How do you get your customer reviews?

[Brian R]

Sit back and wait?

Call?

Email?

Snail Mail?

Prayer session?

Fake it?


What's your venue and what your layout for getting your customers to give you a raving review?

I was emailing all my clients from the past week out of Service Monster this morning so I thought I would ask.

When I email them, it sends them an invoice copy and a link to my Google Places Review page.

When they review me, I will cut and paste all reviews onto my website.


You?

 

[Goomer]

You mean the customer is actually supposed to leave them? shiteatinggrin

 

[Royal Man]

Here is an E-mail I sent out to my group a while back;


There are no doubts that client reviews effect ranking factors on the major search engines.

The number of reviews also,works as “eye candy” to people searching for local businesses.

The review count is the last part of the listing that users see they are surrounded by white space.

This means that reviews are the only means of comparing businesses at a glance .

If your business has more reviews that the rest in your area it will stand out from all the others even if it is not on the top.

To make reviews really stand out. If you have over 5 reviews Google will give you bright shiny yellow stars.

Positive client reviews are critical for a service business!!

Time to get busy!

Gather all the REAL client reviews you can. Don't make fake reviews.!

You will want positive client reviews from on various review sites.(If one source has a hick-up you then will have reviews left standing from the other sites)

Some review sites are: Yahoo local, Google, City search, Judy's book, Angie's list, Yelp, Insider pages....


How you do you mine for client reviews?

Simple, Ask for reviews ,ask often and make it easy.

Leave instructions for how to post reviews on your leave behind after care card.

Give the client a discount or other perk (Bottle of spotter)if they leave a review while you are still at their home.

Collect e-mail addresses for the client and leave instructions how to post reviews when you e-mail your client their thank-you /follow-up.

Have links to review sites prominent on your website top fold on first page of your site.

Make it easy for your client to post reviews so they can inform new prospective clients of your great service.


Keep at this consistently and watch your business grow!!


Lets grow together,

Dave Yoakum
http://www.FreeMarketingForever.com

 

[Steve Toburen]

Good points, guys, on asking for and MAKING IT EASY for the customer to leave (hopefully) positive reviews. However, I think you're missing a key point. Programming in "positive Moments of Truth" that are consistently delivered to the client during her experience with your company so she will in fact be MOTIVATED to write up a glowing review. the danger is we get so enraptured by all the new technology that we forget the down-in-the-trenches face to face stuff of Making the Cheerleader.

Steve Toburen
www.SFS.JonDon.com

PS You know the old saying, "the more things change the more they remain the same"? So it is with this whole Internet reviews thing. The power of the Internet just lets you create "Cheerleaders on steroids"! Of course, communication on the Internet is a knife that cuts both ways. Tick somebody off and they have the capacity to destroy you!

 

[Steve Toburen]

OK, let's test the level of support in the MMM room.

What sites do you offer your customer's links to so they can leave reviews. I'm assuming Google Places, Angies List, Yelp- what others?

Steve Toburen
www.SFS.JonDon.com

PS I know your chosen mix will differ depending on what sites are strong in your area.

 

[Brian R]

All the others. lol

Judy's book is a good one.
Yahoo and Bing
Kudzu

 

[Steve Toburen]

Thanks guys.

BTW, Brian, on this topic here is how my PS winds up on this weeks QuickTIPS e-mail:

"Bonus TIP: Once you have blown away the home owner with your sincerely-interested-in-them Concerned Consultant suggestions make it simple and easy for them to give you positive on-line reviews. Next week I'll share how to do this plus give you a guaranteed way to get your customer's e-mail- even when they are worried about getting spammed."

How's about we get people to give their tips on doing this and any I use I'll credit by name. (Unless they don't want me to.) Plus you'll get some free PR and I know what a shameless publicity hound you are!

Thanks,
Steve Toburen
http://www.SFS.JonDon.com

PS From the SFS Shameless Commerce Division: Anyone who isn't getting our targeted weekly SFS QuickTIP (it is free and you don't need to have attended SFS) can register right here:

http://sfs.jondon.com/3720/resources/qu ... -quicktips

You can also check out all the archived QT's we've sent out over the last two years to see if this is something you want to be involved in.

 

[Brian R]

Great ideas.

I like the idea of asking for reviews from customers on THEIR FB pages.

Steve, sounds like another thread....If you haven't started it, I will.


Fred has a good Idea of linking the email follow up back to his site to a "review" type page with the click able links to the favorite review sites.

I've had the review sites on my Testimonial page for a while but I never thought to send the follow up customers there. Thanks

I need to make the page so the customers can leave a review right on my website as well. Not sure I can do it without a blog.
Been just asking for an email Testimonial.

I really need to change "Testimonials" to "Reviews". Thanks Steve for the idea.

 

[Steve Toburen]

Steve, sounds like another thread....If you haven't started it, I will.

I don't start threads, Brian ... I just shamelessly piggyback shill on to other people's stuff!

Steve Toburen
www.SFS.JonDon.com

PS Seriously, Brian, in my 4,000 plus posts on ICS and 1,000 plus here (Yes, I know this does not even remotely hold a candle to your posting achievements- aren't you glad you don't have to actually work full time? Hmmmm ...) the number of threads I have started can be counted on the fingers of two hands- maybe one, I'm not sure. After all, I would never want to be accused of self-promotion!

 

[Royal Man]

When I have those yellow stars highlighting my listing and the other cleaner don't really have crap.

It really has been a great way to pick up great clients.

It brings clients everyday and for the most part they are not price shoppers.

Due to the trust factor increased from the reviews.

Online reviews are becoming very BIG!!

If you study other media. You'll see that online reviews are showing up in print and TV for retailers, hotels and other businesses.


I found some in my Sunday paper for major retailers.


It's the new and in the clients face BBB.

 

[smastio]

Reviews are Good - Referrals are Great! This is my first post to the MBoard. Seems like a savvy group of people. There is probably no on this board that would argue that referrals are the best form of marketing; but challenging for most. Whether it's the fear of rejection or the system of processing, following up or following through - referrals can be professionally and emotionally daunting. Sooooo most people accept (reviews) as the alternative. Since no one really knows me, here's the background. 15 years in Insurance (top 1%), referral based marketing only; got bored and got into services. Started a commercial cleaning company 7 years ago that grew very quickly - 18 months in 4 states, 120 clients and over 40 employees. That's all in the past - today I still have the Commercial cleaning company, but over the last 2 years have built an internet scheduling tool. Now.... tying this all back to the original thought on Reviews and Referrals... My programmers, as we speak, are finishing up a tool that will allow service providers like carpet cleaners to automated the referral process providing value propositions to both the person who gave the referral and the recipients of them. My new internet tool will streamline the entire process eliminating the need for any service provider intervention. Very similar to the way "deals of the day" utilize referral and social networking, but this tool will for you and your company only. I can share more later if their is initial interest. Thanks for letting me in and I hope to contribute both on the technology side of the industry and the service side as well. BTW - I hope speling and gramer are opsional...

 

[Brian R]

Dave is that you?? :shock:

Fred, is a shadow box pretty much an Iframe?

The next email blast I send to my customers will be to try to get them to post about me on Facebook... with my website URL.

I know that some FB posts come up in Search engines as well.


Reviews help you sand out more than they bring you work. If you have a ton of reviews it's a good thing...even a few not so good ones mixed in.
No one will believe 100 five star reviews...or at least I wouldn't.

It really comes down to being on top of the list, a good amount of reveiws a good image AND answering your phone.