Reviews for Contractors
As business owners our job is to continually attract new customers and clients. Our prospects job however is to find reasons not to become a new customer and client. This is where reviews come to the rescue. A positive review is really an endorsement of you, your business, and your products and services. It is a signal to other potential customers and clients that you do what you say you’re going to do and that it is safe. THIS IS GOLD (!!!) and just one reason why you should add a review strategy and tactics to your business.
According to BrightLocal, 73% of consumers ignore reviews that haven’t been written in the last month.
This information cements the fact contractor reviews play a central role in driving new business to your doorstep…or it doesn’t. That depends on how serious you are about it.
Once you have a decent amount:
- Create a “Review” webpage to display them
- Design testimonial graphics for social media
- Craft Google My Business posts
It’s been said you can’t please everybody, but with the strategic use of reviews…you don’t have to!
This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t aim for that goal, because you should, but a realistic approach will give you clarity on how best to use them. And clarity can add a bump to your bottom line.
Our team uses a hands on approach for local SEO to boost the online reputations of our clients in your industry. Do our methods work?
We’re so glad you asked, and want to share an encouraging story with you. Ready?
A past contractor client was on the precipice of bankruptcy, until we assisted his eventual growth to $5,000,000!
Read the entire case study and be forewarned…inserting your business name in the place of the current one may cause excessive smiling.
We offer other digital marketing services for contractors. Click each service to learn more!
Why Reviews Are Important for Contractors
Here’s another tidbit from the annual survey BrightLocal conducted, only 48% of customers would consider using a contracting business with fewer than 4 stars.
Let’s say that a different way, “5 star reviews are only important if you don’t want to miss out on nearly 50% of your prospective clients.”
Let that simmer for a minute…
From the same survey, your target audience ranks contractor review factors in the following order:
- Star rating
- Legitimacy
- Recency
- Sentiment
- Quantity
As you can see, the quantity isn’t as important to people (#5) as is your overall rating. A quick search in Google instantly puts this factor before the eyes of prospects.
Responding to client feedback, both positive and negative, will help you consistently receive 4 or 5 stars.
If you can get it, a photo to accompany the testimonial goes a long way. But at the very least, their first name and last initial will legitimize the sentiment.
Hopefully you have a contractor website, but do you have a place where traffic from your other marketing channels can see client feedback?
Feel free to check out reviews of our digital marketing agency to help with idea generation on how to show off your own.
Allow us the opportunity to bolster the reputation of your contracting business with our advanced review tools and strategic placement.
You’re the reason people are raving about their amazing contractor experience, and partnering with us and our tactical approach to digital marketing will ensure others know this too.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Reviews
How Can Contractors Ask for Reviews?
It may surprise you to know that 68% of clients you ask to leave a review would be willing to do so.
People who had a stellar experience are already verbally sharing their experience, so why not get it on paper?
Now let’s look at what contact points to request them:
- Social media
- Via email
- Text message
- In person, right after a finished project
Facebook and Google reviews are significant for local contracting businesses like yours. Personally we’re not big fans of Yelp for myriad reasons, but leave that decision up to you.
Segment your email list and acquire small batches of client reviews over time. Evidence suggests Google will penalize you if say 50 reviews miraculously appear on your page in a short amount of time. It looks suspicious and could be devalued as an anomaly.
With nearly a 100% open rate, texting satisfied clients gives them an “on the go” option to conveniently leave their feedback.
How Many Reviews Does My Contracting Business Need?
Generally, more is better. A recurring review accrual system is almost more important than a specific number however.
That’s because recency is something searchers look at when perusing the feedback left for contractors.
Going long periods of time without an influx of new comments can have an effect on your ability to convince prospects of your legitimacy. Don’t let that happen!
How would you feel coming across a company without any reviews, or one that has suspect 5 star reviews? More than likely, exactly the same as those you’re trying to convert into a client.
We have a review system that we manage our contracting client’s online reputations through and have seen firsthand the increase in website traffic and leads that follow.
Interested in finding out more? Give us a call!
How To Respond to Negative Google Reviews About Contractors?
Step one…don’t panic.
All businesses occasionally find themselves at this point, but a potential crisis can be snuffed out with a well oiled response.
Steps to take:
- Work to get the conversation offline
- Empathize and offer solutions
Seeing as how Google highlighted their issue, you want to use email, phone, or live chat for a more personal handling of this client. This increases the chance of keeping them on for years to come.
“I’m sorry you feel this way, here’s what I’m going to do…” Each situation may need a tailored response and compensation, whether it’s a discount or other solution.
In the long run, giving up a small percentage of your overall profit from the job can save you in the possible dent to reputation.
Where Can Reviews Be Left About Contractors?
From business listings to social media, there are numerous channels for clients to review your contracting business on.
But the ones you want to try and direct them to are:
- Google My Business
High visibility and ease of use are two selling points for building up your Google My Business page. This helps with both general and local search.
Another place people are searching for top contractors is Facebook. Recommendations can be requested via various means like email or dedicated review software.
Niche contractor sites like Restoration Local and Angie’s list aren’t as recognized but have a contractor focus. Especially with commercial clients, this one may be worth considering.
May we suggest adding all your reviews to a Google Sheet or Excel spreadsheet? That way whoever handles your website content updates can easily add them to your reviews page.
