In our blog, we’ve often referred to your website as a patient’s first impression of you. Well, that may not be accurate. In reality, the first impression a consumer has of your practice would be reviews. Whether you’re 18 or 80, before scheduling an appointment or making a reservation, you probably check out what other people are saying about a business. Which means more than ever, you need to good reviews available.
What Does Your 3-Pack Show?
Let’s say some types in “dentist yourcity” in Google. In the 3-pack, you’ll see the top options for your area, as well as the average star ratings. If you have four or five, excellent! If you have less, or none, not good. This result is your first impression. If you don’t show up, the user is unlikely to look further (and you seriously need to step up your SEO game). If you show up with fewer stars than the others, well, once again the searcher may not give you a further glance.
How Do You Encourage More Reviews?
What can you do? Well, ask and you shall receive. In many cases simply asking your patients to leave a testimonial is enough to spur them to action. You can also offer a small reward, such as our “Have a Cup of Coffee on Us” campaign. With this, you offer a $5 gift card to a Starbucks or a similar business. People tend to prefer immediate rewards, even if they are small, to a chance to maybe win a bigger reward at a later date.
But! Whatever you do, don’t give in to the temptation to have your staff post multiple fake positive reviews to boost your rating. Google can tell, and Google can respond by negatively impacting your rankings.
Should You Respond?
What if you have a bad review? We often see snarky responses from businesses go viral and while those are entertaining, you should exercise restraint. Respond politely, inviting the reviewer to contact you to address the situation. Hopefully, this leads to them amending or removing the review. If not, your response can make you appear polite and mature, turning a bad review into a chance to showcase your professionalism.
Are you interested in improving your consumer impressions? Then let us know so we can help! Send MDPM an email at: info@mdpmconsulting.com, or give us a call at 972-781-8861. Talk to MDPM Consulting today!