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In today's digital age, having a solid online reputation is crucial for the success of any business. With consumers increasingly relying on online reviews to make purchasing decisions, businesses must generate positive reviews to attract new customers and retain existing ones. Maximizing your online reputation is a process that requires effort and dedication, but the rewards are well worth it.
For marketing and SEO for accounting firms, reputation matters. Your online reputation can make or break your business’s marketing strategy for accountants. Generating more customer reviews is an effective way to boost your online reputation and improve marketing for accountants. You can stream reviews to your website using effective online reputation management (ORM) software.
This article will discuss three steps businesses can take to generate more online reviews and improve their online reputation. These steps are simple yet effective and can be implemented by businesses of all sizes and industries. So, whether you're a small business owner or a large corporation, read on to discover how you can take control of your online reputation and boost your business's success.
Online Reviews Affect Company Performance Directly
Reviews and ratings significantly impact your ability to be found and chosen, primarily as consumers depend more and more on internet resources to help them make purchases. This is why:
- Individuals make decisions using online reviews. According to a recent survey, 87 percent of Americans rely on online evaluations to decide which local businesses or services to hire. 88 percent of customers have avoided a business due to a negative review.
- Google rates you based on online reviews. Google determines a company's average rating using the arithmetic average. Your average rating will rise the more favorable evaluations you receive.
- Your search rankings are based on your ratings. According to SEO consultancy firm Moz, review signals, such as review number and recency, are significant page ranking determinants. Based on these indications, Google and other search engines decide where to rank you on results pages and local search results.
- Recent Reviews Increase Brand Credibility with Customers. According to Search Engine Land, 69% of potential customers believe reviews older than three months are irrelevant. Also, if your locations lack recent reviews, they'll rank lower in the "near me" search and might not even appear on the map.
- Better reviews increase sales for businesses. An increase in Reputation Score of 150 points resulted in a 6-percent rise in average seasonally-adjusted sales, according to Reputation, which monitored point-of-sale data for over 1,800 U.S. dealerships. On the other hand, a reduction of 150 points was associated with a 13% decrease in sales volume.
Consistently keep an eye on and react to reviews
Monitoring
Suppose you have a systematic approach to tracking and paying attention to such input. In that case, online reviews can help you quickly identify problems that harm your organization and provide a plethora of customer experience data. Keeping an eye on what people say about your company is the first and most crucial step in starting a positive cycle that generates more favorable reviews, higher overall ratings and rankings, and, eventually, more revenue.
Responding
Building client trust in your brand requires responding to customer reviews, especially unfavorable ones. 95 percent of dissatisfied customers, according to PeopleClaim, will return to a firm if a problem is promptly and effectively remedied.
- Keep an eye out: As a starting point, watch reviews on Google, Facebook, and significant industry review websites. These can all significantly impact your company, so be on the lookout.
- A follow-up: When reviews appear online, respond professionally as soon as possible. The Social Listening Team at Reputation sets a four-hour baseline to respond to unfavorable comments.
- Never skip a beat: 100% of all reviews must receive a response, and at least 20% must be favorable.
- Take it offline: To solve the issue or prevent an argument from getting out of hand while replying to poor reviews, take the conversation offline.
- Your ally is technology: Even with excellent intentions, manually managing internet reviews is cumbersome and will produce uneven, erratic, and difficult-to-measure effects. Invest in solutions that can automate as much of this process as possible, including monitoring, responding, and measuring effectiveness.
How to Get More Online Reviews in Three Easy Steps
Creating a Review Collection Process
Identify the right platforms to collect reviews
The first step in creating an effective review collection process is identifying the right platforms to collect reviews. Different platforms will have different types of reviews and reach different audiences, so choosing the ones best suited for your particular business is essential. Popular review sites include Google My Business, Yelp, TripAdvisor, Angie's List, and BBB.org. Additionally, you can use industry-specific sites or even create a customer feedback survey on your website.
Develop a strategy to encourage customers to leave reviews
Once you have identified the platforms to collect reviews, it is time to develop a strategy to encourage customers to leave reviews. You can do this by including a link to your review page in your marketing emails or newsletters, providing direct links through social media posts, and adding an online review request form to your website. Additionally, consider incentivizing customers with rewards such as discounts or gifts for leaving positive reviews. The online consumer is already unaware of you if you don't have any social media accounts.
Tools to automate the review collection process
The final step in creating an effective review collection process is to implement tools to automate the process. There are many tools out there that can help you streamline this task, such as Reputation Builder, GatherUp, and TrustPilot however in our case we build custom automation using SaasFlow CRM. These platforms allow you to easily send automated emails or text messages asking customers for reviews, track customer satisfaction through surveys, and monitor online conversations about your business. Automating the process of collecting reviews can save time and energy while also providing a higher response rate from customers.
Review Automation Workflow
Once you have identified the platforms to collect reviews and developed a strategy to encourage customers to leave reviews, it is time to implement tools to automate the process. Automation tools allow for an efficient and streamlined approach to collecting customer feedback. Here is an example of a review automation workflow that can be utilized by marketing for accountants:
- Step 1 – Set Up a Review Page: Create a page that collects customer reviews through Google My Business or Yelp. Ensure this page is easily accessible and includes any necessary links or instructions on how customers can submit their feedback.
- Step 2 – Send Out Automated Requests: Utilize automated email or text campaigns asking customers to leave reviews on your review page. Include incentives or rewards for leaving positive feedback, such as discounts or gifts.
- Step 3 – Monitor Results: Keep track of all customer reviews and responses with tools like Reputation Builder, GatherUp, or TrustPilot. These platforms allow you to quickly monitor online conversations about your business and SEO for accounting firms. Additionally, utilize surveys and questionnaires to gain insight into customer satisfaction levels.
By implementing an effective review automation workflow, marketing for accountants can ensure their clients are receiving the best service possible while driving more website traffic and increasing sales. Utilizing these strategies will ensure that businesses remain competitive by leveraging the power of word-of-mouth marketing.
Review Management
The final step in marketing for accountants is to manage the customer reviews they receive. Review management is an integral part of any marketing strategy, as it allows businesses to identify areas where they can improve and capitalize on their strengths. It also provides valuable insight into what customers like and don’t like about a business.
Responding promptly and professionally to all positive and negative feedback is important when managing reviews. Responding quickly shows that you are paying attention to your customers’ needs and concerns while responding professionally demonstrates your commitment to providing a high-quality service. Additionally, thank customers for their feedback and address any issues or complaints with empathy and kindness.
It is also beneficial to monitor the reviews you receive for SEO purposes. Utilizing keywords and phrases that customers use in their feedback can help boost your overall SEO for accounting firms. Identifying popular topics among customer reviews can also help marketing accountants tailor their content marketing strategy to target customer needs more effectively.
By following these review management tips, marketing for accountants will be able to ensure they are offering an enjoyable experience and providing top-notch service to every customer. This helps build trust between businesses and their customers while improving SEO rankings and driving website traffic. Ultimately, this leads to increased sales and a better bottom line.
Conclusion
The bottom line is that marketing for accountants should pay attention to the power of customer reviews. Simply put, you can't afford to ignore it. These three phases offer a foundation for increasing customer trust, advocacy, and loyalty while drawing in new clients and boosting income. Implementing an automated workflow is a great way to ensure customers are heard and drive more business. By utilizing tools such as Reputation Builder, GatherUp, and TrustPilot, marketing accountants can easily collect client feedback while monitoring online conversations about their business. With these strategies in place, marketing for accounting firms can ensure they remain competitive and thrive in the ever-evolving digital landscape.
Contact Progeektech right away if you're looking for a digital marketing partner who will help you expand your accounting or tax practice. Schedule your FREE discovery call right now → https://www.progeektech.com/strategy-session