Prepared by Verified Credible

Consumers use online business reviews every day to make decisions on where to spend their money. Before buying a product or choosing a local business, people often turn to the Internet to read the opinions and reviews of others. How do people use online reviews?

Online reviews build buyer confidence. By reviewing the unbiased thoughts and opinions of their peers, consumers know which businesses they can trust... and which ones they should avoid. Why do people use online reviews?

Online reviews and local businesses: What are the facts? 67% of local consumers read online reviews about local businesses Local consumers read up to 10 reviews before making a decision about which local business to use 57% of consumers will avoid a local business that has negative online reviews 49% of consumers are more likely to use a business that has positive reviews

So where are all these online reviews?

User Review Sites: What they are A user review site is a website that allows consumers to read and submit testimonials about local businesses There are many different user review sites on the Internet. They include:

User Review Sites: What they are On these websites, a user can give a 1-5 rating of a business and write a testimonial. “The technician was very nice. He showed up a little late, but overall I had a good experience” ABC Heating and Cooling Reviews “They know what they’re doing, but I think they’re a little overpriced. I’d recommend them but only if you have the cash” “ABC Heating and Cooling is the best HVAC company in town! They have the most skilled technicians and their customer service is top-notch!”

User Review Sites: What they are When someone browses a user review site, they see the average rating of each business 15 Reviews ABC Heating and Cooling Jerry’s Heating and Cooling Home Comfort Inc. Chicagoland Heating Company 10 Reviews 0 Reviews 31 Reviews

User Review Sites: What they are These average ratings also show up in Google when you search for services in your area.

User Review Sites: What they are

So what does this all mean for your business?

People are using online reviews to choose between you and your competitors!

Better reviews means more customers! The online conversion rates for businesses with positive online reviews is higher than those with negative or no reviews 15 Reviews ABC Local Business Jerry’s Heating and Cooling Home Comfort Inc. Chicago Local Business 10 Reviews 0 Reviews 31 Reviews

Better reviews means more customers! The online conversion rates for businesses with positive online reviews is higher than those with negative or no reviews

But there’s a problem...

Consumer behavior Case Studies Businesses often find that it’s only their unhappy customers who are writing reviews online. Buy why? – Unhappy customers are motivated to speak out by anger or feeling ripped-off – Happy customers have no motivation to write reviews, and they often don’t know that you want them to – As a result...

Consumer behavior Case Studies A happy customer might tell a few people about his or her experience... ABC Business was just at my house. They really did a great job!

Consumer behavior Case Studies While an unhappy customer will tell a few HUNDRED! WORST BUSINESS IN TOWN!!!!

So what can you do?

How to improve your online business reviews There are three things you need to do to improve your business reviews online: 1.Be aware 2.Be proactive 3.Be responsive

Step 1: Be aware The first step toward improving your online business reviews is to actually know what’s being said about your business online.

Step 1: Be aware Visit each of the review sites individually and search for your business name in your city. For businesses, the most important review sites are: Google Places ( Yahoo! Local ( Citysearch ( Superpages ( Yellowpages ( Insiderpages ( Whitepages ( Dexknows ( Yelp (

Step 1: Be aware Also, do a quick Google search for “Your business name reviews” and see if any other review sites show up.

Step 1: Be aware Consider keeping a record of your ratings and reviews on all of these sites.

Step 2: Be proactive The best way to get more online reviews is to be proactive and ask for them! Think of all the points of contact you have with your customers and come up with a plan to solicit reviews. This can be done: – When a customer is finishing up service at a home – With a follow-up soon after you perform a service – “Verified Credible Review Request” – On your website with a graphic, link or widget – By asking your followers on your social media profiles

Step 2: Be proactive The key to asking your customers for online reviews is to make it as simple as possible. Tell them exactly what you’d like them to do and where they should do it. That means you should...

Step 2: Be proactive Request reviews as soon after you provide your service as possible Give the customer a link to your profile on the review site you’d like to get the review Provide specific questions they can answer when they write their review – Was the technician on time? – Did he/she keep his/her work area clean? – Did he/she adequately explain what was wrong with your unit? – Etc.

Step 2: Be proactive Remember to keep your current reviews in mind (Step 1) when you are requesting testimonials from your customers. Try and ask your customers to submit reviews where you have poor or a low amount of reviews. 5 Reviews 15 Reviews

Step 2: Be proactive A quick note about Google Places – Google Places is arguably the most important review site on the Internet – These are the only reviews that show up next to local search results on Google – It’s a good idea to build up your reputation there first, because it’s the first judgment many people will make about your business

Step 2: Be proactive A quick note about Google Places

Step 2: Be proactive A quick note about Yelp... – Yelp does not allow businesses to solicit reviews from customers – Even if you try, those reviews usually get filtered – The best way to manage your reputation on Yelp is to be responsive (Step 3)

Step 3: Be responsive Improving your reputation online isn’t just about getting more positive reviews, it’s also about addressing your negative reviews.

Step 3: Be responsive A negative review can be turned into an opportunity to learn about your business and show off your commitment to customer service.

When you see a negative review online, consider the following things: – Is the customer making a valid point? – Is there a change you can make to avoid this from happening again? – How can you remedy the situation? Step 3: Be responsive

Most online review sites give you the opportunity to publicly respond to bad reviews. When you do, make sure you: – Do it in a timely manner (remember, the date you responded will probably show up next to your comment) – Do it respectfully – Offer a call to action to remedy the situation Step 3: Be responsive

Bad example: Step 3: Be responsive Horrible 5/14/11 by John312 I called ABC Heating and Cooling to fix my broken furnace. Not only did they show up 30 minutes late, but they tracked mud down my freshly cleaned carpet! What terrible customer service! Reply 11/23/11 by Owner You’re a liar! We have never been late to a service call in all of our 45 years. And don’t blame us for the mud, it was a rainy day, what were we supposed to do??!

Good example: Step 3: Be responsive Horrible 5/14/11 by John312 I called ABC Heating and Cooling to fix my broken furnace. Not only did they show up 30 minutes late, but they tracked mud down my freshly cleaned carpet! What terrible customer service! Reply 5/15/11 by Owner We’re extremely sorry that you didn’t have a good experience with ABC Heating and Cooling. We are committed to excellent customer service, and we’d like to do what we can to remedy this. Please contact us at to further discuss this situation.

By responding in a respectful and timely manner, you have the opportunity to: – Save an unhappy customer – Regain the trust of other people who come across the review – Get more details about the situation and make the necessary changes to prevent it from happening again Step 3: Be responsive

To summarize, what’s the end result of all of this?

When you have a system in place to proactively gather online reviews and respond to negative reviews, you’ll see: Better conversion rates on every major review site Better conversion rates from search engine results More buyer confidence from prospective customers Better brand credibility Happier customers More business! The benefits of a good reputation on user review sites

Thank you! Robert Russo President, Verified Credible