Five Steps To Getting Online Reviews
Mar 16, 2022
Do you want to make more money in less time?
Im guessing your subconscious mind has just said yes to that opening question. Now, here's the next question. How trustworthy is your business? Or more to the point "how many five star reviews, do you have?"
If the answer is somewhere between none and not many, the biggest advice I can give you is to make Online reviews your main focus for 2021. Below I will share how we collected over 500 five star reviews and became the most reviewed Boiler Installation Company in our region.
Over time raising our prices and choosing who we served.
More Money Less Time
Given a choice between making more money or making less money I'm sure you would prefer to get paid more for all the hard graft you have put into your business. So let's point out the main reason you should focus on your implementing a review strategy.
Customers are willing to spend more money with a company with a proven history. By concentrating on building your online reviews, you will increase the Perceived Value of your Business. Increased Perceived Value will improve your conversion rate, resulting in less time quoting for work as your win ratio increases.
Do you want more money, less time? Make a brew, turn your phone off, read, think, and plan the following five steps to being a review-based business.
Step One: Choosing your target Customers
Before going to market, you have to nail down which customer types you want to help. I cannot express enough how this has to be the first step to your marketing strategy and dominating your local area with online reviews. Stop thinking about the immediate financial reward and focus on building a customer database of people you "actually" want to help. You have to remember that if you are professional and polite, they will likely call you when they need help again. Do you want to serve this customer for the next 5, 10 or 15 years?
Step Two: Focus on the customer journey
Simply doing a good job and waiting for traditional word of mouth to get the phone ringing is outdated thinking that is likely to get you left behind.
To build a remarkable business, you do not have to be perfect in all aspects of the business. Focus on the customer journey and how your customer feels about your service, from the first phone call to ongoing help and support. How can you improve each stage of the journey?
Step Three: Five Star Pricing
Delivering an excellent service, month in month out, year on year costs money. Travel time, spanner time and admin time, your own time or the time you pay others, all costs money. You also have to prepare for the smaller number of jobs that go slightly belly up.
How will you pay for that extra visit, an extra hour, an additional day or when something goes wrong? Can you afford to fix it? Send some flowers? Give them something free next time?
"Remember low-profit margin = no room for mistakes."
Step Four: Before asking for the Review,
Before asking for that Review, you need to check that all was as expected. Ask your customer the following. "Is everything is as expected?" "Is there anything else you need to know?"
Then ask if you can send the invoice at this point.
Ask permission to take money from them, but only after you have "listened" to them say, yes, that was as we expected. Now, is the time to ask for the online customer review.
Step Five: Promote your reviews to future customers
Online review sites such as Trust Pilot, Which Trusted Trader & Checkatrade are all popular options that may drive some traffic your way. Facebook is worth mentioning if you are looking to use Facebook for attracting new customers. However, nothing will do better for Local Business than Google Reviews.
Once you have got the reviews, look to show them off throughout your business. Show them on your website, social media, on your van, your uniform and email communications. Splash your 5 Star reviews everywhere!
The Future - Three months from now
Congratulations, if you have managed to keep that 4.5 - 5.0 average score, you are now a review based company. Your conversion rate will increase, and your future customers "perceived value" of your service will also increase. You now charge more for your services and waste less time quoting for work, as potential customers trust you. You have more time & money to improve other areas of your business & personal life. Perhaps you can choose to spend more time doing the things you like with the people you love.
