The Dos and Don'ts for Getting More Business Reviews
*Updated January 2022.
Reviews can make or break your HVAC business. Most customers will make their buying decisions based on what other people have said about your company and the products or services you sell.
Getting more business reviews, therefore, is instrumental in displaying your credibility to your customers. Here are the do's and don'ts when you're trying to get more business reviews.
Do: Respond to Reviews
A responsive business is the one that is most likely to succeed. Responding to business reviews, whether they be positive or negative, shows that you pay enough attention to your customers and are eager to improve your quality on their behalf. Since customers make buying decisions by looking at reviews, seeing that you are responsive will possibly increase your credibility.
It is also going to influence other customers to be more willing to share reviews regarding your business.
When answering reviews, make sure to show your gratitude. This can start with 'thank you for your review, we're glad you enjoyed our product' or 'thank you for taking the time to report this.' A personalized answer is also something that will be well-received by your customers.
At the same time, make sure you are providing actual solutions to issues customers have. This can come from you asking them to send you a report of what happened, providing a refund, or simply noting their concerns and keeping them in mind for the future.
Do: Ask the Right People for Reviews
It takes wisdom and a bit of luck to reach the right customers for reviews. The main idea is you want to get more business reviews that are positive, so reaching these customers will take a bit more work.
You can set up a survey or an automated system after someone purchases an item, and if they indicate that they are happy with the product, you can invite them to submit a review as well.
Do: Have a Review Manager
The best way to make sure all your reviews are answered appropriately - and that they stick to the tone of your company - is to have a review manager.
This person will then be able to regulate the different replies, and if the tasks are delegated, will make sure that the answers follow a somewhat consistent script.
Do: Make It Easy for Customers to Post Reviews
Have you ever bought a product from a company and wanted to post a positive review, but you don't know where to do it?
Customers don't like spending time when they post a review. If they don't feel completely passionate about their response to your product, it's easy to assume that they won't care enough to scour your site or Yelp in order to submit a review.
Therefore, it's important to make the process easy for them. You can achieve this by registering your company on the most common review sites.
Don't: Delay Responses
Reviews are best responded to when they're still on the minds of your customers. A quick response time will show them that you care about what they have to say, instead of simply leaving it for the last task before the weekend.
Time becomes everything if you want your responses to matter. Appease negative reviewers when they are still angry by reaching out to them, or make your positive reviewers know that you appreciate the time they took to review you.
Don't: Grow Emotional Over Negative Reviews
There are some reviews out there that may really get on your nerves. They're not saying much except that they hate your products. However, it's important that you keep your cool when responding to these reviews.
If you reply with snappiness or anger, you will be the one whose reputation will take a hit. Remain professional and respond to them on the public forum, showing that you are not fazed by the review and that you're open to addressing their concerns.
Don't: Pester Customers for Reviews
When a customer submits a review, they are essentially doing something for free. Being demanding when you request reviews will instead turn them off.
When you ask a customer for a review, let it be open for them to reject the offer.
Don't: Only Ask for Reviews Once
You may think it's enough to ask for reviews during one period of time. After you've gotten around a dozen, it seems like your work is done. Right?
Wrong. Customers care about the most updated reviews, so even if you have tons of them but they date back to a year ago, your customers will not consider these very credible. Keep reaching out and maintain the inflow of reviews at all times.
Don't: Offer Something in Exchange for a Review
It seems like a great idea to offer something in exchange for a review. Offer a 10% discount or a free pudding for your customer to provide a review. They're more likely to do it, and there is the added benefit that they'll even like you more.
However, sites such as Yelp do not allow this, and may provide you with an alert or will ban your business from their site, if it happens too often. Review sites are getting smarter in distinguishing between genuine reviews and ones that are just meant to receive something else in return.
These sorts of reviews will also skew the truth, even if just a little. Getting more business reviews is beneficial, sure, but it is only useful for your company if it provides genuine ideas for you to improve your practices.
Encourage and answer reviews and questions
People trust other people more than they trust businesses. Having a good review can be the a big deciding factor that tips prospective customers in your favor. Google reviews can improve your Google ranking.
When is the best time to ask for a review? The best time to ask for a review is after providing a great customer experience. To make it easier, Google provides a direct link to ask customers to review your business.
To share your review request link:
1. From the dashboard, scroll down to the button that says Share review form.
2. Then you can copy and paste the link into a message to customers.
Getting More Business Reviews Improves Your Marketing Strategy
From increasing customer engagement to understanding problematic areas that you need to work on in your business, getting more business reviews can help you succeed. At the same time, there are some dos and don'ts that will ensure your online presence will be beneficial for you.
Contact us to find out more ways Optic Marketing Group can help you to boost your company's digital presence.
Top 10 Tools to Help Your Home Services Business Grow Online
Running an HVAC home service business can be a demanding yet rewarding undertaking. However, for you to thrive in this venture, you need to work on your brand's online presence.
In this article, we reflect on the top 10 tools to help your home services business grow online. With the changing concept of brick and clicks, your home services business will need these tips to create a concrete online business strategy.
1. Google
Google is among the top online tools for business growth that any business looking to scale up their business should consider. When you think of Google you might just think of it as a search engine but in fact, Google provides an entire suite of tools and benefits and most of them are free to use.
The first step is claiming your business listing on Google so that you can optimize your company details. Beyond that, you can set up Google Analytics to track metrics on your website and much more.
To kick it up a notch you can take advantage of the paid tools within Google like setting up a search campaign in Google Ads or a Google Local Ad to shine in your local market.
If you are not sure where to start or where to invest your time and money, Google is going to be the best starting point.
2. Social Media Tools
Social media is a tool used by almost every single person who owns a computer or a phone. Social media consists of several different platforms so you can reach different types of people in different ways.
Facebook alone currently has 3 billion monthly users. With such huge numbers of daily online users, tapping on to this platform and other social media sites can help you grow your business two-fold.
It's important to identify the social media platforms that work for you in the ever-evolving HVAC market. As of now, it still stands that Facebook is the leading platform for HVAC businesses as this is where you can reach the highest number of people in your target market and where many people go to look for home-services recommendations and reviews.
When considering social media, visibility and lead conversion should be at the center of your focus. There are many different ways you can reach your audience, both for free or with paid campaigns such as marketing automation. Once the social media campaign is on, you can evaluate and assess your business's growth over time and see what strategy works best for you.
3. Content Scheduling Software
When handling so many moving pieces in your HVAC business, it can be hard to stick to a consistent content schedule without being able to schedule things in advance.
There are many different content scheduling tools and software out there to help you to manage your media and keep you on a schedule without having to manually schedule fresh content every single day and remember to do so.
Most of these platforms though, do not come cheap, but the good news is when you work with an HVAC marketing agency, they usually already have access to these advanced tools so by working with them, they will take care of that piece for you.
4. Website Marketing Analysis
When customers search for businesses like yours online, your website is where all your online visitors land first, so think of it as your first impression.
Unless you develop a website that will attract your customers and ensure ease of use, your business may not see enough growth online. When launching your business, the first thing to do is to consider designing a website that will stand out. Your website is the landing page that tells all your current and potential clients about your products and services.
While some people consider designing their websites, it may take a professional's help to build a reliable site that is properly optimized for SEO and user experience. Once your website is up and running efficiently, it will be easy to attract new clients and turn them into leads. You can then use a website and marketing analysis tool to assess your business and the strides made in the process of pushing your HVAC services. Much like with the other tools, if you want access to the best enterprise level software you will be better off partnering up with agency so that they can also manage them for you as well.
5. Call Tracking Tools
Call tracking or call listening tools are highly recommended for home services businesses. This will help you to get the full picture of your team's customer service to see how it impacts your bottom line. You can have the best marketing strategy in the world that produces an abundance of qualified leads, but if those customers call you and don't have a pleasant experience, you can lose that lead for good.
Without listening to your calls, you won't know what kind of experience they had, or if you need to make proper adjustments to your customer service procedure, welcome message, tone of voice, wait time, etc.
6. Marketing Automation
Are you looking forward to growing a home service business online? One of the best places to start is by focusing on automation. You may need to consider a marketing automation campaign as a useful tool in capturing leads, boosting conversion rates, and managing the sales process.
With this tool in place, you can save time while building your HVAC business one step at a time online, hands-free. That's right, with marketing automation the majority of the work is during the initial set-up, then from there it moves leads through the process automatically while you focus on the other components of your business. You may benefit from working with a marketing company like Optic Marketing Group, that understands how to set up and manage marketing automation tools.
7. Blog
A great way to improve your SEO and get noticed online is with an HVAC blog on your website. You can use your blog to publish company updates or any industry relevant information or topics that you think your customers will be interested in and as they are looking up this information, they will be more likely to land on your blog on your website, ultimately giving you exposure and potential leads.
Something to keep in mind though, if you do choose to start a blog you need to add fresh content each month so make sure you have someone on your team who is a good writer, otherwise hire a full-service HVAC marketing agency like Optic Marketing Group who has a team of writing experts who can produce SEO friendly content for you.
8. Competitor Analysis Tools
It is always important to track your progress of course, but it is almost just as important to keep an eye out on your competition. After all, you are competing for the same audience. There are many different tools out there that can provide you with insights from your competitors and even how you compare to them.
You obviously want to stand out from your competition, so by knowing what they are doing you can find ways to be even better. Work with a marketing agency like Optic Marketing Group who has unique tools to help you monitor your competition.
9. Accounting Software Tools
Without reliable business software, you might fail in your capacity to keep up with routine bookkeeping and accounting needs.
Save your business from making expensive mistakes down the road by investing in an accounting tool to keep you on track.
10. Trend-tracking Software
Managing a business requires a focus on the trends in the industry. You need to keep track of the trends in the market to ensure adequate planning and make sure your marketing efforts and business procedures align with the latest trends.
Having a tool like this in your tool box, guarantees you a bird's eye view of your respective industry and the trends as your business scales up operations.
These Are the Top 10 Tools to Help Your Home Services Business Grow Online
Now more than ever, you need to consider ways of ensuring that your business grows online. Apart from using traditional marketing techniques, you can consider these top 10 tools to help your home services business grow online.
Did you find this article helpful? Optic Marketing Group offers you this and much more when it comes to business marketing and growth. Contact us today for more information on how to grow your business.
SEO Is Not Dead: The Importance of SEO For Small Businesses
Running a business?
Regardless of your niche, you must know that local SEO for small business establishments is beneficial to you. But with no prior experience, you’ll have no idea about its effects. You may end up biting the dust as millions of businesses use SEO to their advantage.
Don’t dismiss SEO yet.
With this guide, you’ll learn the importance of SEO for small businesses. This way, you’ll have a definite idea of how this online marketing tactic helps drive more customers to you. Read on and find out more:
1. Your Business Gains More Brand Awareness
If people see your brand name on the first page of Google’s search engine result pages, they will become more aware of your business. It’s because this search engine has over 92% of the global market share for this industry. That means potential customers will more likely remember you the next time they need a product or service you provide.
People tend to choose brands Google puts higher on their list. This is regardless of whether these businesses are better than the ones at the top. That’s why you must ensure your website has proper SEO since it helps to bypass your competition and achieve your goals faster.
Always remember that even the most outstanding products require great marketing. This ensures more people are aware of their existence and choose them. Your digital marketing strategies will matter a lot in determining its degree of success.
2. Your Website Becomes Faster and More Convenient
Search engines will check the user-friendliness of your HVAC website. If they have positive results after crawling your website, you get a higher ranking as a reward. To optimize your website content, you must focus on improving your users’ experience.
Think about how convenient your website is right now and improve from there. Once you find the right level of convenience, you’ll have more chances of people visiting your website. After that, they also become more motivated to avail of your products or services since they had a good experience.
3. SEO Helps Your Business Beat the Competition
You're dealing with thousands of HVAC businesses. This applies whether you’re competing at a local level or national. The good news is that you can surpass them and get more customers to visit your website.
As you invest in SEO, you’ll see higher rankings, especially if your HVAC marketing company does it right. The best part is that once you’re ranked higher than them, you’ll begin to see an unprecedented growth that might make you more noticeable than your competitors. Believe in the best SEO practices in the market since it’s your best bet to get good rankings in search engines.
Do you want to make the most out of your SEO investment? If so, read our guide and learn how to pick the best HVAC marketing company for you.
4. You Get Better Conversion Rates
Optimized websites will load faster and are easier to navigate. Alongside this, they’re responsive toward mobile and tablet gadgets. With this, your business website can cater to potential customers regardless of the device they use.
With this website, your visitors feel attracted to it, meaning they will spend longer periods perusing its contents. Before long, they become regular customers. Ideally, the easy navigation and the wealth of information you give will make them subscribe more, allowing you to lay the foundation for a strong email marketing strategy.
If people stay interested in the things you offer, they will continue going back to your website. This makes organic traffic, making search engines recognize you better. These people are already searching for something you can offer, so you have better chances of converting them compared to people just passing by.
5. Your Business Gets New Customers
The growth rate of a small business with a website is twice faster compared to those without an online presence. This applies regardless of the industry you’re in. You must know better and accept the fact that you have lots of buyers online waiting for you to find them.
Your marketing efforts must yield some new customers. SEO has the same goals, but it uses other methods and strategies to accomplish them. With better search rankings, you get more targeted visits, meaning you get more potential customers as time passes.
6. SEO is More Cost-Effective
As a small business, you likely have limited resources. It means you can’t waste a lot of money on marketing. That’s why an effective SEO strategy gets you similar results with bigger companies without spending too much on advertising.
For example, you can use PPC (pay-per-click) advertising to get new customers. This is effective, but you can only use it sparingly because you can’t maintain it without a bigger budget. Instead, you must use SEO strategies that boost your search results by driving more organic traffic.
Once you start converting people, your SEO spending decreases. After all, your high ranking is enough to net you some new customers without the need for paid campaigns. The only caveat is that you must maintain your rankings by constantly doing SEO practices.
7. SEO has Long-lasting Results
Online ads bring immediate results, but their benefit ends as soon as you stop paying money. But with SEO, your investment lasts longer since it brings new customers over a longer period. It won’t bring instant rewards, but it isn’t the point in the first place.
Your goal is to remain high enough in search results to raise your brand awareness and improve your conversion rates. Again, you must maintain SEO to reap its benefits. The only reprieve is that it’s cheaper compared to online and offline ads.
Invest in SEO for Small Businesses Today!
These are some of the important reasons to invest in SEO for small businesses. Use this if you’re unconvinced of the benefits SEO can offer you.
Do you need affordable SEO services for small businesses? If so, contact us today!