Your business can't have an effective online presence if it doesn't have any customer reviews. Why? Because when people are hiring a new business, they want to be sure they're making the right choice. Reading about other people's experiences helps them decide which business will best align with their needs. They'll be able to see which companies are pleasant to work with, which ones are punctual, which ones deliver good results, and so on. In fact, a 2016 Local Consumer Review Survey by … [Read more...] about How to Get More Customer Reviews Just by Asking for Them
Is Yelp's Review Filter Hiding Your Positive Reviews?
Are you like the countless other small business owners who have been feeling frustrated—to say the least—with Yelp's review filter? It's okay if you are. Prospect Genius certainly is, too. Half of the frustration comes from how much Yelp's review filter obviously favors paid advertisers. The other half comes from how skillfully Yelp seems to be covering it up. Have any of these happened to your business? Some of your customers have left you positive reviews, but they've been filtered out … [Read more...] about Is Yelp's Review Filter Hiding Your Positive Reviews?
Have You Been Duped by Yext's PowerListings Scan?
Has Yext recently told you there's incorrect or missing information about your business online? Yext has been sending reports to small business owners claiming that they aren't listed on certain sites. These reports contain the alleged "results" of a scan of your business's directory listings. They are completely inaccurate. Their sole function, at best, is to be a misleading sales tactic. Yext's PowerListings scan tells you your business is not listed on major sites like Google, Bing, Yelp, and … [Read more...] about Have You Been Duped by Yext's PowerListings Scan?
What You Don't Know About Directory Listings Can Hurt You
How much do you know about your small business's directory listings? Our guess: Not nearly as much as you should. They may seem negligible compared to the overwhelming, day-to-day demands of running a business; however, if you don't stay on top of them, your directory listings could wind up being populated with incorrect information about your company. In turn, this will have far-reaching, negative effects on your web presence. Whether you've worked with an SEO provider in the past or your web … [Read more...] about What You Don't Know About Directory Listings Can Hurt You
No, Fake Reviews Are Not Harmless
You keep hearing about how important it is to have customer reviews on your Google, Yelp, and Facebook listings. In fact, a majority of what you've heard has probably come straight from us. After all, we're always harping on the fact that customer reviews are crucial because they improve your SEO and make you more appealing to prospective customers. So after reading about customer reviews for the umpteenth time, you start feeling a little insecure about the lack of reviews on your own listing. … [Read more...] about No, Fake Reviews Are Not Harmless
Yelp's Review Filter Poses Unfair Disadvantage for Many Businesses
Are you frustrated because Yelp is hiding all 10 of your positive reviews, and showing just the one, bogus, negative review? You're not alone. Thousands of businesses have suffered through the exact same situation. In fact, Prospect Genius is one of them! While Yelp may often succeed in its purpose—"To connect people with great local businesses"—it actually hurts many of those businesses with much the same frequency. This is to say nothing of the countless businesses who have publicly voiced … [Read more...] about Yelp's Review Filter Poses Unfair Disadvantage for Many Businesses
Addressing a Few Common Campaign Concerns
No matter how many success stories we create, virtually no campaign ever runs as smoothly as we'd like. That's just the nature of online advertising. Working in conjunction with independent entities like search engines, phone companies, and business directories means there's a lot that's out of our control. All anyone can do is keep an eye out for sudden changes and adapt accordingly. In this newsletter, we'll address a few of the pain-points and campaign concerns that Prospect Genius clients … [Read more...] about Addressing a Few Common Campaign Concerns
Put Your Trust in Online Reviews
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 … [Read more...] about Put Your Trust in Online Reviews
Make Your Presence Known: Get More Customer Reviews Online
Day in and day out, you're churning out terrific work for seemingly appreciative customers. You have no shortage of confidence in the quality of your services. So how come your online presence doesn't reflect that? Why aren't your company's customer reviews pages brimming with five-star ratings? Unfortunately, it's not enough to perform dependable dryer repairs or to install central air systems flawlessly. You also have to get the word out about your satisfying work. That's why getting online … [Read more...] about Make Your Presence Known: Get More Customer Reviews Online
Keep Calm and Carry On: How to Respond to a Negative Review
Customer reviews are a blessing and a curse. When you have countless satisfied customers leaving you glowing reviews on directories like Google+ Local, Yelp, Facebook, Angie's List, CitySearch, and so on, your business gets a huge boost and your self-esteem soars. But as soon as you notice one negative review, a record scratches and the party stops. You can't believe what you're reading. It's upsetting to read negative things about your company, especially when you try so hard to satisfy every … [Read more...] about Keep Calm and Carry On: How to Respond to a Negative Review