We’ve started something that we’re very proud of here at Quaintise, and it’s about time we shared it with you. Custom, branded Review Channels created specifically for your brand, based on our eagerness to meet the needs of our clients, and provided at little to no cost! This added value initiative gives you, the business owner, control of those extremely important reviews and testimonials.
Research has shown that 90% of consumers will research a product and read product and service reviews before making a financial decision. This includes patients when deciding upon a new physician.
The problem: patients are more likely to leave reviews and testimonials if they have had a poor or negative experience with your practice. So, the quandary becomes how do you get your satisfied customers to leave positive reviews?
The solution: a custom built Review Channel to funnel patients and customers to the review sources YOU want them to rave about you on.
We provide the custom Review Channel in the form of a branded website; essentially a landing page for success. The landing page contains your company logo, direct contact information, and quick links to Google+, Yelp, Healthgrades and any other review resource you’d like us to include.
We provide the client with a tablet, in most cases an iPad, and a stand to place in your front office.
Reality and Expectations
Reviews and testimonials, along with social media marketing, encompass a full-scale marketing strategy known as reputation management. In 2014, reputation management will be the paramount marketing and search engine optimization strategy. No matter what industry your in, from healthcare to hospitality, reputation management is a approach that no one business can simply avoid or opt out of. It’s here, it’s insanely important, and it’s going to stick around for a very long time as Google, Yahoo and Bing work to improve search engine results by integrating consumer ratings, social cues, and customer experiences.
The reality of our custom Review Channel is this: if you can get one or two reviews approved by Yelp and Google per month, you are taking the first step to successfully managing your brand reputation online. Reviews are difficult to come by, and not just because patients and customers don’t leave them when they’re happy, but because review filters are strict, non-transparent, and quite literally a pain in the you-know-what.
Getting Reviews With Quaintise Review Channel – With our simplistic approach to a messy and complicated process, getting reviews has never been easier. Simply place the tablet and stand in your front office, and if a patient or customer has a wonderful experience with your staff, ask them to take a moment to leave a review.
Getting Reviews Approved – Approval of reviews is a whole different ball game. While we’ve simplified and improved upon the ‘getting reviews’ process, the filter game that Yelp and Google play will still remain highly active.
Yelp’s filter system is based on quite a few factors, many of which are constantly changing and are non-transparent. What we do know is this:
- A recent study found that one and five-star reviews get filtered the most. So, the most extreme on either end of the spectrum are more likely to get filtered out.
- If the Yelp user has less then three reviews left for other companies, there is a 50% chance that the review they leave for you will get filtered out. If the user has never left a Yelp review before, and doesn’t leave another Yelp review, there is an 80% chance that review will get filtered. Basically, if the reviewer is not active on Yelp, ask them to leave a review on Google+ instead.
- IP Address can play a role in reviews. If the reviewer leaves a Yelp review for your business, which is based on Los Angeles, California, from an outside location such as Scottsdale, Arizona, Yelp will pick that up from the IP Address and that review will probably get filtered out.
Getting those Yelp, and Google+, Reviews Approved
There are some things that can be done to increase the odds of those reviews being approved. First off, send out review requests in all newsletters that go out to clients and patients. In the review request, or reminder, simply mention that it would benefit everyone if the review was left on a ratings site that the reviewer uses frequently.
Secondly, and most importantly, it is imperative that you respond to every single review, both positive and negative. Make sure you have an account on Yelp and utilize that account. ‘Friend’ the Yelp user, respond to reviews, and get social as much as possible on this review site.
Thirdly, and based off of the second tip, become active on Yelp and Google yourself. Google+ was originally designed to be Google’s version of a social network, and now that reviews have been integrated into that system, it’s extremely important that you maintain a voice on that network.
The same goes for Yelp. Yelp is not simply a static review site, it is a social marketing and local SEO powerhouse. Entire companies dedicate their SEO strategies strictly to Yelp marketing, and an integral piece of the Yelp marketing puzzle is to get and stay active and social on this network.
Have questions? We have the answers. Contact Quaintise today!