You’re probably familiar with online reviews for restaurants, hotels, and other businesses. But what about home renovation companies? Online company reviews are important for any business, but they can be especially valuable for small businesses in our industry. Here’s why home renovation company reviews are so important:
1. Provide social proof.
2. Helps attract new customers.
3. Gives valuable feedback.
4. Improve search engine ranking.
Keep reading to learn more…
1. Online Company Reviews Provide Social Proof
Social proof is the idea that people are more likely to do something if they see that others are doing it too. In other words, it’s validation from our peers that something is worth our time and attention. When it comes to home renovations, potential customers want to see that others have had a positive experience working with a business before they’ll commit to hiring.
That’s where online company reviews come in. A potential customer who sees that a business has mostly positive online reviews is more likely to trust that business than one whose reviews are all over the place or, worse, non-existent.
What’s more, social proof is especially important for small businesses because they don’t have the same kind of name recognition as a big-box store or a national brand. They have to work a little harder (okay, a lot harder) to prove that they’re worth the prospective customers’ time and money.
2. Online Company Reviews Help Attract New Customers
In addition to providing social proof, online company reviews can also help attract new customers—especially if effort to respond to every review (more on that later) is made.
Positivity breeds positivity, and when potential customers see that a company is responsive to customer feedback—both positive and negative—they’ll be more likely to do business with them instead of with one of their competitors who doesn’t bother responding at all.
Another way that online company reviews help attract new customers is by giving the company free marketing content that can be shared on their social media channels and website.
By sharing positive reviews on those channels, their increasing the visibility of their business and putting themselves in front of potential customers who might not have otherwise heard of them—all without spending a dime!
3. Online Company Reviews Give Valuable Feedback
In addition to helping you attract new customers, online company reviews also give valuable feedback that can be used to improve their business.
Even if a review is mostly positive, there’s usually at least one constructive criticism included that can be used to make their business even better. For example, if a customer says they loved their kitchen renovation but wished the project had been completed sooner, they know that timelines are something they need to focus on in future projects.
Of course, no business is perfect, so it’s also important not to take negative reviews too personally—use them as an opportunity to learn and grow!
4. Online Company Reviews Improve The Company’s Search Engine Ranking
Last but not least, online company reviews can also help improve search engine rankings—which means more people will see their website when they’re searching for home renovation companies in their area. How does this work?
Well, when potential customers search for home renovation companies and see a business listed near the top of the results page, they’re more likely than not going to click on that listing first—after all, who wants to scroll through page after page of search results?
Moreover, when Google sees that people are clicking on that listing and staying on your website (aka “dwell time”), they’ll interpret this as a sign that this website is relevant and useful—and will reward that site by moving their listing even higher up the results page next time someone searches for home renovation companies!
5. They Validate Expertise
A significant reason why online reviews matter to home renovators is they validate their expertise in a very real way.
After all, anyone can claim they’re the best home renovators in the world, but without actual customer reviews to back them up, those claims are about as valuable as hot air.
By seeing numerous five-star reviews from real-life clients, prospective customers will be more likely to part way with their hard earned dollars in exchange for renovation services.
There’s plenty of proof to back this up, too.
According to a study by BigCommerce, products and services with positive reviews are 270% more likely to sell than those without any reviews. Moreover, if a company has an excellent reputation, customers are willing to pay 22% more for their services – according to a study by MarketWatch (https://www.marketwatch.com/story/people-will-pay-22-more-for-certain-products-if-the-company-has-a-good-reputation-2018-12-14)
That means positive reviews will not only influence more customers to do business with a home renovation company, but they’ll end up spending more than they would have without seeing any reviews.
Glowing online reviews also influence purchasing decisions, as they’re often the deciding factor.
For instance, if a customer is comparing two home renovation companies that are near equal in every regard, they’re far more likely to choose the one that has lots of positive reviews as opposed to one that has zero reviews.
Without reviews, customers will feel a heightened sense of risk which can lead them to back out and choose someone else. Undergoing major home renovations is a significant investment for a homeowner, which is why positive reviews are a must for renovation companies.
6. They Expand Reach and Influence
Another huge perk of online reviews is they expand the reach and influence of home renovation companies.
How do they do that?
They do by broadening your online presence beyond your website and social media profiles. Third-party directories such as Yelp, Angi, and Google Business Profile list online reviews for all sorts of businesses, home renovation companies included.
Beyond that, they each have massive online audiences, which place home renovation companies in front of the eyes of tons of new prospects. Yelp and Angi are always appearing at the top of search engine results pages, which is why it’s so beneficial to allow customers to post reviews there.
What’s even better is companies can directly interact with their audience on these directories, which is a plus. That means renovators can directly respond to reviews, answer questions, and address any potential issues.
That kind of customer interaction further builds trust, as it shows the company is willing to reach out to its customers and address their issues to ensure their total satisfaction.
Also, customers are more likely to trust these reviews because they come from third-party websites, which means they’re impartial.
Last but not least, listing a home renovation website on local directories like Yellow Pages and Yelp doesn’t cost a dime. As a result, home renovation companies can enjoy free promotion and advertising from positive reviews listed on these types of websites.
As you can see, there are plenty of good reasons why every home renovation company should care about online reviews, they provide social proof , attract new customers , give valuable feedback , and improve your search engine ranking. And there’s no time like the present to start giving those five-star reviews.
So reach out today to leave your honest feedback about your experience working with a business on Google , Yelp , Facebook , or wherever else they prefer to leave their reviews will only take a few minutes of their time and could really benefit your business in the long run ! Thanks for reading! Don’t hesitate to reach out for a free in-home consultation or give us a call at (613)727-9427
