online reputation

Stop Renting! Invest in Website Ownership to Build Your Tax Resolution Brand

Last Updated: November 28, 2016

For tax resolution professionals looking to reach more customers online, the logical step is to sign up with a web marketer. It makes perfect sense: You get your own website, directory listings, and general online promotion. It’s everything you need to advertise your tax help services to all the right people.
However, there’s something you may not realize. With many online marketing companies, “your own website” is not what it sounds like. It’s actually a website owned by the marketer, not you. This sets you up for years of renting—essentially borrowing—the website that’s the cornerstone of your Internet visibility. So if that website ever goes away, you can wave goodbye to your web presence.
There’s a better way. With Prospect Genius’s CoreSite™ product, as soon as you purchase your website, you own it. This ownership gives you control, enabling you to invest in your brand long term.

Why is having control of your website so important? And how does it help you down the road? Read on to find out.

Owning vs. Renting

Just like with real estate, there are major benefits to owning versus renting. What they all boil down to, though, is what you end up with at the end of the day. When you rent a house for a year, you pay 12 monthly payments to keep a roof over your head. That’s all you get. At the end of the year, you have nothing to show for the rent you’ve paid, except for maybe not dying of exposure. When you buy a house and pay monthly mortgage payments, you still get a roof over your head. But you also secure the additional benefit of equity in your home. When the mortgage is paid off, you own the property; whereas if you were paying rent for all that time, you’d still have zero equity—and zero ownership—of the home.
With a website owned by your marketing company, you’re renting, paying month in and month out to keep your site up. As soon as you stop paying, they can take your website down, sell it to a competitor, or take any number of other steps that functionally dismantle your entire web presence.
When you own your website, it’s yours to keep. You can pay Prospect Genius to promote it. You can work with another online advertising company for search engine optimization or other web visibility-enhancing strategies. It’s up to you. You own your website, so you make the choice!

Investing in Your Brand

For tax resolution companies, your reputation is everything. Taxpayers who are looking for tax problem help simply won’t work with a tax advisor who isn’t highly regarded and known for honest expertise. That makes sense, as the wrong tax advice can lead a taxpayer to owe thousands more in penalties and interest. However, it also means you have to do everything you can to build and maintain your brand’s reputation.
Not sure how your reputation ties into owning your own website? It’s simple. When you own your website, you’re investing in your brand. You’re promoting your tax help company using a both a business name and a URL you can rely on to be around down the road. You have control over these things because you own your site. With the traditional renting model, you risk losing control of that URL and having to start over from scratch on building your brand name and recognition.
So when it comes to marketing your tax resolution company online, who do you want in control of your website—and thus your entire web presence? If you want to invest in your company’s future, then invest in your brand. Make sure you own your website.
For more information on the benefits of owning your website, or to learn more about Prospect Genius’s CoreSite product, feel free to contact us at your convenience!

Why You Must Give Your SEO Campaign Time

Last Updated: October 15, 2015

How long do you plan to keep your company in business? For the vast majority of business owners, the answer is something longer than 90 days. Why, then, are many business owners so reluctant to invest in online advertising for the long haul? If you want a long-lasting web presence that gets stronger and stronger as time goes on, then you must be patient as SEO builds. An SEO program may try your patience for the first 90 days, but the long-term ROI will be worth the wait.

Here’s why SEO requires your patience, and how your patience will pay off.

SEO = Building a Reputation

Why does SEO take at least three months to start generating results? It’s because SEO involves so much more than just building a website. As we’ve noted previously, SEO requires lots of repetition as you build your website’s reputation and establish its credibility with Google. This includes submitting your site to multiple tiers of directories in stages, updating your social media profile regularly, and performing other tasks that build your backlinks.
If you look at starting a new SEO campaign like starting a new business, it might make more sense: Opening a physical storefront is only the first step. You then have to get the word out about your business by announcing your arrival on the scene. You need to bring attention to your new business by holding a grand opening, sharing the news on Facebook, handing out business cards… Whatever it takes to get people to notice you. Then you can start expecting customers to roll in. It’s the same with an SEO campaign. Your advertiser needs to spend time putting your name online and demonstrating your legitimacy to Google before you can expect your phone to start ringing.
When all is said and done, the whole “grand opening” process for SEO campaigns usually takes at least three months.

Be the Tortoise, Not the Hare

While SEO may take a while to gain traction, it’s the only form of online advertising proven to go the distance. As your campaign gains momentum, its performance will grow until it doesn’t even resemble what it was like in those first few months.
To use another analogy, building an SEO campaign can be compared to building a house. During the initial stages of construction, you’ll have a fine-looking house from the outside, with four walls, a roof, and some windows. But when you open the door, you’ll see that the house is still uninhabitable, as the plumbing and electricity still need to be installed and the interior needs to be furnished.
Quitting your SEO campaign after the first four weeks because your website has been launched “without results” would be like deciding to move in to this uninhabitable house because it looks finished from the outside. You would soon realize you made a huge mistake by rushing it. However, if you’re patient for a few more weeks, you’ll have a cozy, fully functional home.
In the same way, if you stick it out with your SEO company for a little bit longer, you’ll have a high-performing advertising campaign that can start to generate leads from all different corners of the web. Best of all, once your site has established a solid reputation with Google, it’ll only require regular monitoring and occasional maintenance to keep going strong.

Stick With One SEO Provider

Whatever you do, don’t start working with another advertiser during this three-month waiting period in the hopes that it will speed up your wait time. It won’t. In fact, it could actually make you wait twice as long, considering the damage it would do to your Quality Score on Google. You’d make your advertiser’s job harder while making your campaign’s performance worse.

Make the Commitment. It’s Worth It.

When you put in the time and allow your SEO campaign to gain traction, you’ll be rewarded with prominence in local search results and a steady increase in leads. As time goes on and your website’s value becomes clearer to Google, your campaign’s performance will improve even more. Provided that your advertiser isn’t doing anything shady—like creating fake map listings or copying the same content for all of their sites—you should give your advertiser at least 90 days to work their magic. You’ll be glad you did.

Put Your Trust in Online Reviews

Last Updated: February 15, 2024

They say you can’t believe everything you read on the Internet—but try telling that to online consumers. A recent study shows that nearly 80% of consumers in the U.S. and Canada trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.
That’s why our blog covers the topic of customer reviews so heavily. With the vast majority of consumers making decisions based on the reviews that they read, it’s clear that reviews are an extremely valuable asset to any business, no matter what industry you’re part of.

Why Should You Care?

If the above statistic doesn’t impress you, consider this: We’ve seen firsthand what collecting customer reviews has done for our own clients. The below examples illustrate an increase in leads over time as each client’s online advertising campaign continued. These particular clients are prime examples of what can happen when you persist in populating your business listings with customer reviews.
Client A:

This graph shows the slow and steady trajectory of one client’s leads per month. Their leads dipped in March 2014, due to a glitch that caused their listing to all but vanish from Google, but you’ll notice that their number of monthly leads has already climbed back up and exceeded the previous peak. How did they manage that? Simply by cultivating a significant number of reviews on Google+, Bing, Yelp, Facebook, and other platforms.
Client B:

This client shows a similar upward trajectory. Again, the success of their campaign is significantly generated by their high volume of customer reviews on various listings.
Take a look at the numbers in both of the above examples. Client A received close to 400 calls in June 2014, while Client B received roughly 280. Wouldn’t you like to see those kinds of results? The best way to do that is to get your customers to leave you reviews online.

How to Get Reviews

The next logical question is, “How do you get customers to leave reviews?” The honest answer is that it’s not easy. It takes a lot of persistence. But if you keep your nose down, work hard, and satisfy your customers, then you’ll get better responses when you do ask them for reviews.
You might think, I’m not getting any reviews because people only write reviews when they have something to complain about. That’s what conventional wisdom tells us, but the facts actually show the opposite: 75% of reviews posted on review sites are positive.
We suggest a tactical approach when soliciting customer reviews so you can be sure that you have reviews on only the most valuable platforms. Get a minimum of 10 reviews on the following platforms, in the following order, for the best results:

Google+ — Obviously, Google+ has the most value in the eyes of Google. Reviews from your company’s Google+ page could appear right on Google’s search results pages, so prospects can see right away what previous customers think.
Yelp — Yelp is a popular tool among local consumers who are actively looking for a specific service. Although it better serves brick-and-mortar businesses, it holds a lot of weight in both Google and Bing’s algorithms. Bing even pulls Yelp pages directly when compiling search results.
Facebook — The vast majority of U.S. adults have a Facebook profile, so it should be the default choice for customers who aren’t as tech savvy as others. And while it doesn’t hold as much SEO value as Google+ or Yelp, it does influence Bing’s search results, and that counts for something.

ASK DIRECTLY
As soon as you complete a job, e-mail that customer and ask for a review. In the e-mail, include a link to your Google+, Yelp, or Facebook page (or all three and let the customer choose) so the process is as convenient as possible for them.
You can even add short URLs or reminders on business cards, invoices, and newsletters—anything that you distribute to your customers. It’s also a good idea to send along instructions so less savvy individuals don’t get lost.
ASK THE SKEPTICS
Steve Young, author of “5 Clever Ways to Get Customer Reviews That Convert,” offers an important tip: “Rather than asking for testimonials from your customers who immediately fall in love with your offering, try to look for those that were first skeptical.” Doing this will address and soothe prospective customers’ concerns and lead to higher conversion rates.
WRITE YOUR OWN
Young also recommends drafting a detailed review (full of specifics about the solutions you provided) on behalf of your customers and sending it to them. If they approve, they can just copy and post it, making their lives a heck of a lot easier. Plus, reviews that contain measurable results pack a lot more punch when prospects read them.
BE STRAIGHTFORWARD
Even casual Internet users these days will recognize that reviewing and sharing experiences is what drives most online activity. And, as we’re all consumers, we know that we like to read reviews and do our research before purchasing a product or committing to a contractor. So just be frank with your customers: You need reviews for your business. They’ll understand.
Nellie Akalp, a contributing writer at Mashable.com, gives the following recommendation:

You can say something as simple as, “Your opinion matters to us and to other customers, so we’d be really appreciative if you take a few moments to review your experience,” or “Do you read online reviews? We do, and so do other customers. That’s why we’d love it if you take a few moments to review your experience.”

Don’t Get Discouraged

Most importantly, don’t get discouraged if customers don’t immediately flood your pages with reviews. It takes time to get an impressive number, but you’ll be all the better for it when they finally do come in. We at Prospect Genius, in our own efforts to collect customer reviews, have to regularly remind ourselves that a page full of reviews doesn’t happen overnight. Rome wasn’t built in a day.
Be patient, be persistent, and keep going the extra mile for your customers. Eventually, your business will have the reviews it deserves.

Stay Positive: Manage Your Online Reputation!

Last Updated: February 15, 2024

One of the best ways for you to enhance the online reputation of your business is to promote reviews and testimonials about your services from past customers. Maintaining a positive online reputation is key to the future growth of your business.
However, motivating clients to provide you with quality reviews is not quite as easy as it sounds. At Prospect Genius, we’ve developed a few strategies in our own attempts to gather more customer reviews, and we’re happy to share them here because they may be helpful for persuading your customers to provide reviews.
The first step could be making a direct appeal to your clients. Call or send a postcard with a casual request, such as: “Hey, I’m really trying to build my online reputation, and I was wondering if you could take a few minutes to review how you felt about the work I did for you. I strive to do the best job possible for all of my clients, and I need to know if I’m doing well and where there are areas for improvement. I am going to e-mail you a link to my Google Maps page, and if you could provide me some feedback, I’d greatly appreciate it.”
If that simple measure doesn’t result in any response, you might consider offering a one-time discount to clients who write you a review.
Conversely, if your past customers say that they are too busy to leave a review but loved your service, ask them if you can write the review for them. Type out what they say on the phone and ask if you can use a written version of that statement on your website. Then you can contact us, and we’ll put those reviews up on your microsite.
Respond to Every Negative Review
If you do get an unflattering review, take the time to respond when you see that a customer is less than satisfied with your performance. This action will show initiative and genuine interest in how well your business is serving your customers. A sincere, thoughtful response will go a long way in assuring this particular client, as well as future customers, that you’re dedicated to their honest satisfaction.
A good example of both accumulating good reviews and responding to bad reviews can be seen in R.J. Hidson Photography’s map listing. Below, take note of how the owner responds to “Joy,” an unhappy customer.

The photographer responds by addressing the customer’s feelings, and then he explains why he may appear stern or rushed when completing a photography shoot. His is able to defend his creative instincts and show both sides of the situation not only to “Joy,” but to prospective clients as well.
There are several ways to react to a less-than-great review online. The method above is probably the best when your Google or Yahoo maps page also has several positive reviews to balance it out. On the other hand, if your Google or Yahoo maps page only contains bad reviews, you can contact Prospect Genius for help. We will work with you to create a customized reputation management plan that will gradually counteract these poor reviews and put your business back in a positive light.

Prospect Genius

Stop Renting! Invest in Website Ownership to Build Your Tax Resolution Brand

Owning vs. Renting

Investing in Your Brand

Why You Must Give Your SEO Campaign Time

SEO = Building a Reputation

Be the Tortoise, Not the Hare

Stick With One SEO Provider

Make the Commitment. It’s Worth It.

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