Ratings are the single most important factor when a customer is choosing a service provider
.jpg)
By Mikel Erdman
Testimonials, ratings and reviews are critical to your online reputation. And you really must have a systematic approach to gather and display your best testimonial evidence of the quality of service that you provide to your clients.
In fact, recent studies show that testimonials, ratings and reviews are the single most important factor when a person is considering a service provider to use. And interestingly, the magic number of positive reviews that closes the deal is 10.
So get started right away and gather at least 10 positive ratings and reviews!
Here are seven strategies to ramp up your online reputation with ratings, reviews and testimonials:
Strategy #1: Use Testimonials Liberally Throughout Your Website!
It's very important to have a dedicated “Reviews and Testimonials” page on your website. But don't stop there! You can also add positive reviews on any of your product or service pages.
It's a good idea to add testimonials specific to the service that you are talking about on that page as well. The more relevant the review, the better the response!
Also add reviews and testimonials to your “About Us” or “About Me” page, as that's the second most trafficked page on any website when your prospective clients are looking to use your services.
Read more: Building relationships will be key for industry’s continued success in 2018
Strategy #2: Sharing is Caring!
Ask the folks who give you positive reviews to share that good news all over the place. Websites like Yelp, Angie's List and TripAdvisor have become billion-dollar businesses solely on the backs of providing trustworthy reviews.
You can leverage the good name that they've developed in the marketplace by having your positive reviews posted there as well!
Strategy #3: Make Your Testimonials, Ratings and Reviews Social!
Don't forget your testimonial provider's social media networks! Social media is literally where people spend the most time online. And they are familiar with Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+.
So if you can get your positive reviews posted there, it's much more likely that your prospects will see them and be impressed!
Strategy #4: Encourage Sharing On Industry Relevant Websites!
There are many industry relevant websites that your testimonial givers can share their positive impression of your business on. In the mortgage industry, for example, they could submit it on Zillow, Trulia, and BetterLoanOfficers.
As your positive reviews stack up, so does your credibility and client attraction.
Strategy #5: Go Ahead And Brag About Yourself!
Have you ever heard about a "Brag Book"? It's a great thing to have handy when you are meeting with a client to convince them that they want to use your service!
We once used review postcards mailed to our clients at the end of every transaction. And then I would save all of the glowing testimonials and ratings when they were mailed back and I could show my prospects what other people said about my quality of service.
Online reviews do this very same thing, but you can print them out into a paper copy and share it with your clients in person.
Strategy #6: Spread The Good Word Around!
Make sure to add your ratings, reviews and testimonials to all of your offline marketing materials as well. You can add testimonials to brochures, flyers, posters and even the back of your business cards if you like!
Also, make sure your printed materials provide a link back to your website testimonial page.
Strategy #7: Video Testimonials Are The Cream Of The Crop!
There is no more powerful way to share information online than video. A recent study showed that videos are processed by the brain 60,000 times faster than text. Think about the heavy lifting your cognitive system has to do when reading an article vs. watching a video clip!
So make it easy on your clients and share video testimonials anytime you can.
Pro Tip: Break out your phone and record a video when you attend a closing. It's a great way to capture the excitement of the day at the peak of your client's satisfaction.
And it doesn't need to be perfect. You can even just ask them questions and then edit the video afterwards!
Read next: Tips to keep your digital marketing strategy fresh
Bonus Strategy: Ask For REFERRALS!
Your happiest clients are very likely to be the best referral givers as well! So make sure to plan your strategy to educate your positive review givers about how you work by referral and then make sure they know that you really want their referrals as well.
Don't fall into the trap of thinking they will already know! In fact, many times people think that you might be too busy and they don't want to pile on. You MUST let them know that their referrals are the most important way that you get business and you always welcome their call with a referral of a friend or family member!
Put those seven powerful strategies in place and you'll be adding massive horsepower to your repeat and referral business!
Mikel Erdman is the founder of MySMARTblog and MortgageBlogContent. He is a published author and speaking authority on topics including marketing automation and how technology can positively affect company and individual sales efforts.
