So by now you have determined how important reviews and ratings are to a successful business plan. You have even read the who, what and when of the review system and are ready to start pushing your customers for reviews, but where should you push them to leave their message? With so many options out there, this is yet another step in the process that takes some thought. We think of ‘where’ in two categories and Google+.
Are you localized?
The answer to this question is based purely on your company logistics and goals. The best examples are restuarants. Obviously they serve the people in their community. A restaurant needs to make sure the people in their neighborhood can see their good ratings and spread the word. The same applies to any business that sells products or services out of brick-and-mortar store or localized services such plumbers, CPA, etc.. Being localized and relevant to your geographical searches is the most important thing. If this is you, we suggest sites like Yelp, FourSquare, Yellow Pages, even something like Angie’s List and the Better Business Bureau. These are great places to start. These sites frequently show up in the search results for localized product and services search, ie Denver plumber’. Claim or create your profile on sites like these and let your customers know you are ready for feedback.
Do you want to take over the world?
The answer to this question is comes straight from your business model. If you sell online then you can conquer the world. Whether you are booking motivational speeches, selling eBooks or shipping t-shirts the world is your pancake to devour, you just need to get your name out there. Wide spreading word of mouth sites such as FaceBook, Pinterest, LinkedIn are the best place to start. Getting ‘likes’ as well as ratings on FaceBook are good ways to get your business in front of lots of people. Good things spread like wildfire on social media sites, and they can all feed off of one another so start promoting.
Either way you must Google+
Regardless of your business structure you must Google+. Setting up your Google+ business page, personal pages, contributor and authorship are critical. While Google+ can be very confusing when you first get started, its importance cannot be overstated. Google+ pages show up in the local search results and on Google maps. The stars in your search results listing are derived from your Google+ page and, whether documented or not, there is enough speculation that these things will effect your search rankings to take it seriously.
Take a look at your business and start taking control of your online reputation. If you have any questions about handling your digital PR, contact us right away.