In the electrician business, just like in other highly competitive businesses, there is always the need to make your business known to people who are looking for a quality electrician service. In today’s age of technology, where you can’t even find a plumber without the help of Google, you need to prevent yourself as reputable, reliable, and 5-star rated.
You need to understand that when searching for an experienced residential electrician, consumers don’t want to scroll through a bunch of search results to find them; they want someone that’s at the top of the page. It makes sense from a user experience perspective, but it also makes sense for business owners. Online reputation management is important for all businesses and industries, but when it comes to the electrical industry, it can be the difference between getting that callback or not.
Reputation is one of the most important aspects of your business that will grow or disappear based upon the quality of work that you do and the reputation that you have for doing it. In today’s world, people use the Internet to find information about the best electricians in their neighborhood. In many cases, families will call you based upon the online reputation that you have worked so hard to earn. If you want to be an electrical contractor who gets those calls, then it’s important that you learn how to plan for and manage your online reputation.
Understanding Online Reputation Management for Residential Electricians
It’s a harsh reality that whenever you put yourself out there to establish your business or market it in whichever way, you are also putting yourself at risk for the potential of a negative review. The main thing to remember with the concept of reputation management for residential electricians is that those who talk about you are talking to other people. If they are talking about your electrician business, and they have a bad experience, then your reputation will potentially take a hit. This is important because what is said about your business spreads faster than what you think—especially on the Internet. This is why it is important that you monitor your online reputation as part of an overall digital marketing strategy for your business.
4 Tips for Improving Online Reputation Management for Residential Electricians
If you are in the electrical contracting business, then there are some things that you can do to improve your online reputation and get more leads through the Internet. Your online reputation can be managed by taking the following steps:
1. Prioritize Giving Attention to Social Media
If you come across a bad review on a platform, the first thing you want to do, once you have addressed the issue, is to respond to the review. This is important because there’s nothing worse than coming up in a search engine when someone is looking for a residential electrician, but on the first landing page, they see your bad online reputation management. Keep in mind that consumers are swayed by positive reviews. Sometimes good reputation management will be enough to get you back in good graces with a potential customer that is thinking about hiring you, but there are likely more ways that you can be proactive in managing your online reputation.
Consider monitoring every social media platform where your customers can share their feedback – positive or negative – and respond appropriately to each one. Furthermore, while you respond to these reviews, try to emphasize the positive aspects of your business rather than trying to downplay the negatives. If your reputation is damaged, it is best to take the higher road and give praise. People are much more likely to respond to a review that is composed in a positive and constructive manner, as opposed to an aggressive and defensive one.
2. Be Proactive in Responding to Negative Reviews
If you find a negative review you want to respond to, not only should you do so promptly, but you should also try to go above and beyond in terms of customer service to make the situation right. Whether you have been wrongly accused (which does happen on occasion) or if the customer simply wasn’t satisfied with the results despite following your advice, nothing will repair your reputation quicker than making an effort to truly reassure the customer. Not only will this help you repair the relationship with the customer and prevent further negative reviews from rising up to the top of the pile, but it will also help reduce your reliance on reputation management. If you handle things right, most customers will not feel the need to post a review and will instead write positive things about you on Google and other review sites.
3. Protect Your Key Employees
The most important component of business reputation is the persona of your employees, but that persona isn’t something you can monitor; it is something you can mold. If you suspect your business is dealing with a reputation crisis, you need to engage in a company-wide talk about company reputation. Educational seminars can help bring the company up to speed on their reputation and the positive things they can do to promote it.
One of the most common mistakes that businesses make when planning for their company reputation is not communicating with their employees or considering their impact on it. You want your employees to be ambassadors of your business, and so when someone shares any negative experience they have had with any employee, even if it isn’t involved, it can hurt the reputation of your whole business. Make sure that you have your employees trained not only on how to interact with your clients but also give them tips on how to talk about your business in a positive manner when a customer or a potential customer brings up your business. If you do these things well, then your employees will be there to help you promote the positive side of your reputation and allow you to crush any negative aspects that arise.
4. Enlighten Your Customers on Key Points
Finally, it is important to keep your customers in mind when planning for and maintaining your business reputation. The most popular reviews that come up when you type in a business’s name are the negative ones. The result of this is that potential customers in need of your services are seeing where customers process grievances. You want to show potential customers that you care about them getting quality service and that any problems they have will be taken care of in a timely and efficient manner. This is why many businesses will expose their customer service number on every page of their website in order to make it easier for their customers to contact them. When businesses monitor their reputation online, they are also setting up their customer service to stay on top of negative reviews, making sure their frustration is addressed in an appropriate manner.
Contact PowerSearch For Online Reputation Management for Residential Electricians
Boasting 20+ years of success, PowerSearch provides the residential electrician industry with a formulated mix of personalized, specialty reputation management, digital marketing, social media, SEO, and traditional marketing strategies to successfully compete in any market. Contact PowerSearch today for more information on how we can help your business flourish in your local area.