Reviews are a key marketing tool, especially for local businesses. Potential customers want to know that the business they’re thinking of contacting and hiring is legitimate and will fulfill the promises they make. For pest control businesses, this is especially important as homeowners and business owners want to know that they’re leaving their property in good hands.
Of course, getting reviews isn’t easy! Unless you happen to serve someone who leaves reviews for every company they work with, most people won’t think to leave a review, and some may be embarrassed to do so. So, how do you get more real reviews for your business?
7 Ways to Get Real, Honest Reviews for Your Business
- Do you ever ask your customers to leave a review? If you’re just waiting with your fingers crossed hoping someone will leave a review, you may be waiting a long time. Worse, people often only leave a review off their own back when they’ve had a derisive experience, which may leave you open to getting a bad review as your first. When you conclude your service, leave a business card or send an email asking them to reach out if they have any further needs or to leave a review for you if they’re satisfied.
- Offer discounts. Morally, you can’t buy reviews, but there’s certainly nothing wrong with incentivizing them. Offer your clients 10% off their next treatment, check-up, or another service or thing they need if they leave you a review. You can’t dictate how positive their review is, but it’s highly unlikely anyone will leave you a mediocre review and then ask for your services again, so you’re likely to only get good reviews.
- Offer a service for free or for a greatly reduced price. If you don’t yet have any reviews and haven’t got a long list of past clients to turn to, offer your service for free or at a greatly reduced rate in return for an honest review.
- Make it easy. When you reach out to your clients, whether it be in person or in an email, make sure you list a few places they can go to leave a review. Google is the best since it will show up in search results, but other good choices are Facebook and Yelp.
- Thank reviewers. When someone leaves a review, most platforms will allow you to reply. You can reply and say thank you, and that you hope to work with them again soon. This not only makes them feel appreciated but shows potential customers you are active and engaged with your clients.
- Don’t panic over less-than-glowing reviews. If you’re an established business, you’re going to have had a few negative experiences with customers, don’t panic if you get a few negative reviews. Most people actually find these helpful and find they show you are a real business. The key here is not to reply with an equally negative response – stay composed if you want to reply or leave it.
- Offer a prize. If you’ve had a lot of customers but not many reviews, offer a prize. Ask your customers to leave a review in a certain time period and anyone who does so will be entered into the prize draw.
Getting reviews can seem like a daunting task, but just a few changes to your workflow will ensure you keep a constant stream of new reviews coming in, helping to sell your services for you.