For
the third article of this series I’ll concentrate on utilizing reviews
to generate more business and look at how building great reputation
online will help with the SEO of local firms.The internet has completely transformed the way we look for products. Nowadays most of us search for online reviews, social media based evaluations, online video clips as well as extensive product information when we want to make a purchase.
As an example, now I don’t reserve a hotel until I’ve scanned at least a couple of months worth of opinions on Tripadvisor. The facts are readily available and these actual comments will help me make my decision. In the past, this kind of course of action was restricted to searching for hotels, dining establishments and so on. However, what we are now seeing is that this information
is available across several areas of business such as local builders or even skip hire companies. The ‘Amazon type’ journey is now taken for granted for anyone seeking to make any purchase on the internet, especially finding a local trades person.
What exactly should you do as a local company?
Make an effort to to get listed on as many review oriented websites as possible – I have listed a few to get you started.
Google Places – www.google.com/places, Qype – www.qype.co.uk, Freeindex – www.freeindex.co.uk
Bear in mind – you will have to submit listings in the first place to be able to allow access for customers to place reviews but not only will this make a big difference to your inbound link count for Search engine
optimization it will also offer you additional presence. We’ll cover some of these sites in depth over time:
As a local small business, the goal should be to encourage clients to leave honest reviews. Use this platform as a means to tune into how customers feel about your business whether it be good or bad. Where the feedback is negative, react to it directly on your website and also internally within the company. Handle your online reputation with care, ensuring you are perceived in the best light to potential customers. In some cases ‘turning around’ the customers who leave negative reviews can provide more beneficial exposure for your business than if the negative review hadn’t appeared in the first place – it all depends on how well it’s handled.
Reviews should be actively encouraged – for example why not add a link to some of these review sites on your own website: Leave us a review on… This shows confidence in your product/service and should ensure you gain more free of charge positive publicity.
In summary – reviews matter… make them count.