LocalMarketingIO

Mike Blumenthal’s blog has a great article, Asking For Reviews – UMoveFree Finds The Groove, describing UMoveFree Nick Barber’s approach to building reviews online.  The full article is recommended reading, but here are a couple main takeaways:

• “We have changed the culture so that everyone is aware this is a major goal for the company.  When we encounter an extremely happy customer (which happens often if you’re running a good business) we simply take the time to point that customer in the right direction.”

 

• “Picking sites that are easy to post a review on is the best strategy.  If it takes 10 steps and a double email confirmation the customer is likely to give up.  We’ve had the best success with Google Local, Yahoo Local, Bing Local, JudysBook, CitySearch, MerchantCircle, and InsiderPages.

 

• “Every employee has to be aware of the project and empowered to get involved; not just the marketing and management departments who rarely interact with customers on the ground.  For instance, if the receptionist has a chance phone call with an overly appreciative customer their immediate response should be “we really appreciate your positive comments…would you mind if I send you an email with a link to our XXXX business review profile…it would mean a lot to us if you take just a moment to share those thoughts with other potential customers”.

 

• Do you incent clients in any way to provide reviews? No. We decided this could potentially destroy our credibility.  The last thing you want is a customer you thought was happy that turned out to be not so happy posting a comment like “don’t believe any of these positive reviews, this company offered me a bribe to post a positive comment on this site”.

 

Check out the full article for more…

Greg Sterling had an interesting blog post last week ‘Review & Win’ — or Not on whether small businesses should be out soliciting reviews.  On the ‘No’ side  is Yelp, whose terms clearly state:

“While we understand that there is a temptation to solicit reviews from your customers, it is not something we encourage. The most successful businesses on Yelp have had their reviews come organically.”

Yelp is pretty rigorous about this policy.  In fact, they oftentimes screen out reviews if they deem them untrustworthy.  Reviews, even legitimate ones, can suddenly disappear from Yelp because a reviewer does not have enough history on Yelp or for other reasons not made wholly clear by the company.

On the ‘Yes’ side are many other big publishers including YellowBook and Insiderpages, who have both run major promotions to solicit reviews on behalf of their customers.

I understand Yelp’s position, or at least their intent.  Only having fictional or ‘friends and family’ type reviews is a disservice to consumers. This is part of what Yelp is trying to filter out.

However, I disagree with Yelp that a business should not be out encouraging reviews and that only reviewers approved by the Yelp algorithm are entitled to have their reviews read.

If you are a local business,  among your greatest assets is the goodwill of your customer base.  Why would you not try to tap into that and encourage it to spread online?  Your negative reviews are going to be online (sooner or later), so don’t you want your positive reviews, or at least a more representative sampling, to be there too?

Start taking advantage of the goodwill you’ve created in your business and start inviting your customers to share their reviews online.

In previous posts, I recommended asking your ’fans’ to post reviews of your business and providing instructions to make it easier for them.

A client of mine told me about a great site that can accomplish both of these tasks at once!

Check out Customer Lobby. It is an online review site that you as a business owner can have some control over.  Here is how one business uses it.  

 To begin with, Pann Home Services gets an icon to place on their website inviting visitors to check out real reviews.

The reviews are 100% actual, and they are all positive.  What happens if a customer provides a negative review?  With this program, as the business owner, you have the option of posting the review or not. 

One of the nice features of Customer Lobby is that you can request a review from a customer.  The customer gets a link and gets walked  through every step of the way.  If getting a customer to write a review is still like pulling teeth, Customer Lobby will even telephone two customers a month and transcribe their verbal reviews for an additional fee.

Finally, one of the coolest elements of this service is that it is very SEO friendly.  When potential customers Google your business name, one of the first results they see will be your Customer Lobby reviews.

CustomerLobby is a paid service.  I myself am not an affiliate of the service, but am a fan.  Learn more at http://www.CustomerLobby.com. 

Further Reading 

Make it Easy for Your Fans
Where are your Raving Fans?
Are Your Unhappy Customers Online…Yet?

In a previous post, I asked the question “Where are your Raving Fans”?  In other words, when you have customers that are excited about your work and your business,  how do you encourage them to spread positive word of mouth online?   One tip is to make it extremely easy for them. 

Write up some very simple instructions and give them to your happy customers. Below I have included instructions for two review sites I highly recommend.

1. Insiderpages.com – reviews on this site get picked up by Google and are listed within your Google Local Business Center listing.  It is often the first thing a customer sees upon searching for your business.

2. Yelp.com – while reviews on this site do not get listed within your Google Local Business Center listing, your business’ Yelp page often gets listed highly in the natual search engine results when someone searches on your business’ name.   If you have a bad review on Yelp, you probably know exactly what I mean.  If you don’t have a bad review, be proactive and get some positive reviews going.

Here are some sample instructions you can give your customers.

Posting a Review on Insiderpages.com

It is easy to post a review of our company on Insiderpages.  Just follow the instructions below.

First though, keep in mind some tips for writing a thorough review:

• Answer what services you received
• Describe your experiences
• Discuss any specifics that made your visit special

1.  Go to http://www.insiderpages.com and search on our company name.

2.  Select our business

3.  Select write a review

4.  Write your review and click submit.

5.  Follow any additional instructions on-screen to complete your review.

Posting a Review on Yelp.com

It is easy to post a review on Yelp.com.  Just follow the instructions below.

First though, keep in mind some tips for writing a thorough review:

• Answer what services you received
• Describe your experiences
• Discuss any specifics that made your visit special

1.  Register with Yelp

Before posting reviews with Yelp, you must register for a Yelp profile.

a.  Go to http://www.yelp.com

b.  Elect to ‘Sign Up’

c.  Create your Yelp Profile

d.  If prompted to invite friends, you can skip this step.

e.  Check your email and click on the link to activate your profile.

2.  Post your review

a.  Go to http://www.yelp.com

b.  Search for our company

c.  Click on our business

d.  Write a Review

e.  Write your Review and select Post.

Further Reading

Customer Lobby Makes It Easy for Your Fans
Are Your Unhappy Customers Online…Yet?
Where are your Raving Fans?

In a previous article, I asked whether your unhappy customers are online…yet?   Every business has some unhappy customers (reasonably or unreasonably) and it is just a matter of time before they make their displeasure known online.  It is not a good thing when potential new customers find these negative reviews.  

The question is what can you do to provide a massive overwhelming positive counterpoint to any negative reviews online.  The answer is to get your fans to go online and rave about your business.  After all, you have customers who are happy and excited to do business with  you – don’t let them be a silent majority!

The best way to get reviews from  your happy customers is to ask.  And I find the best time to ask is when a customer is already saying something positive or complimentary. 

Fan:  “You guys really did a nice job today.  I wish I had found you earlier”

Business:  “That is very kind of you.  We are really glad we could help.  By the way, we are working hard to grow our business and positive word of mouth really helps.  If you could jot down your experiences with us online, that would mean a great deal.  ”

The exchange above is a start, but that alone is not going to get it done.  MAKE IT EASY for your customers to post that review.   For instance, provide some very easy instructions they can follow.   

One final word, I discourage offering discounts or promotions in exchange for having customers post reviews online.  It doesn’t feel right and it risks tainting the whole process.  The best thing you can offer your fans is an opportunity to help out and be a part of the growth of your business.  For a service they are excited about and for a company they believe in, what customer wouldn’t appreciate the opportunity to do this?

Further Reading

Make it Easy for Your Fans
Customer Lobby Makes It Easy for Your Fans
Are Your Unhappy Customers Online…Yet?

I met with an owner of a business recently who told me a story about an unhappy customer who had to  be asked to leave the premises.  This is probably not an unfamiliar experience to anyone in business, although hopefully a very rare one.  The business tried to satisfy the customer, but they simply were not going to be satisfied and the situation escalated.  I can’t comment on the incident, but I do know this is a very reputable business with many happy customers and a good standing in the area.

In the past, this story would have been limited to this one unpleasant experience.  The unhappy customers may have complained to their circle, but by and large the business would have continued to receive positive word of mouth from its other hundreds happy customers.   However, fast forward to today.  It did not end there.  The unhappy customer took their complaint online.  Now anyone searching for the company on Google/Yahoo/etc gets to form an impression of this company based on a very negative review.

Where do the unhappy reviews show up?  Look at this example from Google below.  If I am new in town and looking for a groomer, Google aggregates customer reviews from around the web.   

The reviews for the shop below certainly don’t look good.  

Now maybe this business has 100 happy customers to each dissatisfied customer, but I wouldn’t know it.  I don’t think I will be going here.  

The lesson for business owners is that regardless of how hard you try to do a good job and offer great service, if you have any unhappy customers, expect them to go online.  Think of your most unpleasant customers and your most unpleasant experience and now imagine those being shared with your entire prospective customer base.  If this hasn’t happened already, it is just a matter of time. 

Prepare and manage for this situation ahead of time.  Here is one article from the better business bureau with some tips for responding to online complaints.  However, there are other vital things to do as well.  Stay tuned…

Further Reading

Make it Easy for Your Fans
Where are your Raving Fans?
Customer Lobby Makes It Easy for Your Fans

I recently came across an interesting story about online retailer Zappos.  A customer, Zaz Lamarr, planned on returning a pair of shoes but her Mom passed away.  She contacted Zappos to let them know what happened… 

“One bright, extraordinary note in all of the sad stuff of the last few weeks…[Zappos] emailed back that they had arranged with UPS to pick up the shoes, so I wouldn’t have to take the time to do it myself. I was so touched. That’s going against corporate policy. Yesterday, when I came home from town, a florist delivery man was just leaving. It was a beautiful arrangement in a basket with white lilies and roses and carnations. Big and lush and fragrant. I opened the card, and it was from Zappos. I burst into tears. I’m a sucker for kindness, and if that isn’t one of the nicest things I’ve ever had happen to me, I don’t know what is.”

Recently I attended a couple of BNI (Business Networking International) meetings.   BNI is a local business networking group whose motto is ‘Givers Gain’.  The motto seems paradoxical, but the more I think about it,  the more I appreciate it.    I like those days when I cash a paycheck, but I think the most fun days are those where I’ve felt like I’ve made a difference in someone’s business or their lives.

One thing I’ve been thinking about recently is how can the concept of giving be integrated into a business’s mission.   Giving,  in and of itself, is a noble and  powerful act, but if it can be combined with what a business is trying to achieve,  it can be even more powerful.

So what might giving look like, particularly when it is combined with a businesses’ mission?  I’m not sure. but I can think of some examples - some based on real life stories I’ve heard.  In all cases, the giving is personal -  kind of like Zappos above.  

• A shipping colleague of mine worked with a small business whose employees depended on a regular paycheck.  When an overnight shipment containing paychecks was delayed, he gave funds from his own account to tide over the employees until their real checks were received.  

• A more everyday example is a landscaper who, after finishing a new patio job for a customer, gives a thank you gift of a planter pot with flowers.  The landscaper is able to do something a little extra that is personal to their customer and the project just completed.   

• How about a family dentist?  What can she give to patients (besides a new toothbrush and floss!)  A local dentist spends personal time and writes up regular emails to families with brushing tips and fun kid dental activities to reinforce good brushing.  She doesn’t wait for the 6 month checkup to help her families. 

It is estimated that 50 percent of new visitors to a website bail out in the first 8 seconds.

Eight seconds! Can you imagine? In your own browsing, you are probably not surprised. You bounce around from site to site. However, when your website is on the receiving end, it is not so pleasant.  You do a lot of work to get visitors to your site.  What can you do to make them stay – and turn them into customers?

Let’s start with what a website is trying to accomplish in the first 8 seconds? It is NOT selling the job. You don’t have enough time. The job of your home page is only to sell the viewer to stay an additional 8 seconds, and then 8 seconds after that, and so on until they either contact you or disqualify themselves if they aren’t going to be a good customer.   

A local website design does not have to be fancy or slick to do this, but it does have to follow some simple rules.

1. Have an Easy to Find Call to Action

This is the most important item on this list. Have an easy to find BOLD phone number on every page of your site.   Also, encourage customers to call - coupons and internet specials work great.  Make it easy for customers to do business with you.  If you don’t, the next website on your customer’s list will.  

2. Hit the Viewer with the Benefit of your Service First.

Lead off with the reason why viewers are visiting your site in the first place (the benefit), not the service itself. If you are a dentist, your visitors are looking for a healthy smile, not enjoyment from getting their teeth cleaned. If you are a heating and cooling company, your visitors are looking for a comfortable home, not the best looking boiler on the block.  Use a sizable picture to show your main benefit like Bruce Johnson does below.

3. Be Local

In local business, it is important to …..drumroll……be local. Have you ever been to the website of a national company that wants to appear to be local.  There is only an 800 number and no location on the home page. Don’t look like this. Prominently display your location or your service area on your homepage. Display a local number instead of, or at least alongside, an 800 number. Even better, have pictures of local customers that are references for your work. People like to do business with local businesses, especially ones they feel they can trust, which leads to …

4. Build Trust

When you do business with someone for the first time, you want them to be worthy of your trust.  Your potential customers are no different.

Don’t make them wonder why they should trust you. On your homepage, display any accreditation seals, including the Better Business Bureau seal (if you are a member) and industry seals. If you partner with or distribute for well known manufacturers, include their logo on your page.  It is a great idea to list shining referrals, especially if they are above pictures of happy customers. If you have been in business for a length of time, make sure to mention it front and center.

5. Be Real

Anybody can put up a website, but not every website feels like it represents a real company made up of real individuals.  As a consumer, don’t you look for companies that are not only highly qualified and trustworthy, but also unique and special?  What is it that makes your company unique and special?  Does your website get this across?  The website for Anderson Plumbing does…

Keep these 5 items in mind when you design your website/landing page and you will be on your way to keeping visitors for longer than 8 seconds and converting them into customers.

This post is part of the series Making the Most of Your Google Maps/Google Local Business Center Listing.

So you have a listing on Google Maps, but is the information listed for your business accurate?  Google pulls information from various sources, much of which is good, but much of which is outdated or just plain wrong.  In the past two weeks, I have seen businesses listed with an old business name, listed with an old website, listed with a wrong address, and listed missing key company information such as business category.

If you’ve already added or updated your business information on Google Maps, you can skip to the bottom.  Otherwise, follow these steps:

•  Before you begin, if you don’t already have a Google account, sign up for one here.

• Next, find your business listing on Google and ‘Edit’ the listing – SEE BELOW.   (For help finding your listing – click here)

OR

• Claim your Business – SEE BELOW.  Yes, you can edit your listing without claiming it, but so can everyone else in the world who uses Google.  By claiming your business, you claim your ownership and the exclusive rights to edit it.

• On the next screen, select ‘Edit’ and ‘Continue’

• Thoroughly review and update your business information – SEE BELOW.  All of the fields are not required – if you don’t have a website and/or don’t want to be contacted via an email address, just leave those sections blank. 

• Pay special attention to the description box.  List all of the different services your firm offers.  Think about how searchers might be searching for you. 

• Also pay special attention to the categories – SEE BELOW. Accurately filling these out helps Google classify your business and match you with the best searches.  Try to be as specific as possible, using the Google suggested categories if you can, or if not, writing in your own categories.  Fortunately, Google is very good at drawing inferences. For example, if you are a flooring company and list a specific category such as ‘Wood Floor Installation’, Google knows that you also will be appropriate for the more general ‘Flooring’ category.  Google only allows 5 categories, so be specific with your choices and use your best judgment.

• Finally, after you submit this page, Google will validate your updated business listing by phone (immediately) or by postcard.  Your updated listing isn’t published until you complete this validation procedure. 

• Congratulations! You have a claimed and updated business listing on Google Maps. If you don’t see your changes appear immediately, give it a couple days to update.  Now continue reading to get the most out of your listing.  

Making the Most of Your Google Maps/Google Local Business Center Listing

1 – Are you Listed in Google Maps?
2 – Most Google Map Listings are Inaccurate or Incomplete.  Is Yours?
3 – The Case of the Italian Restaurant that wasn’t an Italian Restaurant and the Dangers of Not Being Correctly Categorized In Google Maps (Coming Soon)
4 – Google Maps Alone is Not a Marketing Strategy.  The Limitations of a Google Map Listing  (Coming Soon)
5 – A Picture is Worth More Than a Thousand Words on Google Maps and other Secrets to Helping Your Listing Stand Out (Coming Soon)
6 – Who is Looking for You?  Using Google Maps Analytics (Coming Soon)
7 – Can I Get to The Top of the Google Map Business Listings (Coming Soon)

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This post is part of the series Making the Most of Your Google Maps/Google Local Business Center Listing.

Are you Listed?

Is your business listed on Google Maps? Google populates its Map listings from various sources, but your business might be a new business, it might have undergone a name change, or maybe you were never listed in any of the directories Google sources its information from to begin with.

To find out if you are listed, try performing a local search for your business category. For instance, if you install carpet and are located in Sudbury Massachusetts, search Google for “Carpet Sudbury MA”. SEE ABOVE.

If you don’t find your business, try some searches in related categories, for instance “Flooring Sudbury MA” or “Carpet InstallerSudbury MA”. If you still don’t find yourself, you may have a listing but are not being shown in the ‘top-ten’. Click on the link at the bottom of the ‘ten-pack’ that says something like “More Results Near Sudbury MA >>”. After this, if you still can’t find yourself, chances are you need to add your business listing to Google.

On the other hand, if you are listed, skip to the second part of this series ’Most Google Map Listings are Inaccurate or Incomplete.  Is Yours?’  If you need to become listed, keep reading.

Adding Your Business Listing

• First, sign up for a Google Account. SEE BELOW – click on ‘Create an Account Now’.

• After completing the account signup process, go to the Google Local Business Center. Make sure that you are signed in and then click ‘Add new business’.

• Enter Your Business Information. All of the fields are not required – if you don’t have a website and/or don’t want to be contacted via an email address, just leave those sections blank.

• Pay special attention to the description box. List all of the different services your firm offers. Think about how searchers might be searching for you.

• After submitting your business information, Google might find an instance where you are already listed and ask if you want to ‘Claim’ that listing. If the listing is indeed for your business, go ahead and claim it. It is a good idea to claim your business records and not have more than one business listing per company name per address.

• Next you will come to a screen where you can add additional details about your business. Enter relevant information including your operating hours, method of payment accepted, and other details. Of particular importance is the business categories that you select – SEE BELOW.

• Accurately filling these out helps Google classify your business and match you with the best searches. Try to be as specific as possible, using the Google suggested categories if you can, or if not, writing in your own categories. Fortunately, Google is very good at drawing inferences. If you are a flooring company and list a specific category such as ‘Wood Floor Installation’, Google knows that you also will be appropriate for the more general ‘Flooring’ searches. Google only allows 5 categories, so be specific with your choices and use your best judgment.

• Finally, after you submit this page, Google will validate your business listing by phone (immediately) or by postcard. Your new listing isn’t published until you complete the validation.

• Congratulations! You have a new business listing on Google Maps. If you don’t see it appear immediately when searching, give it a couple days. Now continue reading to get the most out of your listing.

Making the Most of Your Google Maps/Google Local Business Center Listing

1 – Are you Listed in Google Maps?
2 – Most Google Map Listings are Inaccurate or Incomplete.  Is Yours?
3 – The Case of the Italian Restaurant that wasn’t an Italian Restaurant and the Dangers of Not Being Correctly Categorized In Google Maps (Coming Soon)
4 – Google Maps Alone is Not a Marketing Strategy.  The Limitations of a Google Map Listing  (Coming Soon)
5 – A Picture is Worth More Than a Thousand Words on Google Maps and other Secrets to Helping Your Listing Stand Out (Coming Soon)
6 – Who is Looking for You?  Using Google Maps Analytics (Coming Soon)
7 – Can I Get to The Top of the Google Map Business Listings (Coming Soon)

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