engage with you on social media. And, the only way that you will keep up is if you monitor your social media accounts consistently.

In addition to logging into your social media profiles, it’s also important to be aware of any mentions of your handles or any time your hashtags are used. This will help you avoid using a hashtag that overlaps with another business’.

#3. Keep up with your blog

Blogging is an essential part of ensuring that your website stays visible online, and it’s important that you are publishing new blogs on a regular basis. Blogs should be informative, original, and helpful to your audience. Blogs should be your outlet for sharing your knowledge and expertise with the world. What they shouldn’t be is totally self-promotional.

Not only should you publish new blogs to your website regularly, but after you publish blogs, you should watch out for comments if you’ve left them on. There are pros and cons to leaving comments on. When people legitimately comment, it gives you valuable insight into what people think of your content. However, leaving comments open also leaves you open to spam comments, which can hurt the legitimacy of your blog.

#4. Set up Google Alerts

One of the best available tools for monitoring your business’ online reputation is Google Alerts. With Google Alerts, you’ll be in the know every single time someone mentions your brand online. It can also notify you when new content is published that contains keywords you’re targeting.

In addition to using Google Alerts to keep up with any mentions of your brand online, you can also use it to help you stay on top of what people are saying about your competition. This will give you a competitive edge when planning your digital marketing strategy.

#5. Harness the power of Marketing 360® Reputation

There are so many things you can do to stay on top of your business’ online reputation. Unfortunately, monitoring four different social media accounts and six different review sites can get exhausting, and there’s a good chance that you don’t have a whole lot of time in your schedule to stay on top of a lot of different sites. Luckily, there’s a solution — the Marketing 360® Reputation app.

Marketing 360 Reputation is your one-stop shop for reputation management. Get real-time notifications of new reviews, so that you won’t have to check review sites individually for new reviews. You’ll also be able to send out review requests, respond to reviews and more.

Another benefit of claiming your Top Rated Local profile is that you’ll be able to put a badge on your website that will make it easy for people to read all of your reviews from one convenient place. Furthermore, having the Top Rated Local badge on your site will help to give it authority and establish trust in your visitors.

Monitoring your online reputation doesn’t have to mean visiting dozens of reviews sites and social media profiles. Stay in the know about your online reputation with the Marketing 360 Reputation app.

Originally published on 1/29/20

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

The Advantages of Using Top Rated Local® for Consumers

Posted on by Robyn Rivera

Find a better way to look for local businesses near you with Top Rated Local®.

Top Rated Local® is not your typical review site

These days, when most consumers need a plumber or are looking for a great place to eat, they typically look online rather than asking for recommendations from friends or family. The last thing you want to do is to put your trust in the wrong business, and the only way to gain any kind of understanding of what working with a business is like is to read their online reviews. It’s for that reason that reviews can make or break a business’s success.

No one wants to hire a roofer, only to find out they like to scam their customers, or a home contractor that always shows up late or blows up the budget. You want to know that you’re hiring or frequenting a business that provides great service and ensures that you’ll get what you pay for, and reading reviews is one of the best ways to do that. However, not all review sites are created equal.

Here at Top Rated Local®, we’re proud to say that we’re not your typical review site. Built on five pillars of the customer experience — quality, value, timeliness, experience and satisfaction — Top Rated Local was built to provide a better, more effective solution to both consumers and businesses alike. It’s a place where consumers have access to a straightforward feedback system that gets to the bottom of their experience and helps them gain a better understanding of the overall customer experience.

5 advantages of using Top Rated Local — for consumers

#1. Gain an understanding of a business’s overall reputation

It’s not always easy to tell what kind of business you’re considering working with if you look at the reviews from just one website. There are a variety of different review sites, and a single business could have a wildly different reputation on each one. For example, the same business that has an “A” on Angie’s List might also have a one- or two-star review average on Yelp, so if you rely solely on either one, you won’t get a full picture of what working with the business is really like.

Top Rated Local provides consumers with an easier way to tell what kind of business they are potentially working with by aggregating its ratings across a variety of trusted review sites to calculate the overall Rating Score™ for the business. The number of reviews, the average star rating, how recent the reviews are and the number of review sources are all taken into consideration when calculating a business’s Rating Score.

With Top Rated Local Rating Scores, you no longer have to scour the internet in search of reviews from multiple platforms. Plus, Top Rated Local lists other review platforms, so if you’d prefer to read reviews instead of relying on a business’s Rating Score, every platform a business is listed on will be at your fingertips and easy to access.

#2. Top Rated Local isn’t pay-to-play

Did you know that a lot of the most popular review sites out there rank businesses higher based on the plan they purchase rather than their actual reviews? That’s right, if a company has money, they have to rely less on providing great service and a quality product, because a lot of review sites will rank businesses higher in their search results merely for spending money with them. These “pay-to-play” types of review sites aren’t helpful to either consumers or businesses.

Luckily, as we’ve mentioned, Top Rated Local isn’t your average review site, and it isn’t pay-to-play.

Not only does this ensure that the businesses that offer the best service get the biggest benefit — rather than the businesses with the largest bank accounts — but it also ensures that consumers have better, more accurate information to work with when they’re doing research on which company to choose.

#3. Get to the bottom of the issue with more valuable reviews

Reviews are wonderful, and oftentimes, reading reviews is the only way to get to know a business and what kind of service they provide before taking the leap and signing a contract. However, not every review is made equal, and a lot of times, reading reviews can actually confuse the issues rather than making it clearer.

The reason why reading reviews can muddy the waters is that they are often subjective and overly personal. Here are a couple of examples:

  • You went out to eat after your new fiance proposed to you, and you’re on top of the moon. Even though the food was late and a little cold, you’re so ecstatic about your future nuptials that you can’t see a single problem through your rose-colored glasses, and so you write a glowing five-star review.
  • You went out to eat on a crowded Saturday night, and you’re already feeling annoyed because there was an accident on your way there and you sat in traffic for 45 minutes. By the time you sit down, you’re more than a little hangry and nothing seems to be going your way. And even though the restaurant did everything in their power to meet your needs and make you happy, you’re not having it, and so you write a one-star review.

As you can see, our personal lives can easily bleed into the reviews we write, which is why Top Rated Local developed the five pillars of the customer experience — quality, value, timeliness, experience and satisfaction, giving consumers a better idea of what it’s really like to work with the business in question.

#4. Gain more confidence when making decisions online

Whether you’re purchasing the perfect ring for your special someone or scheduling an appointment for carpet cleaning, doing so online always comes with some level of risk. When you can’t be there in person to determine what kind of business you’re considering working with, you rely on people online to write reviews to guide you.

As we mentioned in our last point, reviews are incredibly subjective, and while they can certainly make you feel more confident when making purchasing decisions or decisions to hire a company, they can often end up leaving you more confused.

With Top Rated Local’s one-of-a-kind Rating Score and the five pillars of the customer experience, you’ll have the information you need to make decisions that are much more informed. When you use Top Rated Local to find the right local businesses for your needs, you can be more confident that you’re making the right decisions for your needs and your bank account.

#5. Write better, more effective reviews for the businesses you work with

Writing reviews is one of the best ways to support the local businesses you frequent — apart from financially supporting them by giving them your business of course. When you write reviews, you can also help other consumers make wise decisions about which companies to work with and which products to purchase. However, as we talked about in our previous point, there are some reviews that are more helpful than others.

If you want to write reviews that can help other consumers like you make the right decisions for their needs, let Top Rated Local guide you. Using the five pillars of the customer experience, you’ll rate the business based on specific criteria rather than just writing a few sentences in a comment. Of course, you’ll also be able to comment, but those pillars will help to guide you toward writing more effective, better reviews.

Would you like to learn more about how to write more effective reviews? You’re in luck because In a previous blog — How to Write Helpful Customer Reviews — we touched on a few tips to help you write reviews other consumers can really use and learn from.

Start experiencing the benefits of Top Rated Local for yourself!

When you haven’t had a chance to work with a business yet, and you don’t know anyone else who has, either, reading their reviews and learning about their online reputation are often your only course of action in determining what kind of business it is. There are a lot of variables that can make even reading online reviews murkier than you might think, and if you’re looking for a better option for making decisions online, look no further than Top Rated Local!

Whether you’re looking for an interior designer to help you bring life to your home or office, or you’re in need of restoration services to help you recover after a flood, turn to Top Rated Local to help you find the right company to work with for your needs. Start searching for local businesses near you with Top Rated Local today!

Originally published on 10/14/19