Before calling on a professional, future customers increasingly look at the opinions left online. Therefore, it is important for you to build a good digital reputation. Here are 5 tips to increase your notoriety.
1 – Ask your customers to evaluate you.
When you are face-to-face with your clients at the end of your work, ask them to leave you an opinion on Google and social networks to share their experience. Take the opportunity to be with them to prevent them from postponing this and forgetting your request. Explain the impact this could have on you.
To optimize your clients’ participation, it is recommended to follow-up by sending them an email or text message a few days after making the first request. If possible, personalize this message by using the person’s name and adopting a simple tone. Don’t be afraid to do this because the customer will feel valued and want to help you.
2- Prioritize “Google My Business“
The most widely used platform to leave or read reviews is “Google My Business”. Google’s notoriety means that most people will use this source of opinion rather than another. It is therefore a mistake to neglect the opinions that will be left about you.
To avoid the risk of getting bad feedback, feel free to regularly ask your customers how you can improve their experience. Maintaining good communication will avoid unpleasant surprises and you will have time to manage dissatisfaction outside the web before it affects your reputation.
3- Make the request with a newsletter
If you haven’t had time to ask your clients to evaluate you when they were in front of you, feel free to do so using a newsletter. Be careful, however, about the frequency with which this newsletter is sent: do not force the client’s hand. This approach simplifies the task for the customer: you can insert the link directly to your social networks or Google My Business.
Also, take the opportunity to offer the option of sending a review answering directly the email that you can publish as a testimonial on your website. This allows you to reach people who don’t own Google or social media accounts. Never forget to emphasize the importance of this gesture from your customers.
4- Thank your customers
Don’t forget to thank the customers who make the process of leaving you a notice. This will help maintain a good relationship with them. The easiest way is to comment directly above their opinion with a short note expressing your gratitude. If you know who the person is, feel free to personalize your message so that the person feels recognized.
By doing this, you show that you can also give them the same time they took in giving their opinion. It is also a way to confirm your sincerity when you explained to them how important their opinion is to you.
5- Do not ignore negative opinions
Despite all your precautions, you will sometimes have to face negative opinions. One mistake that many professionals make is to ignore these opinions, but they will not leave and can drive away future customers. It is important to accept these opinions and to perceive them as an opportunity to show your professionalism. Wrong opinions must always be answered, but in the right way.
Start by apologizing, and show your willingness to help the client. Invite the customer to contact you outside the public sphere. Leave out the unpleasant or ironic answers because it is important for the Internet users who will consult your profile later on to see that you take the remarks into account and that you care about customer satisfaction.
At HabitaMedia, it is our mission to support you promoting your web visibility. We have been helping companies and self-employed workers develop their digital strategy for more than 10 years. If you are short of time, would like to know the best practices of social networks, or prefer a turnkey service, HabitaMedia is here for you. To learn more about our services, feel free to contact us.