Reputation Management for Home Service Companies
In the business world, it is important to keep up a good reputation so that potential customers in the future trust that you are reliable and the right home service to provide them with the services they need. A reputation is made by delivering exceptional service and having your customers recognize how impressive your work is and then commenting on it. In the past, those comments were spread by word-of-mouth recommendations to family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, and others. Currently, a reputation is developed and secured through online reviews of your business.
Not only are reviews critical to the continuation of your success with customers but also with search engines like Google. When it comes to ranking on the search engine results pages (SERPs), customer reviews are one of the many factors that are taken into account in search engine algorithms. This means that it is important for you to cultivate a relationship with each of your clients and ask them to write a review after you have provided great landscaping service.
Advantages of Reputation Management
As a home service company, you know that there is plenty of competition out there all vying for the attention of the same potential customers. When a client is looking for your services, it is very likely that they will happen upon your website and the websites of your competitors. Because you and your competition all rank well on Google and other search engines, that likely means that you have all invested in SEO and other digital marketing campaign strategies. For this reason, it is important that you have a significant differentiation between you and your competition.
That distinction – the thing that makes a client choose your services over those of another home service – can be your reputation. When a client reads customer reviews of your service to gain insight into your methodology and the way you handle your business, that can make or break their decision to contact you rather than your competitor. Therefore, reviews are not just a nice compliment on your work. They are an integral part of your overall business strategy and need to be managed appropriately.
What Is Reputation Management?
Reputation management focuses not only on getting more reviews for your business so that your company’s reputation improves, but it also involves the way that you (or your reputation manager) handles the reviews which are posted online. No matter the type of business, it is common for customers to leave reviews after the company has completed their service. Positive reviews are great and leave you with a sense of accomplishment at a job well done and another customer satisfied. However, a negative review can be detrimental to the success of your business.
Both positive and negative reviews need to be addressed by the business which receives them. For a positive review, it is easy to simply respond to the customer with a word of thanks and a promise to continue providing exceptional service whenever your landscaping services are required again. This leaves the customer feeling appreciated for their patronage as well as the time it took to post the review, and it shows the search engines that you are actively engaging online with your customers. Negative reviews, on the other hand, need to be handled with finesse because it is these reviews which many potential customers will read.
If you receive a negative review (it happens to everyone), you may feel a bit upset or frustrated. Be sure to take some time to let these emotions pass before you respond to the negative review. This ensures that you are calm and collected. When responding to the reviewer, be sure to thank them for their comments, address their concerns, and provide a solution to their problem. Ask the reviewer to contact you directly so that you can work together to find a solution and rectify whatever concern they expressed. This shows potential clients that you are willing to continue working for your customers to ensure their satisfaction with your service, and they may not be turned off by the negative review as they likely would be if you hadn’t responded at all.
Get More Reviews for Your Landscaping Business
Contact Lead Nurture Close Web Marketing today to find out more about reputation management and how both positive and negative reviews can impact your search engine rankings. We can also make sure that your digital marketing campaign is in peak condition and stays that way so that your landscaping business continues to be successful online.
With over 20 years of experience, we keep our focus on increasing leads and ROI for your home service company. We create websites that convert visitors into customers, nail follow-ups, and use our industry experience to help your business grow and prosper online. We are your one-stop shop for everything your landscaping company needs to increase your visibility online, use your customer reviews to your advantage, and attract more clients to your website. Call today for more information.
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