Get reviews, improve your online reputation, build trust, etc… All things necessary to increase leads and sales online.
But where?
There’s no shortage of venues for reviews.
Well put your mind at ease. Follow these 5, in order, and get at least 5 on each for starters.
Website Testimonials
As businesses operating today, we’re constantly in the pursuit of more website traffic. However, that’s not all we have to do to get the lead. We’ve got to persuade the visitor that we’re the right business for them, to solve their problem.
Having testimonials of like-minded people scattered around the site, related to the service the prospect is interested in, may be all that’s needled to push them over the fence to contact you.
How you say?
Well naturally I’m going to refer you to a WordPress solution. This plugin, Good Reviews for WordPress will enable you to input the testimonials you’ve received and display them in an appealing design as well as code the reviews so Google actually knows it’s a review, and not just plain text. (remember structured data?)
There’s a few other ways.
Another favorite tool of mine for getting reviews is Nearby Now, where salespeople and technicians can check in to the client’s address, add a picture, and request a testimonial, all from their smart phone. Great for building out city specific pages on a website and ranking in surrounding cities. We’ll discuss that later.
Google Reviews
Google Places (Maps) My Business
Next in priority is getting reviews on Google. This one is simple (to explain).
People are searching Google first. Be there. Show good work. Get the business.
Here’s my recent post about tips for how to get more Google reviews.
(Bonus) Reply to ALL reviews, and mention the service provided for yet 1 more signal to what you do. Ex: It was a pleasure to service the AC in your home..
Facebook Places & Reviews
For about 2 years now, Facebook has been trying to get a piece of the local business pie.
They already have a places directory connecting all the social dots of your friends and places.
You’ll also find the ability for people to leave reviews for local businesses, and ONLY local businesses.
This is a setting that must be selected during setup of your business’ Facebook Page. An address must also be associated with the page to enable the reviews.
Why is Facebook #2?
Local reviews are a ranking factor for search engines. Facebook is a highly trusted source for search engines to gather public information.
Also, every body has a Facebook account (almost).
Get Reviews on Houzz
Houzz isn’t going away and they keep growing ridiculously fast. Depending on your business model, your prospects could potentially find you there.
You can get reviews there, for free. You don’t have to pay for Pro advertising to utilize this.
Just be advised, getting a few reviews there will trigger a call from their sales team, informing you of all the great benefits with becoming a Pro advertiser (sometimes it’s true).
Angie’s List is now open to the Public
Lastly, Angie’s List can also be utilized for free. It used to be only for homeowners who paid for a subscription. Businesses could be listed for free, but features were limited.
Now it’s public, and anyone can read and leave reviews about your business.
On top of that, Angie’s List ranks really high in search engines, so your business being listed there with some elaborate reviews raises the chances your prospects will find you there.
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