Contractors have always relied on word-of-mouth referrals to get new customers. In today’s digital age, though, that type of marketing has shifted. More people than ever rely on online reviews to decide which businesses to support. 

In the contracting world, where customers spend thousands of dollars on a project, it’s essential for them to feel comfortable with a company before they make contact. Today’s savvy consumer considers online reviews to be just as, if not more, trustworthy than a review they hear from a trusted friend or colleague. 

Research shows that 97 percent of consumers read reviews for local businesses before deciding where to spend their money. Another study found that higher-priced products and services experience a 380 percent higher conversion rate when they have reviews.

How to Get Online Reviews as a Contractor

Now that you know why reviews are important, let’s talk about how to go about getting them.

Start by establishing your business presence online. Sites like Google, Facebook, Yelp, Angie’s List, Porch, and Yellow Pages allow you to claim your listing as a business. This means you can add important information about your business, plus images. It also means you can monitor and respond to reviews.

Once your pages are established, it’s time to get reviews. The easiest way to solicit reviews from happy customers is to ask them. You can ask in person or send an email or text message after a project is complete. Go back through your customer list to ask former customers to leave a review. Some won’t want to bother, but you’ll be surprised by how many people will leave a good review just because you asked them to (as long as you provided quality service, of course).

One thing to note that it is never OK to pay for reviews. All of your reviews should be authentic, not forced or purchased.

Monitoring Reviews

You need to know what people are saying about you so you can continue delivering outstanding service and make improvements. You will likely learn new things about your customers by reading their reviews that can help you improve their overall experience.

Hopefully, you will receive good reviews. From time to time, though, you will likely get a neutral or negative review. Respond to these reviews genuinely and publicly to demonstrate your commitment to customer satisfaction. Ask the reviewer to follow up directly by offering an email address where they can write to you and voice their concerns.

Don’t fret if your average star rating is less than five stars. Research has shown that people are more likely to trust a company with three or four stars than with five stars. Having some less-than-stellar reviews demonstrates that your reviewers are real people, not paid or fake reviewers. Just make sure you respond to negative reviews and do what you can (within reason) to make it up to an unhappy customer.

You may end up with false reviews. Refer to the platform’s guidelines to get these removed. Make sure you are regularly checking all of your review platforms so you can spot false reviews immediately to mitigate the damage they can cause.

Make Online Reviews Part of Your Strategy

Online reviews are an essential part of the buying process for today’s consumers. Make online review collection and monitoring part of your digital marketing strategy to improve your online reputation and get more customers. 

To learn more about how I can help you build your online reputation through online reviews, schedule a strategy session today.