Stop, Look, And Listen - Veterinarians Should Check And Respond To Online Reviews
Local pet owners have a lot to consider when choosing a veterinary practice to care for their beloved pets. First and foremost, they’re going to check your online reviews. Whether they see your PPC ads, click your social posts, or find your website in Google results, their journey to you is likely to include getting a glimpse of what other pet owners are saying about your business. According to research, 93% of consumers use the internet to find a local business, and 87% read online reviews before contacting a local business. Finding and promptly responding to those reviews can help you influence their decisions...and steer them to your practice.
Who is Writing and Reading Online Reviews?
When a service is provided, customers will either be satisfied or dissatisfied, taking their experience straight to the web. You can amplify positive reviews by posting them on your website or sharing them on social media, and that can encourage other clients to leave their own positive feedback or potential new clients to seek you out. Sometimes that review is negative and should be considered an opportunity for a business to do better. Knowing who reads those reviews and how they are used in the decision-making process is half the battle.
These stats reveal the widespread influence of online reviews:
9 out of 10 consumers read online reviews 55% of consumers form an opinion by reading at least 4 reviews on your business 79% of consumers trust online reviews as much as they trust a personal recommendation 97% of those who read reviews also read the business response, and 45% say they’re more likely to visit a business if they respond to negative reviews More than half of consumers who leave a negative review expect the business to respond within a week 59% of consumers use Google to read reviews 8 in 10 consumers will consult online reviews for local businesses.
How do Online Reviews Affect Businesses?
Google loves online reviews for all of the same reasons that pet owners love online reviews. Although hundreds of factors play into SEO, Google is increasingly prioritizing online reviews as a local ranking factor. Reviews now account for more than 16% of Local Map Pack rankings and 6% for Local Organic rankings, but it isn’t just star ratings that matter. Google looks at other information, too, such as the number of reviews you’re receiving, how frequently you’re receiving them, and how often you’re responding to those reviews - even positive ones! People who have had a bad experience are 3 times more likely to leave a review on their own, but 70% of people will leave a review if asked. This means that if you have strategies in place to ask for reviews, you can tap into the 70% of people who love you but wouldn’t typically seek out a review site to share their thoughts. As review sites try to balance the needs of both businesses and the consumers who use them, the strategies for using them effectively change frequently. It’s essential to stay on top of those changes because they often guide the way you can collect and manage your reviews.
Where Should Veterinarians Check For Online Reviews? “The Big 3”
You’ve heard of “The Big 3” review sites, but do you know the tremendous opportunity they can present for your practice?
1. Google - Your reviews are front and center any time someone finds your business on Google. It is the most widely used search engine and online directory; at least 65% of consumers look to Google for reviews before making purchasing decisions. You can collect more Google reviews by ensuring that your Google My Business listing information is updated and linking to that listing from your website and other marketing material. ?
2. Yelp - Ranks second as the most used resource for reviews, with 45% of consumers leaving a review about a business here. Although Yelp's terms of service state that you can no longer ask your clients to leave reviews, there are plenty of other ways for people to find and review you. For instance, if a client “checks in” on Yelp during their visit to your practice, Yelp will email that person asking for a review, and reviews left in this sequence will not be filtered on your Yelp listing. Yelp also offers website badges that update in real-time and window stickers for your practice’s front door or window. Yelp is also consistently shown in top local search results when people find your business on Google. ?
3. Facebook - As the third most popular review site, Facebook has given business recommendations more prominence than ever throughout the platform. Facebook recommendations are no longer based on a simple star rating left on your business page but instead prompt quality content from a user instead of leaving only stars. Users can find and share reviews on your business page, in their personal news feeds, and within groups, all of which play a part in how your business is recommended to other users on Facebook.
Your Practice’s Online Reputation is Shaped in Other Places, Too
While many business owners know to check Google, Yelp, and Facebook, those are only a few of the places where one can leave a review about your business.
You can also see what people have to say about you and your practice in the following places:
Apple Maps, after the release of their iOS14 update in late 2021, has started to roll out a rating system using thumbs up and thumbs down for businesses. This system prompts users to share how they feel and leave a photo, which is a change from how Apple initially pulled from Yelp. This will become increasingly important for all business owners to monitor Apple Maps.
NextDoor business reviews, which are essentially a recommendation of a business from one of the over 10 million users, have started to grow as more and more people ask “where to go.” This will offer the opportunity for businesses to connect with residents and manage their reputations all in one place.
Angi, which is considered a higher-end review site geared towards service-type businesses. You will find a lot less of the ranting and raving here compared to other popular review locations.
Online directories, which are digital business listings with the bonus of carrying reviews. These include MerchantCircle, superpages, Citysearch, insiderpages, Foursquare, and The Real Yellow Pages.
Better Business Bureau, a nonprofit site, evaluates businesses against best practices for how a business should treat the public. Your own website, which is the one place where you have total control of your reviews. This is also an excellent place to publicize reviews you’ve gotten, including those that have been left on other sites such as Facebook or Google.
Encourage Positive Reviews…The Right Way
Many veterinary marketers ask, “How can I encourage our existing clients to advocate for us by leaving positive reviews?”
Encourage your happy clients to advocate for you online with these tips:
Ask at the right moment. Be aware and look for that positive moment, such as a chatty, upbeat appointment checkout. Keep in mind that 70% of clients are likely to follow through with a review when asked, so don’t be shy!
At the end of a visit, ask clients an open-ended question: “How was your experience with Dr. ______ today?” Not only is this a genuine way to get feedback, but it can also help you sneakily find out their happiness level. If they are happy, they may want to share their thoughts online. If the response is not positive, you can rectify a negative situation before a review is left.
Encourage reviews through an email campaign or a newsletter by including the option for clients to leave a positive review. After each client’s appointment, send them a follow-up email containing doctor notes, instructions, and recommendations. This is an excellent opportunity to ask the client about their experience and to leave a review.
Use website review tools or widgets that allow you to give clients an opportunity to leave a review on your website by way of a form. Conversion rate (in this case, completion on that online form) is usually high, and it can even improve your website’s SEO performance.
How Should Veterinarians Reply to Online Reviews?
Once you know where to find your reviews, you will also want a plan for responding to them. While we understand that this is not always the favorite thing for veterinarians, it can make a difference in how potential customers view you and choose where they will take their pets. Users will leave three different types of reviews: positive, negative, and inaccurate or fake. Negative reviews and positive reviews are not that different in your approach, and both types deserve thoughtful responses. But how do you respond?
Positive Reviews (4 and 5 Stars)
Always respond in a way that shows you appreciate them and their review by using their first name and their pet's name (without violating their privacy). Don't reply with only a generic, "Thank you." Putting thought into your response builds that relationship and shows prospective clients that you really care about your clients and their pets. Replies do not need to be lengthy but should include some key points if available (i.e., repeating back part of their review).
Negative Reviews (1 and 2 Stars)
Consumers look for a quick resolution when they feel they have been wronged or experienced poor service. It is vital to try and respond to negative feedback online within a week, so please keep that in mind as you work through the suggested processes.
These should be tackled by the practice owner, doctor, or manager -- after they have talked to the team and have all the facts. Before responding online, call the client and talk to them about their experience and perspective, listening to them in a supportive way, with some sort of offer to make it right. This should take place within the first 24 hours and will often diffuse the situation immediately. If you were able to get the resolution you sought, repairing that relationship, ask them if they wouldn’t mind amending their review to show you are back on good terms. From here, you can send them a follow-up email, including the link to the review, thanking them for amending. Wait one day to allow time for them to make the change. If they have not updated the review, you can reply on the review platform stating you have talked to the client, repaired the situation, and are back on good terms. Don’t be defensive or aggressive when faced with a negative review. Approach each review gratefully, again, as an opportunity to view the pet owner’s perspective. If you have to give yourself a bit of time to temper any emotions, do so before you reply so that you’re able to keep your tone measured and helpful.
If you could not repair the relationship and find a resolution with a phone call, you will want to reply online.
It’s important to remember that at this point, you are not responding to the reviewer; you are posting a response for the benefit of future clients. Keep the response simple and polite. State that you are concerned because you care for the individual client and pet -- just like you care about all of your clients and patients. Note that you have reached out personally to seek a resolution, and that offer will remain open, even if the client does not accept it immediately. The bottom line is that you’re happy to help, and your tone will stay happy and helpful. Once you have replied, never respond again. Even if the client continues to post, you cannot allow an online review to become a back and forth “fight.” Show anyone else who will read this review that you can take the higher ground, which will positively reflect your business.
3-Star Reviews
These are reviews that are not necessarily negative but are not positive either. People who leave reviews like this tend not to be angry but are disappointed by some sort of an action (behind schedule, perceived rudeness, does not feel listened to, etc.). These reviews should be handled similarly to negative reviews as they can help repair relationships, and they are also an opportunity for your business to do better.
Fake or Inaccurate Reviews
Sometimes people will leave a review for the wrong practice because many veterinary practices across the country have the same or very similar names. You may also come across some who leave fake negative reviews due to personal motivations or as they feel a friend or family member has been wronged. Even fake or inaccurate reviews still deserve your attention. Again, take a polite tone, but you’ll explain that this may not be a legitimate review this time. You may not be able to find an appointment record that matches the names or experience described, so the review probably does not pertain to your business. Once you have replied, you can file a ticket with the directory or platform where the review was left to dispute it and potentially have the review removed.
Be Prompt When Responding to Reviews
In all cases, it can be helpful to respond quickly. You should never let a review simply sit without a response; prompt replies show both the reviewer and potential clients that your staff is attentive and caring. Plus, if you can reach out within 24 hours, you significantly increase the chances of a reviewer changing a negative review to a positive one when the issue has been resolved.
Like every other aspect of digital marketing, successfully managing your practice’s online reviews takes commitment and planning. But also, like other aspects of marketing, this can become an organized routine. Set aside time to check for online reviews each week, and then form a plan of attack that is, in fact, NOT an attack. If you remain grateful that your clients are willing to share their thoughts, then your gratitude will shine through in your responses, along with your focus on resolving issues as needed.
Are you wondering about your veterinary practice’s overall performance online? Consider a GeniusVets Marketing Health Exam, or contact us for more information.
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