No matter what business you are into, if you are looking to gain an upper hand over your competitors, you should look for ways to earn the trust of the people. Trust is the single most important factor that influences the purchasing decision of people and can be gained through online reviews.
Even when you are aggressively promoting your business on the internet, when there is no credibility in your promotions, people are going to think twice about even considering your services. Fortunately, for local businesses that don’t wish to invest heavily on expensive commercials, that trust can be earned with online reviews.
A recent survey by SearchEngineLand discovered that 79% of people trust online reviews like personal recommendations from real friends. Over 90% of buyers choose and read online reviews before hiring a contractor or service provider.
As a matter of fact, reviewing businesses has become a common trend among buyers. If they are happy about a product or service, they spread the word about the company on social media and online review sites, and if they are dissatisfied, they share their horror experience and caution potential buyers from choosing that company. Nevertheless, that trend may not necessarily be bad for local businesses.
At Investigation Hotline, we work hard to gain user generated reviews and the public’s trust. We follow up with our clients to determine their level of satisfaction. Most times we don’t have to follow up because our information or evidence is so comprehensive and people are so grateful, they ask us if they can write a review. We leverage online review sites such as Google Plus because there is an element of security and accountability with some of these forums, making it harder to post bogus reviews as some unethical companies engage in. We will also enquire about the things we can do to make our services even better. We participate in industry related discussions and promote our business by answering people’s questions. We are always updating our blogs on a regular basis to keep the public informed.
In addition to offering great service, these are other methods to create a positive outlook on your company. Positive outlook and authentic feedback is what translates into credibility, and that’s what separates us from the rest.
