With the internet at virtually every prospective patient’s fingertip, every piece of knowledge they may want is just a tap or swipe away — even information about the best local hearing practice in your area.
When you wanted a recommendation for a reputable hearing provider, the old standby was to ask a neighbor. Although some old-school word-of-mouth referral traffic still exists, we increasingly turn to Google rather than our friends and family. And that means reading more than a few online reviews.
These reviews are increasingly influencing consumers’ buying decisions. The number of people who read reviews before visiting your website has increased dramatically in the last three or four years. The same can be said about the number of hearing aid patients who value online feedback as much as a personal recommendation!
The following are the primary reasons why online reviews are so important for your hearing practice.
Reviews help your SEO
Customer reviews are beneficial not only to your clients but also to your overall online presence.
Online reviews have an increasingly positive effect on search engine performance. They have the potential to improve your search engine placement, especially in local listings. Customer reviews have also been shown to increase the click-through rate of your website.
According to reports, they are used to reinforce your local listing, which is why they frequently improve your local search placement. Search engines integrate visibility on consumer review sites into their algorithm to assess your search relevance in local search engine results.
With potential customers, reviews help improve your reputation.
For most brick and mortar businesses, the adage was always ‘location, location location.’ Still, now we might argue that our online reputation is more important.
In today’s world, your customers will research your hearing practice whether you want them to or not. Even if reviews are not posted on your page, they can appear on other websites such as Yelp, Trip Advisor, and social networking sites. Prompting your customers to leave feedback for your business on your Google My Business page should be your top priority if you want to optimize the impact of your reviews and keep as much influence as possible.
Online reviews provide information for prospective patients.
When customers or companies look at reviews, they don’t just look at the good ones; they even look at the negative ones. Negative reviews will give you a more honest picture of your company and build more confidence than just 5-star positive reviews. The aim of looking at negative reviews in the first place is to figure out why other people were unhappy with the product. It may surprise you to learn that most people leave negative reviews because the product did not meet their expectations.
According to a recent survey, the most widely used negative word in ratings is “disappointment” or “disappointed.” Now you know that one of the most essential marketing goals is to bridge the gap between expectations and the service provided.
Responding to reviews helps you show how committed you are.
Bad reviews are an underappreciated source of traffic you didn’t realize you had. Negative reviews are sought by 82 percent of all shoppers, including 86 percent of those under 45. People who read negative reviews spend 500% more time on your website. It’s up to you to make the most of all the publicity you’re getting.
Bad reviews provide an organic opportunity to show your customer service–and since you know bad reviews attract attention, such presentations are viewed by a large audience. To put it another way, you should react to your negative feedback. It shows that you’re engaged, active, and dedicated to ensuring customer satisfaction.
How to get more reviews? Ask for them.
For several years, it has been a misconception that companies cannot ask their customers to write reviews. What you can’t do is try to pay people for writing a review of you in some way, but you can still ask for them.
When asked, 71 percent of consumers would leave a review, according to a recent study. Don’t be afraid to ask for more online reviews; they can be highly beneficial to your company!
If you’re in need of expert advice on digital marketing, we’re here to help. Contact us today to learn more!