Reviews and Testimonials are vital for your business, as well as to help your Search Engine rankings. I say Search Engine rankings because Google Places is watching for your reviews. If you look closely at the Google search results, Google lists the Company name, website, and number of reviews found.
BrightLocal.com published findings from a survey they did. Key findings were:
- 67% of local consumers have consulted online customer reviews of local businesses.
- 58% of consumers trust a local business more having read positive online reviews.
- 69% of local consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.
You can read the full article here -> http://www.brightlocal.com/blog/2010/11/29/local-consumer-review-survey-2010-part-1
You want ALL your Customers to write a review or testimonial on you and your business. Don’t assume they will. Be direct and always ask for a testimonial. There are many great places where your Customers can do it:
- On your Google Places page
- On Yelp
- On your Facebook business page
- On your YouTube channel
- On your LinkedIn profile
Personally, I prefer that people post their reviews themselves. Sure, I could have them email me something or I could provide little “How was my service” cards. But in the end, I’m the one posting their words. And what would readers think? Did the review come from a real person? Did someone make up these testimonials? What would you trust more?
Hopefully, with each new Customer, you are collecting the Customer’s email address for marketing other offers and discounts. You can simply email your Customer a brief request to leave a testimonial. To make it even easier, you can provide links in the email to take your Customer to the specific pages where to leave their testimonial.
You should do your part as well. Did you have great service somewhere? Was some business or person a miracle worker for you? Did you buy an outstanding product? It would help them greatly, if you could write a review or testimonial. Don’t forget to put your name and website in the testimonial. Having your website included will allow the Search Engines to count it as a backlink to help you too.
Get started now. You can never have to many Testimonials.
