Has your gutter and siding business conquered the beast that is online review sites? It isn’t rocket science, but all the different options might feel overwhelming if you don’t know what to do. We’ll keep it simple by focusing on the three most prominent sites — Yelp, Facebook, and Google. By following these easy steps, you can have some control over your online reputation, as surprising as that may be.
If you want to know more about why online reviews are important for gutter and siding businesses, click here.
Review Site #1: Yelp
Yelp is an extremely popular review site. They don’t verify customer reviews, but they do have ways of detecting fake ones. You’ll start by making a business account or claiming an already-made business account as your own. It’s a pretty user-friendly process.
Yelp offers many options for customizing your business account page. In this case, more is more. You’ll catch more potential customers’ eyes when you have a very detailed business description and plenty of pictures. We’re talking about before/after photos, pictures of different product options, or images of your employees at work.
There are some paid options for your Yelp page that can aid with customer acquisition. For example, for a nominal fee, you can add a “call to action” button on your page (e.g., “Click here to schedule your free consultation”). You can also pay $1 daily to remove competitor advertisements from your page.
Lastly, make sure your business information on Yelp matches your Google business account exactly. If your name, address, or phone number are the same on Yelp and Google, it will help your Google ranking.
Review Site #2: Google
Where do you go to initially search for any local service provider? Google, of course! So, Google reviews are often the first to be seen by consumers. Additionally, Google reviews really impact the algorithm that decides your Google ranking. They can be the difference between showing up at the top of the list or on page three.
Regarding home services, Google treats those reviews a bit differently from other businesses. When a customer leaves their review, it might ask them, “What service did this company provide?” They can then choose from options like “roofing,” “gutters,” “siding,” etc.
Features like this will help you analyze reviews and group them by the service provided.
Review Site #3: Facebook
Even though Facebook might not necessarily be the first place people go for reviews, their reviews are still seen by millions of people. Think about the enormous amount of time people spend on Facebook versus Google.
Since it’s more of a social platform, Facebook prioritizes helping people see what their friends are doing. So, if your Facebook friend reviews a business, it could be easily visible to you.
All this to say, don’t discount the benefits of making a Facebook business account. Input the details about your business plus pictures — just like you did for Yelp and Google.
Visit this blog for more information about managing online reviews on any site.
Boost Your Reputation by Providing Contractor Financing
“They made financing my new gutters so quick and easy!” That’s the kind of reviews you can get when you partner with HFS Financial to provide contractor financing. After your clients fill out the 60-second application, they will have numerous financing options to pick from within hours. Plus, their new gutters or siding will be financed upfront. There’s never any waiting around for stage funding! Remember, at HFS Financial, “You Dream It, We Finance It!”