The Weight of Your Words
Your words have power! Use them wisely. When you receive a service or good from a small business, many business owners would greatly appreciate you leaving a review. Why, you might wonder? According to BrightLocal 86% of consumers check out reviews for local businesses before selecting which business they will go with. For small businesses this is especially important. It’s possible that when a customer completes an online search, it’s the first time they are hearing about the business that is listed. They want to know more about the company. What are their values? How is their customer service? Most importantly, what are some prior experiences others have had who spent money with this business?
Where to Leave a Review
Depending on what industry the company is in, there are a few routes of places that you might want to leave a review. Google is a great place to review a company regardless of the industry. Google is the most popular search engine in the world. Google displays the average star rating based on customer feedback in a prominent spot on the screen as soon as a company is searched. There is a place to click and see how many reviews the company has as well as additional information on what the customer thought about the company.
Another place to leave a review is Houzz. Houzz allows customers to search for home service professionals and find prior projects they have completed. Houzz also displays reviews of each professional listed.
Facebook is the best place to leave a review on social media. It is the largest social networking site on the Internet with the most users. The way to leave a review on Facebook has changed over time. Previously, users would leave the typical star rating with an explanation of services received. In 2018, the change was made where Facebook now has “Recommend” or “Do Not Recommend”. Feedback on this change has been controversial. Regardless, this is a great place to easily distinguish if a prior customer had a good experience or not with a business.
Negative Reviews
Would you use a business if you clicked on their reviews and saw a 2 star average? What about if the most recent review was lengthy and in depth about a negative experience a prior customer had with the final product or the customer service received. BrightLocal states that a negative review can drive away 40% of potential customers. Before you leave a negative review for a place of business, realize the power of your words! Ask yourself, have you contacted a member of management directly to see how they handled your issue directly? Better yet, is management even aware of your issue? If you have tried both of these routes and still have not received adequate assistance, leaving a review is a great place to express your concerns for other consumers to view.
Prestige Outdoor Lighting is your local full service landscape lighting and outdoor audio provider. As a small business, we understand the power of reviews! We take pride in providing quality materials, installation and service so that our customers will share their positive feedback for other future customers to read. When we do make a mistake, we prioritize making things right as quickly as possible. If you happen to be a prior customer of ours, we would love for you to share your feedback on Google, Houzz, or Facebook. If you are a new customer, feel free to check out our reviews and give us a call for a free consultation at 910-754-5483.
