We don’t have to tell you how critical customer reviews on the internet are. People post about their experiences on various websites, including the Better Business Bureau, Trustpilot, and Google. What they say has an impact.
According to a recent survey, favorable online reviews influenced 90 percent of respondents’ buying decisions, while negative reviews influenced 86 percent.
Many hearing practices focus on reducing negative feedback, but the most effective way to overcome a few bad reviews is to pile on the good ones. As a result, you’ll need to convince your happy customers to write about their experiences.
It’s difficult to compete with larger companies with hundreds, if not thousands, of glowing online reviews for their goods and services. The fact is all the more relevant because almost no one buys anything these days without first reading online reviews.
In reality, 86 percent of consumers polled said they read reviews for local businesses, according to a recent survey.
So, what can you do if potential clients come across your hearing practice online and immediately flee when they see your lack of reviews?Check out these five tips to get more online reviews.
How to Boost the Number of Customer Reviews
1. Focus on excellent delivery of services
It should go without saying that delivering excellent treatment would increase the chances of earning higher scores, but it’s worth repeating. Take feedback and suggestions from customers seriously to ensure you’re delivering the best service possible.
2. Ask nicely
The simplest method for encouraging customers to leave feedback. You will be surprised to learn that your patients are more likely than you expect to write about their encounters with your hearing practice.
Here are some more ideas for how to get input from customers:
- Make an email out of it. It will help if you include a link to a review page site in your email signature.
- Ask on Facebook. Social media outlets are an excellent place to solicit additional feedback. By sharing a screenshot of your best rating, you will inspire others to leave their own.
- Make a request for recommendations from your coworkers. Encourage your employees to solicit feedback from customers.
3. Remove the friction
If it is too much trouble for your patient, he or she might not leave a comment. That is to say, keep it as easy as possible. Here are a few recommendations:
- Have a variety of options so that the consumer can choose the platform that best suits their needs.
- To reduce the number of clicks or actions they must take, provide a direct link to the website to leave a comment.
- Give them a question to answer, e.g., “What was your experience with our hearing practice?”
Respond to the comments you have received
No matter how busy you are, you must respond to someone who takes the time to evaluate your business. Even if it’s best to avoid sounding artificial as a brand, a simple “thank you” at the right time will entice customers to stick with you. To put it another way, you should tailor your answer to the patient who is writing it.
When customers see that you react to every comment, positive or negative, they get the impression that the company values all customer input, inspiring new customers to share their own stories.
Also, don’t be discouraged by negative reviews; they add to your brand’s authenticity. When a company’s reviews are all glowing, there’s almost always something to be skeptical of. People would begin to doubt the credibility of your reviews.
Honest online feedback is necessary for establishing your online reputation. To do so, you’ll need to broaden your scope and build a company culture that prioritizes receiving feedback.
If you ask customers at the right time and make it easy for them to do so, you’ll be well on your way to accumulating more.
Nick Fitzgerald is the President and Owner of AuDSEO. He also serves as the Chief Marketing Officer at Hearing Health & Technology Matters. With 14 years of digital marketing experience, Nick is a highly data-driven marketer, with expertise in search engine optimization, digital analytics and forensics, social media, digital advertising, and web development. He has been involved in the construction and optimization of nearly 1,000 web presences, including some of the largest Fortune 500 companies.
