10 Steps to Get Online Reviews for your Home Health Agency and Use them to your Advantage

What is the first thing you do when you get a referral from a friend or a family member? You Google the business to see what others are saying about it.

When you market to discharge planners, doctor offices, etc and drop off your information with them would you like to add that you have positive reviews online? This can boost the chances of closing a sale and getting new referral sources.

Given the significance and the importance of maintaining online reviews – in terms of your internet presence/reputation, it should be clear that every business should include and encourage online reviews on their website.

How to Ask for Online Reviews for your Home Health Care Agency

Online reviews are directly connected to client trust. Be aware that job seekers also read online reviews to gain insight into what it would be like to work the company.

There are many ways to obtain online reviews for your agency or business. Here are a few quick suggestions to get reviews for your business:

1. First things first... Claim or set up your business using the information in the following links:
   • How to Claim Ownership of Your Business on Yelp
   • How to Claim Ownership of Your Business on Facebook
   • How to Claim Ownership of Your Business on Google+
2. Once you have claimed your business from Yelp, Facebook, and Google, make sure that the information for your business is up-to-date and accurate.
3. Ask your customers and clients to leave a review and help them understand why leaving a review is essential. Educate them about how honest, positive reviews about the agency impacts staff and clients working for the agency.
4. Be proactive and take charge of the online reviews/branding strategies by keeping an up-to-date website & responding to online reviews (that includes both positive and negative) appropriately and quickly. Use a negative comment to your advantage by –
   • Improving the agency’s operations, if the comment/suggestion has merit.
   • Responding appropriately to manage the issue, which establishes professional credibility.
5. Display the agency\'s reviews and ratings – most consumers assume a website shown without ratings is either mismanaged, too new to rate, or perhaps, trying to hide data that reveals negative impressions. 
6. Employ verified buyer badges to establish additional credibility. This technique has been shown to improve a buyer\'s chances of pulling the trigger\' by as much as fifteen percent.
7. Newer reviews tend to hold more weight as consumers see these reviews as more reflective of current times than the past.
8. Follow up and ask again: people are busy and might take time to add a review for you, so you need to be proactive and make a call, ask them again, politely of course.
9. Show appreciation: once the review is on google or yelp, call your client and thank them for the review and use that opportunity to ask them what your agency can do to improve services for them. Feedback from clients is always a good thing.
10. Engage your audience: reply to any reviews that require a response. Do not leave questions unanswered. Doing this shows your company is on top of things and you have great customer service.

The Take-Away

Online reviews are a fundamental piece of any business operating strategy. Studies confirm that online reviews significantly influence a consumer\'s purchasing decisions; however, certain factors determine the exact level of influence on the consumer.

Be smart, and use human nature to your advantage. People want to read online reviews, that should be enough to convince any business owner that to be more successful, the marketing/business operational plan must include online reviews.