THE PROOF IS IN THE PUDDING – WHY CLIENT REVIEWS AND FEEDBACK ARE GREAT FOR YOUR BUSINESS

Client reviews can be a powerful influence and help towards the success of a business through its reputation, profile and brand.

Reviews are particularly useful within the professional services sector.  With a lot of firms offering and selling the same or similar service, it can be a very competitive market and difficult to differentiate.  Client reviews provide credibility, proof that what you are saying is true and promote the added value that you offer – reducing the risk that the potential client is taking in using you.

Where should you use reviews?

It’s important to showcase your client feedback as much as possible but, first, make sure clients are happy for their feedback (and name) to be included in your marketing.

• Include a case study page on your website or quotes across your website
• Think about using video testimonials and case studies
• Share your client testimonials on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, as well as YouTube and Vimeo for video testimonials
• Ask clients for specific reviews for the various platforms you use, for example Facebook reviews, Google reviews or LinkedIn recommendations – these help with ratings and rankings
• Showcase feedback on your marketing collateral such as newsletters, brochures, banners, proposals, tenders and business cards
• Consider an online business review platform such as Feefo or Trustpilot – potential customers may consider this a more trusted source of feedback and it can have significant impact on search engine optimisation

How do you get client reviews?

There are many ways you can gain feedback from clients.  It is important to incorporate feedback at the right time, otherwise it won’t be a priority for clients or they won’t remember to do it.  You could:

• Send a follow up email or survey when a piece of work has finished
• Include a hard copy client feedback form with a final invoice
• Simply email, call people or send an online survey once/twice a year
• Show customers where they can leave online reviews, provide the website link and explain how to leave reviews on social media
• Follow up and remind clients to complete the review if they have previously expressed interest
• Offer an incentive to get clients to leave a review, such as a prize draw or discount on a service
• Always thank clients for giving feedback and reply to online reviews

To learn more, get in touch with the team at Cal Partners, a Newcastle based North East marketing agency for professional services firms. We’ve helped many clients undertake surveys and gain client feedback.  Contact us if you need help getting started, framing questions, undertaking surveys, dealing directly with clients and collating testimonials and quotes for your marketing.