Getting More Online Reviews for Your Veterinary Practice Is Easier Than You Think
There’s no way around it — if you want to grow your veterinary practice, attract more clients, and increase appointments, having a strong strategy for collecting and managing customer reviews is essential.
Reviews are always a hot topic in the veterinary industry, and for good reason. A steady stream of positive reviews doesn’t just build trust with potential clients, it expands your practice’s visibility in search results, helping you stand out in a crowded market. With 85% of people trusting online reviews as much as personal recommendations, these reviews can be the deciding factor that brings new clients through your doors.
The good news? Getting more reviews isn’t as hard as it sounds. In fact, with a few simple strategies, you can easily boost your online presence and reputation.
Ready to learn how?
Why Online Reviews Are Important for Veterinary Practice
But before we get ahead of ourselves, why do online business reviews even matter for veterinary practices?
While decades ago, before widespread accessibility of the internet, word of mouth, personal recommendations, and proximity were the primary drivers for where pet owners would take their dogs or cats for veterinary care. But, now, we live in a different world where all things digital are king – and that includes reviews and recommendations of your practice. These reviews can help pet owners form opinions about your practice, learn about the experiences of other clients, and learn what sets you apart from every other veterinary clinic in their area.
Online Reputation
When it comes to directly working with and caring for people's pets, the health of your online reputation is unbelievably important. After all, owners often consider their pets family, and when you’re treating their family member, trust is everything. Clients want to know their pets are in the best hands, and online business reviews serve as testimonials to your practice's competence, care, and compassion. It’s no surprise that businesses with more positive reviews are viewed as more reliable, compassionate, and trustworthy.
Online reviews can act as your digital word-of-mouth marketing. A glowing review from a satisfied client can reassure potential clients that your practice can be trusted. Not only that, but consistently accumulating positive reviews also acts as a buffer to mitigate the damage caused by the occasional negative review – which, don’t forget, you should be responding to!
Social Proof and Building Trust and Credibility
Social proof is one of the most powerful psychological tools in marketing today. Prospective pet owners look to the experiences of others to affirm that they are making the right decision. The more reviews you have, the more credible and experienced your practice appears. Every review, whether it's a detailed account of exceptional service or a simple 5-star rating, helps build trust. When potential clients see that others have had positive experiences with your team, they’re more likely to trust you with their pets’ care.
Job Searching
If you are looking to hire, remember that your reviews play a part in the recruitment process. You may not be hiring today, but when you do, candidates will look at your reviews to see if this is a practice they want to work at. How are you responding to good and negative reviews? This will give the job seeker insight into the practice's culture.
SEO, Search Rankings, and Online Visibility
While we talk a lot about the impact online business reviews have on trust, credibility, and reputation, they also play a major role in something that most practice owners and managers might not even realize: enhancing your online visibility.
Search engines like Google consider reviews a major ranking factor – meaning, the more positive reviews your practice gets online, the more likely it is that your practice will rank higher in local search results. This means when potential clients in your area search for “veterinary practices near me,” your clinic will be one of the first options they see. It’s also been shown that businesses with higher ratings and more reviews see greater click-through rates, ultimately bringing more traffic to your website and potentially more clients onto your appointment books.
Now that we’ve covered why getting more online reviews matters for your practice, let’s get started with the fun stuff: how to actually get more reviews.
4 Strategies to Get More Online Business Reviews
Just Ask!
It sounds simple, but one of the most effective ways to get more online reviews is to ask for them directly. Research shows that 86% of consumers are willing to leave a review when asked — so imagine how many positive reviews you might be missing out on by simply not requesting them from your clients!
The best time to ask for a review is right after a successful appointment or service. When a pet owner is happy with the care and attention their pet received, they’ll be more inclined to leave a glowing review. Timing is key: you don’t want to ask a client who is dealing with a difficult diagnosis or mourning the loss of a pet. Instead, approach clients who have had a positive experience. You or your staff will need to read the room and use their discretion to determine whether or not it's an appropriate time to ask for a review or some feedback.
You can ask for reviews in person when they pick up their pet, but don’t hesitate to use email or SMS to follow up later. A polite email reminder a few days after the appointment with a link to your review platform can go a long way. Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram also offer excellent avenues for soliciting reviews. Don’t be afraid to post a request for feedback, or even use your website to guide visitors directly to your review page.
Incentivize Your Reviews
Let’s face it — everyone loves getting something for free, and your clients are no exception. Offering incentives is a great way to encourage clients to leave a review and show them how appreciative you are for sharing their experience with the local pet owner community. You can provide small discounts on services or products, or provide gift certificates to those who take the time to share their experiences and leave you an online business review.
Are discounts and gift certificates not really your thing? Don’t worry, there are other ways to incentivize reviews! Consider running a monthly raffle or contest where each review submitted earns an entry. This not only motivates more people to write reviews, but it also creates some excitement for your clients and gives them another way to engage with your practice outside of their pet’s medical visits.
Make It Easy to Leave a Review
One of the most common reasons clients may not leave a review is that it’s too difficult or time-consuming to do so. You can significantly boost your chances of getting more business reviews by making the process as simple and convenient as possible. Here are a few ways to do this:
- Place visible QR codes around your clinic that link directly to your preferred review platforms. Clients can scan these codes while they’re waiting for their pet or at the checkout counter, taking them directly to your review page with minimal effort.
- Include review links in follow-up emails and SMS messages. By having a quick, clickable link, clients are more likely to take a few moments to write a review.
- Add a dedicated page to your website that provides easy access to your Google, Yelp, or Facebook review forms. Make it clear and user-friendly to get the best results and most reviews.
At the end of the day, the easier it is for clients to leave a review, the more likely they are to do it.
Don’t Forget About Calls to Action
While you might think of calls to action (CTAs) predominantly as tools for booking appointments, they are also highly effective in encouraging clients to leave reviews. CTAs do exactly what they say: prompt action — whether in person or online. Don’t shy away from incorporating CTAs into your communication with clients to nudge them toward leaving a review. Again, you’re likely to miss out on a ton of reviews if you aren’t asking!
Here are some ways to use CTAs to get more business reviews:
- Include a CTA at the bottom of your appointment confirmation and follow-up emails. Something as simple as “We’d love to hear your feedback! Leave us a review here” can work wonders.
- Add CTAs to your social media posts. When you share stories about happy patients or exciting events at your practice, encourage your followers to share their own experiences.
- Incorporate a review CTA into your receipts or invoices. As we discussed above, you can even include a direct link or QR code that takes clients to your review platform. Links are even easier if your practice sends out digital receipts, too!
- Use signage in your clinic, such as posters or flyers, that direct clients to your online review platforms. Be sure to make it clear and actionable! When it comes to asking for reviews, less is usually better. Just be sure to remind your clients how quick and easy leaving their feedback can be, as everyone values their time.
Make the Most Out of Your Client Reviews
Gaining more online reviews for your veterinary practice doesn’t have to be a challenging process by any means. By adopting a proactive approach and utilizing the right strategies, you can create a strong online reputation that helps you attract new clients and keep your current ones satisfied. Just by requesting reviews, providing incentives, making it easy for clients to leave feedback, and using effective calls to action, your practice can generate a regular stream of positive reviews that show every pet owner in your community what your practice is all about.
Want to take the hassle out of managing all of your new online reviews? Team up with GeniusVets for superior review management tools and strategies. Book a consultation now to learn how our team can make the most out of your client’s reviews and feedback.