Online rating & reviews are important for any business, but in the home services industry, they are vital. That’s because you work in people’s most private place: their home. They need to be able to trust you with their valuable property—but more importantly, they need to be able to trust you around their family. As many as 91 percent of people turn to online reviews when choosing a contractor—and 84 percent of people trust online reviews as much as they believe referrals from their close family and friends. Clearly, making sure your online reputation is positive is a top priority. Here we’re going to cover six reasons why actively monitoring and managing your online reputation is a crucial part of your contractor marketing strategy:
People Want to See How You Respond
There is no business out there that only gets positive reviews—and people know that. However, they do want to see how you respond to the negative reviews you receive. They want to be sure you take responsibility for any mistakes and that you take steps to make it right for the customer. Take the time to respond to all reviews you receive so that even the negative ones can paint you in a positive light.
You Are Mentioned Everywhere
You probably look at your Yelp reviews or Angie’s List profile regularly, but there are a lot more places online that you are probably being talked about. This can include local forums, social media accounts, competitor’s blogs, and much more. It is only when you stay on top of every single mention that you can make sure your positive reputation is upheld.
Word Spreads Fast
It does not take long for word to spread if someone has a negative experience with you. It is effortless for people to post and share on social media, so when something gets said, you need to stop it fast. The only way to do this is to be constantly monitoring every location you are mentioned online and taking the steps to rectify the situation. Remember, 84 percent of people trust reviews they read online, even if they are from a stranger, so you need to stop anything negative ASAP.
You Need Consistency
You might be shocked to learn just how many business directories your company is listed in online. And the scary thing is, most of them are compiled automatically based on information from other directories. This means that you could have business listings out there with inaccurate or outdated information. And if a potential customer tries to call a no-longer-active number, it will make them think you are out of business and it could have a huge impact on your growth. Not only that but if you don’t know about all of your listings, you won’t be able to respond to all of the reviews. Take the time to monitor your presence online so you can keep an eye on every mention.
Find New Customers
While in the process of monitoring where you are mentioned online, you may discover a new platform or directory that is getting you a lot of attention. By locating these previously unknown resources, you can connect with a whole new audience and grow your business.
Gain Valuable Insight
While making sure you are presented in the best light is a huge aspect of monitoring your online ratings & reviews, it also gives you incredible insight into what your customers think about your service. A huge part of contractor marketing is getting data, analyzing it, and making changes. When you monitor your reviews, you can know what your customers love about you and where you have room to improve.
When it comes to contractor marketing, managing your online presence is how you’re going to set yourself up for long-term success. By keeping tabs on your ratings & reviews and responding to each one in a professional manner, you can help your business flourish. For a complete contractor marketing strategy that helps your business get found, contact Surefire Local now. We can help you with your online reputation management, as well as an abundance of other strategies to improve your contractor marketing.