Service businesses are under a lot of scrutiny from consumers. Before a person picks up their phone and makes a service call, they scour the Internet, conducting their own research on the company.
People want to make sure that their money is going to be well-spent.
And with the Internet, it’s possible to dig deep into a business’ history, learning everything from customer complaints to praise and how timely a company is when making a service call. The trend has led 97% of consumers to look online for local businesses. Positive reviews led to 73% of customers trusting a brand more.
The sites that are the most important for service businesses to be listed on include:
Facebook is a social media leader, and with over 2 billion monthly users logging into the platform, it’s a platform that cannot be overlooked. A lot of people are on Facebook, and these individuals are using the platform for more than just chatting with their in-laws.
Facebook Pages allow consumers to do research on businesses in their area.
Pages have everything, from reviews to comments and posts. When a person goes on these pages, they’ll look for positive and negative reviews.
And when a person sees a friendly face posting a review, maybe someone they’ve seen around town or know personally, they’ll trust the review even more.
It’s a key platform that is free to join and start a business page on.
You also have the option to respond to chat requests to help offer a new, easier form of customer service to potential clients.
Yelp
Yelp and Facebook are the two key platforms to be on, and it’s these platforms that consumers have shown that they visit first. Signing up for and adding a business to Yelp is easy, and the platform has a lot of tilers that searchers can use to narrow down their search even further.
Consumers can filter results using:
- Request a quote
- Offering a deal
- Accepts credit cards
- Cost
And there are even more filters. Consumers will be able to see how many reviews are posted, the average star rating, address and phone number information before clicking on a company name. There is also a prominent “Request a Quote” button, so it’s a portal that is great for lead generation.
Google is the leading search engine in the world, but a lot of people also choose the platform’s reviews to better learn about a local business. You can use these reviews to your business’ advantage, and you should because it’s the third-trusted platform behind Facebook and Yelp.
You’ll be able to find information on plumbers, electricians, local restaurants – anything.
All businesses should claim their free business profile. Creating a profile is easy, gives a business prominence in the search results and also includes easy access to:
- Reviews
- Directions
- Calling
- Websites
- Sharing
And the platform runs very well on mobile devices, too.
BBB.org
Better Business Bureau is a trusted organization, and it is one that consumers should be looking at more often. The platform is all about trust, and it is where buyers and sellers go to communicate. Consumers can file a complaint or leave a review.
When a complaint is made, the discussions between both parties are made public, minus any private information, so that consumers can see both sides of the story.
Starting an account is easy, and maintaining an account with a good standing is very important.
Every business has a rating on BBB, and maintaining a high rating will lead to a higher level of trust among potential consumers using the site for research.
Angie’s List
Angie’s List is another top-tier platform, but the platform has fallen out of grace in recent years. The platform as a whole looks good from the outside, but consumers have lost trust in the website.
Advertisers can pay to be higher in the search on Angie’s List – a problem with almost all listing services.
But the site is more “pay-to-play” than other platforms.
The other issue is that the company has allowed paying companies to hide negative reviews in the past. When negative reviews can be hidden, it doesn’t allow for a true community to grow and develop.
With that said, it is a platform that can build trust with consumers and should include a business listing – even if it’s not a paid listing.
