As a business, your online reputation is often the first impression customers have of you. For tradespeople, where trust and reliability are key, managing how your business is perceived online can directly impact your success.
Positive reviews, proactive engagement, and addressing feedback can lead to more inquiries, stronger customer trust, and valuable repeat business. This guide will walk you through the importance of online reviews, strategies for handling feedback, and tips for building a solid reputation in competitive trades like plumbing and building. By taking control of your online presence, you can ensure your business stands out and thrives in a crowded marketplace.
Why Reputation Matters
Online reputation management (ORM) is the practice of monitoring, maintaining, and improving your business’s online presence, ensuring it reflects your professionalism and quality of service. With 93% of consumers reading online reviews before making a purchase or booking a service, a strong online reputation isn’t just an advantage… it’s essential.
For tradespeople, a positive online presence can lead to increased inquiries and customer loyalty. 84% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations, underscoring the significant impact of digital feedback. Conversely, negative reviews or a lack of online visibility can deter potential clients, affecting business growth. Therefore, actively managing and enhancing your online reputation is essential to building trust and attracting new customers.
The Importance of Online Reviews
Online reviews are a cornerstone of your business’s online reputation. They provide potential customers with the social proof they need to trust your services and make a booking decision. Here’s why reviews matter and how you can encourage satisfied customers to leave them:
Building Trust
Reviews act as modern-day word-of-mouth recommendations. In fact, 69% of people feel more safe using a business with positive written experiences. Positive reviews reassure potential clients that others have had good experiences with your services, helping to establish credibility and reliability. For example, you are more likely to win the custom of someone with fewer reviews or lower ratings.
Boosting Visibility
Reviews don’t just build trust, they also improve your online visibility. Platforms like Google My Business, Trustpilot, and Checkatrade prioritise businesses with higher ratings and more frequent reviews, increasing your chances of appearing in local search results. With 81% of people checking Google reviews before engaging with a local business, your business is more likely to be chosen if you showcase positive feedback.
Encouraging Reviews
Proactively asking for reviews is key to building a steady stream of positive feedback. Here’s how to make it easy for your customers:
Requests: After completing a job, ask satisfied customers to share their feedback. A simple email or text can go a long way.
Links & QR Codes: Provide a direct link to your review page or a QR code on invoices, receipts, or follow-up emails, making the process as convenient as possible.
Follow-Ups: Send a friendly reminder a week after the job is done, thanking the customer again and prompting them to leave a review if they haven’t yet.
Handling Negative Reviews
Negative reviews can feel discouraging, but they also provide an opportunity to demonstrate professionalism and improve your services. Here’s how to handle them effectively:
Stay Professional: Responding calmly and respectfully is essential. Acknowledge the customer’s concerns and show a willingness to address the issue. Avoid defensive language, as this can escalate the situation.
How to Respond: Apologise, offer a resolution and stay public but polite.
Take Action: Use negative feedback as an opportunity to improve your business. Identify recurring issues mentioned in reviews and address them. If a review is fake, abusive or violates guidelines, report it for removal.
By handling negative reviews with professionalism and a solutions-focused approach, you can turn potential setbacks into opportunities to showcase your commitment to customer care. Addressing concerns openly also reassures other customers that your business values feedback and strives to improve.
How to Maintain a Positive Online Presence
A proactive approach to managing your online presence ensures your business continues to attract and impress potential clients. Regularly updating your Google Business Profile and social media pages ensures potential customers receive accurate and current information about your services.
Here’s how you can maintain a strong, positive online reputation:
Consistent Updates
An active and frequently updated Google Business Profile increases your chances of appearing in local search results, as Google's algorithms prioritise such profiles. Keeping your profile current can significantly impact your business’s visibility and customer engagement, leading to overall success.
Showcase Positive Feedback
Displaying customer testimonials on your website and social media platforms provides social proof, demonstrating that real people have had positive interactions with your services. Regular use of testimonials can generate approximately 62% more revenue per customer visit.
Engage With Your Audience
Engaging with customer reviews, both positive and negative, shows that you value feedback and are committed to customer satisfaction. Regularly posting updates, photos, and news on your social media pages or blogs keeps your audience informed and engaged, fostering a sense of community and loyalty from your presence.
Encourage Reviews
Make it easy for customers to leave reviews by providing customers with direct links or QR codes to your review platform. Put a system in place to routinely ask for reviews after completing jobs to maintain a steady stream of feedback, which can improve your online reputational and sway potential clients.
Reputation Management Strategies
Different trades require tailored approaches to managing and enhancing online reputations. Here’s how plumbers, builders, and landscapers can stand out in competitive markets:
Plumbers: Leverage review platforms like Trustpilot and Checkatrade. These are go-to sources for customers needing urgent services. Make sure that your profile is active, with recent reviews showcasing your responsibility. Customers are 41% more likely to trust businesses that respond to their reviews.
Builders: Use platforms that allow you to feature detailed reviews and project write-ups that show your quality and professionalism. Use case studies and testimonials on your website to showcase your larger-scale projects. Share photos and videos of completed work alongside reviews to build your portfolio.
Landscapers: Make use of visual platforms like Instagram and Facebook to showcase transformations with before and after shots backed by customer feedback. 87% of customers say visuals are critical in their decision to book services. Encourage reviews that focus on your creativity and knowledge.
Tracking Your Business’s Reputation
To maintain a strong online reputation, you should regularly monitor and track how your business is perceived online. Proactive tracking allows you to respond quickly to feedback and continuously improve your services.
Tools for Monitoring
Several tools make it easier to track mentions, reviews, and comments about your business across the web:
Google Alerts: Set up alerts for your business name to receive notifications whenever it is mentioned online. This is especially useful for monitoring reviews or mentions on blogs and forums.
ReviewTrackers: Consolidates reviews from platforms like Google, Trustpilot, and Yelp into one dashboard, saving you time and ensuring you never miss important feedback.
Reputation.com: A comprehensive tool for monitoring, managing, and improving your online presence across multiple channels.
Take Control of Your Online Reputation Today
Managing your online reputation is an essential step for tradespeople looking to build trust, attract new customers, and retain existing ones. By encouraging positive reviews, handling negative feedback professionally, and maintaining an active and engaging online presence, you can ensure your business stands out in a competitive market.
Remember, your online reputation isn’t just about responding to what’s already there, it’s about proactively shaping how your business is perceived.
With our email list, you can keep on top of our marketing series specifically for tradies. You’ll receive a new article directly to your inbox with industry tips, tricks and resources to help you improve your business’s online presence.