Tag: Google Reviews

Why Your Plumbing Business Needs More Google Reviews (And How To Obtain Them)

Post author By BlackStorm Home Service Marketing
Post date June 9, 2022

10 Simple Ways to Get More Google Reviews for Your Plumbing Company

Testimonials, referrals, and online reviews (particularly Google reviews) are crucial to growing the plumbing business. In fact, Google reviews are the foundation upon which a plumbing company can establish a good working relationship with their community. Google reviews are incredibly crucial-more 80% of customers trust online reviews just like they do with personal recommendations, and 90% of consumers read online reviews before visiting a plumbing business.

More positive reviews = more qualified leads, higher search rankings, and increased revenue.

If you are struggling to enhance your online presence, read on, in this post, we will give you 10 ways to obtain more Google reviews and practical strategies on how to pull off negative reviews.

Without further ado, let us dive into our post!

Why Do Google Reviews Matter in Your Plumbing Business?

While the possibility of opening up your plumbing company to Google reviews can generally be daunting, it’s something that should not be overlooked. It’s true that you never understand how clients feel about the plumbing services you provide. However, it’s crucial to remember that people will review your plumbing company online regardless.

If you are hesitant to take the plunge and begin engaging with clients on review websites such as Yelp, consider this. Oftentimes, Google reviews found online can sway opinions, and they can lead to new clients that you may not have otherwise had-or they can turn people away and give your plumbing business a poor reputation. As a plumbing company that probably depends heavily on word of mouth, Google reviews are an important aspect of your online presence.

Here are three reasons why you should enhance plumbing company online reviews:

Google Reviews Impact Your Client’s First Impression

Prospects or clients tend to perceive online reviews as a good indicator of how well your plumbing company has performed in the past. If your plumbing company has mostly great reviews, the one who reads your review sees that you have satisfied clients and is probably more likely to contact your plumbing business. Plus, if you have a higher star rating than other plumbers on a review website like Yelp, the user may instantly assume you offer better service.

Let’s face it: if you had to select between two similar plumbing businesses and one had a 3-star rating and the other had an average of a 5-star rating, which would you select? Probably the one with a higher star rating.

Google Reviews Impact Your Paid & Organic Rankings in Search

Do you know your online reviews actually affect how visible your plumbing business is at the top of the Google search results page? First, let’s examine the local map results. When you Google a plumbing service in a particular city, you will come across a map on the SERP with the top three locations. These listings typically the number of Google reviews and a high star rating based on your user experiences.

The better reviews your plumbing business has, the more likely it can be featured on the top of coveted three listings-as online reviews are a crucial ranking factor for your local SEO.

Google Reviews Help Attract New Clients

Once clients have clicked through your page, you are almost near the main goal. Prospects or clients who come to your plumbing website should be enticed to book jobs with your company. While a user-friendly website experience is crucial, Google reviews can be powerful alone to increase your conversion rates alone. For this reason, any plumbing company with a strong rating should be showcasing that review all over their website. This review will increase client trust even if they have never come across your reviews online.

Proven Ways to Get More Google Reviews and Rank your Plumbing Business Higher in Local Search

Any local plumber will tell you that launching and growing a plumbing company is hard work. Creating a unique plumbing service is challenging enough, but then comes the job of spreading the word about your plumbing company and building a client base. Word of mouth recommendations remains one of the best methods of plumbing marketing today.

The major difference today is that word about your plumbing business spreads faster through client reviews, and the most famous review website in the world is Google-particularly for local home service businesses like roofing or plumbing. The more positive Google reviews your plumbing business has, the higher you will rank in local searches. That said, getting online reviews is not easy, so read for the effective ways to get Google reviews that actually work.

Without further ado, let’s look at the proven tips for boosting your number of positive reviews on Google.

1. First, Understand the Process

It takes a few seconds for a client to write a Google review. Simple enough, right? Well, there is a process to get here. The client has to:

Open up Google Maps
Look for your plumbing business
Click on it to showcase your Google Business Profile
Scroll down to the reviews section on your profile
Click to leave their review

Homeowner: You have been amazing. How can I review your plumbing company online?

Would you rather say: A Google review would be awesome! Just head to our plumbing website, and there’s a link right there to help you leave a review.

2. Ask and You Shall Receive

It is easy for clients to forget, especially in this modern and hectic world, so even a superior service doesn’t warrant a positive review on Google. They may leave smiling after service, but once they are out of your door, they have mentally moved on to other things. Find those clients who simply forgot how wonderful you are by reminding them.

A good plan starts by asking previous clients to review your plumbing business. This is normally achieved through an email in which you offer a direct link to your Google My Business listing. Keep the process as simple as possible, and the client will be likely to follow through.

To get more Google reviews going forward, figure out setting up an automated thank-you email to be sent to your clients three to five days after completing your plumbing project.

3. Add Your Google Review Link to a Business Card

One of the best ways to ensure your clients know they can review your plumbing business is through a business card. You can post the direct link, but it is highly recommended that you create a separate page for online reviews on your plumbing website, and it will be easier for clients to type in the address.

4. Claim, Verify and Optimize Your Google Business Profile

Google Business profile helps obtain more reviews but also makes those reviews public. GBP is one of the most visited review platforms on the internet just by the virtue of being a Google service. Because Google owns a major share of the search engine market, more prospects or clients see Google Business Profile and normally read Google reviews more than other review platforms.

If you have not claimed your plumbing company on Google Business Profile, you should register for it ASAP. To help your business get more reviews on Google, ensure that you retrieve your Google review short link and add it to your email correspondence. Include it on your plumbing website and social media ads or posts as well. Visible links will make it easier, and more probably that people will leave a Google review.

5. Add a Review Button to Your Plumbing Website

Most clients expect your plumbing business to have a professional website. So, one of the good places for a Google review is your plumbing website. Simply login into your Google My Business and click on the button to display your review link. Copy that link, and then include a button on your plumber’s website.

6. Respond to Reviews

Homeowners will be more responsive to plumbing companies that value their input. To obtain more plumbing reviews, make sure you reply to the reviews you already have. Replies will help gain the trust of more new clients, generate qualified leads, and earn new clients who can, in turn, offer your company more reviews.

Don’t just respond to the positive reviews, either, and replying to negative reviews is as, if not more essential.

7. Ask for Google Review By Email

Another way is that you can wait until you finish the job and ask for the Google review through email at the end of the day. Ensure your email request consists of links directly to the Google Business Profile and or your Facebook page reviews section.

The email is probably going to be less effective since you don’t have that interpersonal exchange with the client, and you didn’t obtain a commitment to write a review. Besides, emails are easy to park or ignore.

8. Post Your Review Link to Social Media Pages

Social media is a great way to interact with your clients. Whether you are using organic social media (aka free) or using paid social ads (such as Facebook ads), utilizing social media posts to request feedback is an efficient way to obtain more reviews on Google.

9. Make it Easy for Customers to leave a review on Google

No matter how wonderful your customer experience is, making the Google review process easier will generally improve your chances of success.

Make the process of writing Google reviews as easy as possible.

10. Obtain Google Reviews from Partners and Vendors

Partners and vendors may not be clients, but they can attest to what it feels like to work with you consistently. They also may be more willing to leave a Google Business review if you leave one review for their business first.

Frequently Asked Questions About Google Reviews for Plumbers

What is the best way to obtain Google reviews for my plumbing company?

Let your Google reviews bring in new clients while you operate your plumbing business. Blackstorm Design + Marketing will instantly generate new Google reviews from those new customers. Do this before your competition.

How do you get clients to leave Google reviews?

There are a few ways to get clients to write a review on Google but the simplest one is to:

Utilize an email campaign: send out emails to clients after you have completed a project, requesting them to leave a review on your Google Business profile.

How do I get negative Google reviews removed?

If you have a negative, defamatory or fake review on your Google Business profile, you can also attempt to have it eliminated:

Request the reviewer to remove it themselves
Requesting Google to eliminate it
Reporting it as spam

How do I get more Google reviews?

There are multiple ways you can encourage clients to leave reviews, such as:

Ask them outright in person
Send out regular follow-up emails
Include review links on your plumbing website or in email signatures
Running Google Ad campaigns
Create social media posts

Increase Google Reviews with Blackstorm Design + Marketing

Your plumbing business can benefit greatly from Google reviews. Such reviews not only inspire new and repeat business but also improve your search engine results and SEO. More positive reviews on Google will drive your plumbing company to the top. However, the process of creating a steady flow of Google reviews in your plumbing company isn’t easy. That’s why we highly recommend that you partner with a reputable online reputation management agency like Blackstorm Design + Marketing.

The more proactive you become towards collecting more Google reviews, responding to reviews, and also deal with negative reviews, the more confident your team will be in handling this crucial aspect of internet marketing.

If you would like to leave your Google review generation to experts, our team at Blackstorm Design + Marketing is here to help. Schedule a free discovery session with Blackstorm Design + Marketing to learn more about our wide range of internet marketing services designed to help plumbing companies like yours obtain as many qualified leads and sales as possible.

Plumbing Public Relations

How to Improve the Online Reputation of Your Plumbing Company: The Ultimate Guide.

Post author By BlackStorm Home Service Marketing
Post date March 19, 2022

Online Reputation Management Tips Suitable for Plumbers

Online reputation is one of the most crucial assets for your plumbing company. It doesn’t matter how customer-focused and skilled your plumbing crew is if you cannot book more jobs just because you have not properly manage your online reputation. Your plumbing business depends on good reviews from existing or past clients. In the good old days, plumbers were more concerned with word-of-mouth advertising.

The internet is your friend and can make generating new leads or business much easier, but it can instantly become a foe if you are not vigilant. This is why it’s crucial for plumbers to know why online reputation management matters and how to engage with prospects or clients online.

But how can plumbing companies enhance their online reputation by weaving it harmoniously into their internet marketing strategy for desired results?

Blackstorm Design + Marketing gladly shares the surefire best practices and tips on how online reputation management for plumbers works, how to manage plumbing business reviews, and more.

Without further ado, let us dive in!

What is Online Reputation Management for Plumbers?

Online reputation management is the refinement and monitoring of your business’s standing amongst target clients. In the world of internet marketing and SEO, managing your online reputation refers basically to channels such as Facebook, Google My Business, Yelp, and other third-party websites with which potential clients consult before forming a definitive decision about your plumbing company.

Why do Plumbers Need Online Reputation Management?

Reputation management has become an important aspect of any plumbing business in this modern digital world. Online reputation is all about your plumbing brand itself and how prospects or clients perceive it.

Any plumbing company that wants to grow needs to be conscious of its public image. A plumbing business image can break or make your company. Here are some of the benefits your plumbing company can get by managing its online reputation properly:

Online Reputation Management Boosts Sales

Before deciding to schedule service appointments, homeowners tend to search online. And before they book a job from a specific plumber, they first read online reviews to see what other homeowners say about a plumbing business and its services.

Plumbing companies with stellar online reviews attract more clients. Plumbers that are perceived negatively or have tons of negative reviews miss out on big opportunities and profits. That’s why plumbers should strive to have as many positive reviews as possible.

Online Reputation Management Helps to Build a Brand Image

Once a negative review about a specific plumbing brand is shared on the internet, its client’s loyalty normally gets ruined. Thus, it can adversely affect your plumbing business in the long run. The respect and trust they have earned over the years can go to waste within a few seconds.

But an effective online reputation management plan can assist plumbers when it comes to establishing their plumbing brand image. By constantly monitoring the reviews on any communication channels, plumbing companies can build the brand image they deserve.

Improves Visibility

Visibility on the web is crucial through a content-rich and well-designed company blog or plumbing website. These online avenues are taken into social media networks like Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. All these platforms are great marketing channels.

But, they require proper management to handle user activities daily. Plumbers’ online reputation management can help monitor and control these regular user activities.

Builds Credibility and Trust

The internet, particularly social media platforms, helps consumers to offer an opinion on anything. Homeowners tend to schedule service appointments with plumbing companies they can trust. Trust is important for any plumbing business. This is why plumbers must find ways to establish trust with their clients.

One of the effective ways to attain this is to avoid obtaining negative reviews. No homeowner wants to associate themselves with a plumber that is perceived negatively by other homeowners online.

Attempting to operate your plumbing company’s daily operations while handling online reputation and internet marketing is an impossible task. For your plumbing business to achieve its full potential, you should invest heavily in online reputation management services for plumbers.

At Blackstorm Design + Marketing, our SEO professionals monitor your online reviews on Google My Business, Yelp, and other online review platforms. Not only that, but we also produce more reviews by linking the corresponding profiles on your plumbing website.

9 Tips to Improve Online Reputation for Plumbers

Developing an excellent reputation is more than having a plumbing marketing strategy. It takes decisive steps to influence the client’s perception of your company. It goes from simple actions like the tone of voice when you conduct a job in their houses to implementing complex online reputation management strategies.

The good news is that you don’t have to become a professional internet marketer to improve your plumbing company’s online reputation.

Here are some steps you can take to get the most out of your reputation management for plumbers:

1. Understand What’s Going on with Your Plumbing Brand

The initial step to effective online reputation management for plumbers is knowing what is being said about your plumbing business. You should be aware of what is happening in your plumbing business and what other people are saying. You can set up Google alerts to see what others post about your plumbing business online.

2. Set Up Your Online Review Profile Before You Obtain Negative Reviews

As a plumber, it is impossible to please all our clients all the time. However, bad reviews don’t have to adversely affect your plumbing business, given the right preparations.

So, instead of waiting to get a lousy review to appear and then struggling to repair your reputation online, the best thing you can do is to get in front of lousy reviews by developing and claiming your online reputation as soon as possible.

That way, you can fill out your contact details, showcase your business story through pictures and text, and invite some of your clients to review your plumbing business. Having a well-developed profile online on review websites can be a great tool to help generate new leads, but also, should your business obtain a negative review online, it can be read in the wider context of your plumbing company.

3. Ask for Yelp and Google Reviews

Online reviews are great tools, particularly attracting clients or prospects early in their purchasing cycle. If you are making homeowners happy, request them to post reviews to express their opinions and increase your online reviews. If you have a huge client base, develop an email marketing campaign to encourage clients to leave reviews online. More people will give an honest review when you request them. If you are experiencing challenges getting reviews online, try to offer incentives to those who review your plumbing company.

Customers searching for plumbing services value online reviews. Yelp and Google reviews are the most prominent since they usually appear in the search results, making your plumbing brand appear more valued and trustworthy by clients.

4. Check out your Competitors

Your online reputation gives you an advantage over other plumbers, but it can also offer you an insight into what clients care about.

Browse through the reviews of your competitors. What are the top criticisms and compliments being made about other plumbers in the field?

Maybe you hadn’t thought about concentrating on communication, but you have noticed that it’s one of the things that most clients complain much about. You can help your plumbing company stand out even more by going out of your way to being the best plumber when it comes to communication matters.

You commit to answering all voicemails by the close of the day, begin to send follow-up emails or even send a text message to customers letting them know that your technicians are on their way. Sooner than later, excellent communication skills become something that your plumbing company is known for.

By identifying where other plumbers are struggling, you can get an overview of what is going on in clients’ minds, as well as what bothers them most and what they value most.

You can also know where your company is outshining the competition. By flipping through the reviews, you may also see that you are the only local plumbing company that keeps obtaining compliments about your ever-friendly crew.

5. Make Your Plumbing Company More Visible Online

Your plumbing company must show up on top of the search engine results pages when a property owner searches for contractors in the plumbing industry. In fact, studies have shown that more than 70% of people never click past the first page of the search engine results page!

If you don’t appear on the first page of SERPs, it is as bad as not showing up at all. If you are attempting to get to the top with paid ads and keywords, get ready to shell out your huge bucks.

An easier and significantly effective way to improve your plumbing company’s online visibility is through online reviews.

Your plumbing SEO efforts are boosted when you offer fresh, original content, and new client reviews are forms of content that help give you precious feedback and help the Google algorithms push your brand to the top.

6. Communicate with Your Clients

Offline or online, regular communication is much valued in the plumbing industry.

Online reviews offer you a unique platform where you can communicate with your client base publically and quickly.

If a negative review comes up, you can instantly address the problem, showing prospects that you are not only responsive but that you also value client feedback. In some instances, you can convert a negative review by addressing the client’s concerns and showing them that you care about their experience.

7. Show Your Trust Badge

Trust badges are excellent for multiple reasons, and one is to skyrocket conversion rates and give confidence to clients that they can trust you. They go hand in hand and can assist you in building an excellent reputation online.

8. Respond to Every Review

Plumbers that respond to each review tend to obtain stellar reviews over time. We highly recommend that you publicly thank all the reviewers no matter how they have rated your plumbing company since it communicates to potential and existing clients that you care, and it doesn’t appear like you are controlling the damage when you respond to a bad review since you have been engaging with all your clients all along.

9. Respond to Bad Reviews Professionally

Negative reviews can feel particularly personal and painful for a plumbing company owner. However, if you respond to such reviews the right way, it is possible to avert the damage to your reputation online and enhance it.

By establishing a human connection and engaging a reviewer, you can typically resolve the problem and even change your customer’s perception. You will be amazed how a polite and professional response to a negative review can lead the reviewer to give your plumbing company a second chance.

But if you cannot address your client’s problems or concerns, write a polite and short public feedback, appreciating them for response and continued business support.

Major Online Review Platforms for Plumbers Explained

At Blackstorm Design + Marketing, everything our experts do contributes to your bottom line. Our goals are to monitor, respond and generate online reviews with our knowledge of online reputation. To generate online reviews, we put links in your plumbing website’s footer so that clients are encouraged to review your company.

To monitor online reviews, we enable online reviews and activate notifications, so we are notified whenever a new review gets published. Our objective is to generate reviews on the platforms below:

Online Reputation Management Services for Plumbers from Blackstorm Design + Marketing

An excellent online reputation is an asset that costs time, money, and expertise to maintain and build. Plumbing online reputation management is our specialty. Blackstorm Design + Marketing provides a wide selection of years of know-how on the plumbing market as well as online reputation management tools. As part of a comprehensive internet marketing strategy, accurate online review management can help to improve your plumbing company’s authority and awareness.

Schedule a free strategy session with Blackstorm Design + Marketing to offer you the online reputation management services your plumbing business needs to succeed today.

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