Digital Reviews: How to get them and which review sites are necessary
Updated: Oct 4, 2022
Word of mouth is vital for any business to thrive, especially for service professionals. Online reviews are necessary for showing the quality of your business. Before you meet potential clients in person, you can guarantee they are researching you online. Building your credibility through reviews takes time, but it is worth your effort. Remember, business is built on trust. Make sure you include your testimonials on your website, Google Business listing, and your social media.
Strategies for new professionals:
If you are new to your industry, ask people in your life that can give you honest character reviews. The most popular platforms that allow non-clients to leave reviews are Facebook and Google Business. Similarly, if you started in another industry, see if some of your past recommendations still apply. For example, if your previous clients liked your tenacity, timeliness, or exceptional service. If your friends and family are sharing through word of mouth and online reviews, your business will gain traction.
Strategies for established professionals:
Put your database to work! As you developed your business, you’ve cultivated relationships and rapport. Use this to your advantage, and ask people in your life to share their experience with you. Go through your database and find the information for past clients and the professionals in your network. Furthermore, asking for a review is a great way to stay in touch and reconnect. Don’t miss these opportunities to build your credibility online. Most of the time, people are happy to share their experience working with a trusted professional, so don’t hesitate to reach out!
Get in the habit of asking at least five people a week for reviews; this will quickly grow your reviews over a short period. Most importantly, make it easy for your clients. Save your links for each site so that they don’t get lost. If the process is simple, it increases the likeliness that they will follow through.
How to get the link to your review sites:
Set up a system:
Ask for the review two weeks before you’re transaction is scheduled to close.
Include links to your sites on your email signature and your website.
Ask your past clients to leave a review on your sites and to copy and paste it onto the other review sites.
Have your direct links to your reviews saved so that you can quickly point clients in the direction without too much clicking.
In conclusion, the more online reviews you have, the better it is for your SEO, and it builds your credibility. Above all, people rely on reviews to research before they commit, “85% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations”. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to share your expertise.
For more information on promoting your brand, read Hubspot’s article “11 Strategies to Promote Positive Customer Reviews for Your Brand or Business”.