Online reviews – Why the Automated Ask is AWESOME!

Having an automated process to gather five star reviews on Google is essential for your business

Whether you are starting out or have an established business, getting 5 star reviews online is the fastest, cheapest, most effective and most MEASURABLE ways to establish a positive digital presence. 5 star reviews help businesses build a positive reputation quickly and effectively, increasing online  visibility, which is proven to lead to more customers and higher sales.

To save you from reading on, there are a couple of exceptions that would except you from seeking automated reviews:

• If you have a business where you only do 5-10 high value transactions a year, you can probably manage your own reviews.
• If the business you are in may cause embarrassment to someone, they won’t leave a review. For example, an insolvency/bankruptcy service, divorce mediation, or addiction counselling

Your business is a great fit if:

• it has five transactions or more per month
• is in a competitive market (trades, services, insurance agencies)
• you are constantly quoting on jobs or submitting estimates
• your business is seasonal – when things pick up you want to have your online reputation ready to respond to those Google searches

You should have an automated process for getting online reviews for the following reasons

• You ask EVERY. SINGLE. CUSTOMER. for a review – 3 times in three weeks.
• You can track who didn’t give a review and ask them next time you are in communication with them.
• Repeat customers are only asked once every 6 months for a review, but they ARE asked every six months
• The ask is consistent, if it’s not working you can change it. If it is working you can optimize it.
• You set it and forget it.
  • A trigger in one of your business systems (i.e. QuickBooks or Jobber) kicks off the request. Once the trigger is activated, the review request goes out.
  • Our solution integrates with 100’s of business applications, so we know that we can connect.
• You can ask for reviews on several different platforms at once – and people will do it. Ask for a review on Google, FB, Homestars, BBB, we have them all covered.

Reasons why trusting your team (and yourself) to ask for reviews is not an effective strategy

• You can’t trust your employees to make the ask, they are busy getting new customers or delivering your goods and services.
• Never mind your employees, will you remember to ask every customer for a review? 
• Having a review link in your email signature, or on your invoices is not a request for a review. It’s a one time hit or miss opportunity to present the review link. It’s mixed in with a lot of other information on your invoice or quote and will have a low hit rate.
• Some people are uncomfortable with asking for reviews. Even when they do a great job, their low self esteem or self confidence keeps them from asking for a review because they don’t want anything negative to come back on them.
• Even worse, they treated your customers like an intrusion into their day, and they know that they will get an *ss kicking if they ask for a review. (BTW, if you have someone like that working for you, fire them tomorrow morning, just MHO)
• It’s just another thing to remember, and because there is no plan, procedure, or training about asking for a review they just don’t do it.
• There is no consequence for not asking for a review.
• Your staff hasn’t been trained to make the ask. They are thinking, “What do I say?” I’ll blame my leader. “The boss says I have to ask you for a review, so here’s a link, but if it’s too much trouble, don’t sweat it.”
  • Like those fliers that you had printed.
  • Remember? You spent 2 months writing content, got a flashy design, proofed them 3 times, then paid to get them printed on glossy paper with an embossed logo – those ones. 
  • They are supposed to be left with a customer after every sales or service call – but there they are, sitting in the store room or rotting under the driver’s seat of Jim’s service van, because he isn’t comfortable handing them out.

Frequent objections to getting an online review solution, and why they are stunting your business

• “It’s our slow season…” – when things speed up again, people are going to choose those with the most reviews
• “I don’t have enough customers.. – that’s the problem we are trying to solve.
• “I have so many customers and I don’t need reviews right now.” – the market swings the other way and things slow down, you are going to wish you had a pile of Google reviews.
• “Sometimes I have an angry customer.” – the odd negative review can work in your favour, check out my blog on how to win over a customer.
• “I don’t know how get a list of customers for you from my business application” – we can help do this on a Zoom call
• “I’m going to retire in two years” Let’s build your business for 2 years, and make it easier to sell.
• “I can’t afford it.” – No problem, there are some things we can do for free in the meantime, then let me know when you are ready
• “I can afford it, but I’m not going to spend it.” We can’t help that.
• “I have a link on my invoice and in my email signature.” This is a passive hit or miss strategy, with a low hit rate.
• “I live in a small town and everyone knows me.” Maybe so, but if there is a competitor in town, it is even more important to be numero uno on the search engine results page

How to get started on your review request system

• Set up an appointment with us to discuss how it will work for you.
• We’ll set up your 14 day trial
• Extract a list of customers from your business app, or spreadsheet. All we need is firstname, lastname, email, and optionally, mobile number
• Send the list to us and we’ll get started
• MOST IMPORTANTLY let us set up the automation to request reviews from EVERY. SINGLE. CUSTOMER!
• Sit back and watch the reviews come in, and your search engine rankings go up – how sweet is that?

We wish you success in your business venture and we are here to promote you – let us promote you!

Contact me, Blair Shunk at blair.shunk@unrivald.digital to see how we can promote your business starting today.