That’s why at whirLocal, even though our message is reviews and testimonials, you’ll always hear us talk about Directory Listings, Google Places, Blog Posts and Social Media. In fact, our process is built on a proven integration and interaction of these elements that work together to boost your company’s search engine ranking and online reputation. Each one created or claimed, optimized and integrated to drive traffic back to the core as part of every whirLocal Review Engine we build.

Would our review system work without integrating Facebook or claiming and optimizing your business listing on Bing? Sure it would, but why would we give our clients only one slice of a whole pie. Looking at the chart below, we can easily see that reviews and testimonials are given equal weight to claiming directories, building links and setting up social accounts. Would you buy a car with one of its core features missing, say, the driver’s seat? Probably not, it’ll still run but getting to work every morning would be almost impossible. This same logic applies to local search. Setting up your social media accounts will help your business get found. So too will having a system in place to gather reviews on your website. But what about an integrated comprehensive search solution? Consider the power of sharing your great reviews on Facebook and Twitter, using each customer generated review to build search engine links and citations and a service that claims and optimizes critical search directories. That’s what whirLocal does and that’s how we “Harness the Power of Positive Reviews” to drive business to your core.

Build a Blog

If you’re considering a website upgrade or overhaul, now is a perfect time to consider utilizing WordPress to create the entire site with an integrated blog.

With a blog, potential customers can see your passion and expertise for your business and you can quickly build client engagement by allowing them the opportunity to leave comments on your articles.

Blogging within a WordPress site allows you to easily post rich media such as photos, mp3s, podcasts and videos directly into your website, giving clients and search engines consistent fresh content to drive business to your site.

Encourage Customer Reviews – If you are a local plumber, for example, you can encourage customers to leave reviews on search engine directory sites like Google Places or Bing Local. These sites, as well as other directories like Yahoo and Yelp, are a critical addition to your local search marketing efforts and multiple reviews do help in getting a higher ranking. Take an hour or two and claim and optimize the pages that will be most important to your customers and then ask your customers to post reviews about their experience with your business. This can be done by adding links to these sites on your website and putting up signage in your business. Not every review will be stellar but that is ok – take the negative reviews as an opportunity to grow your customer service skills or enhance your product offering. We’ll be covering how to properly respond to negative reviews in a future post, so stay tuned.

Post Testimonials and Reviews – Armed with your new blog or WordPress website, you can also capture positive customer comments and put them on your own site in a variety of easy ways. Video testimonials are one such way to get your positive message out and build credibility with potential clients. Grab a video camera or even a cell phone and get a quick interview with your happy clients. Then post it to your WordPress website or blog for potential customers to watch. Another great way to get testimonials on your site and even into your social media accounts, like Facebook and Twitter, is with whirLocal.com. WhirLocal is a review system that not only makes it easy gather, manage and share reviews, but it also boosts your search engine ranking with each new review left. WhirLocal integrates seamlessly into WordPress, Facebook and Twitter, as well as many others, so each approved review will be posted live to your website and social accounts.

Utilize Social Media – Building out your companies social media channels can be a big boost to your online “cred”. Social media offers clients and potential customers the opportunity to find and engage with your business in ways that were not even thought of just a few years ago. Not only can your business push offers, promotions and product information, but clients can engage your brand, resolve customer service issues and even spread recommendations all within a social network such as Facebook. Credibility is built by consistently engaging with your fans and followers and sharing client testimonials and customer reviews directly on your pages. Social media sites are indexed by the major search engines and with the advent of Google’s new social site, Google+, social media use will certainly be a factor in getting your business found online.

Learning to create, navigate and promote your business on these channels can be a bit of a time consuming challenge as they each have differing audiences with vastly different expectations. If you’re not totally social media savvy it would be wise to enlist the help of an online marketing agency to set-up your initial profiles and build a social marketing strategy specific to your business needs.

Be Easy to Reach – Open up all the channels of communication! Nothing frustrates clients more than not being to reach or get a response from someone at your business. Foster open communication on your social sites and respond rapidly to e-mail and phone messages. Make your contact info easy to find by placing your phone number, e-mail address and social media channels on each page of your website. Also, add them to your e-mail footers and make sure your website address and social media profiles are listed on any printed documents such as envelopes, invoices and contracts.

Leverage Referrals and Cross Promotions – Build your word-of-mouth marketing with a referral reward program. Referral programs typically offer discounts, bonuses or free services within your own business, but don’t be afraid to step outside the box on this one. Look for reward opportunities that exist outside your core business – clients will appreciate the genuine offering without it feeling so much like a business transaction. Try partnering with a local sandwich shop to give a free lunch and share the expenses and cross promotion. Cross promoting is a great tool to build credibility, since both businesses now have a reputation at stake. If you do choose to stay within your own organization make sure the reward is worth the referral and not just a promotion in sheep’s clothing. Whether you choose to offer discounts to your own business or partner with another, make your referral program easy to share via e-mail, social media, mobile and your website.

Just remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day and your business “cred” won’t appear overnight. It takes planning, consistency and great customer service to build a great reputation. It can be hard work at times, but, with the right tools and mindset, it is also a wonderful opportunity to engage clients in new ways and even have a bit of fun too.

How do people find your business today? Traditional advertising methods over the years have included ads in yellow pages, radio, newspaper, and local TV. However, according to Bill Gates, ““Yellow Page usage … will drop to zero, near zero, in the next five years.” (March 2007)

Consumers today are increasingly using search engines such as Google, Yahoo, and Bing, along with social media sites such as Facebook, and review sites like Yelp, whirLocal or Angie’s List. There are actually over 1500 sites similar to these. We call this the “new normal” of how somebody finds your business.

When it comes to search engines, almost 7 out of 10 web searches originate on Google. Interestingly enough, 89% of all clicks on Google happen on page one. Unlike traditional media like yellow pages, the majority of people simply don’t go to page two.

The good news is that 84% of web searchers are looking for local main street businesses. The bad news is that your business may not be showing up on page one.

Of course most business owners point to referrals as the number one source of new business. But what is the first thing people do when they are referred to you? They “Google” you to find out more about you and the type of business you are. If your website, social media, and online reviews are not up to par, the referral may not turn into new business.

In fact, 52% of consumers say that online reviews are the most influential factor when making a purchase decision. The ability to find out what people are saying about you on social media sites like Facebook and reviews sites is why reputation management is becoming a critical piece of the marketing puzzle for local main street businesses.

The bottom line trend that we are seeing is that consumers are trusting online reviews, social media postings and “shares”, and organic search results more than any ad – “traditional” or online – that you can place.

To help market your local business with these trends in mind, here are four strategies that we recommend;

1. Setup a Facebook fan page for your business: Fan pages are for your business, unlike a personal profile, which should be about you. We recommend using the three “E’s” when coming up with content – Educate, Encourage, and Engage.

2. Network via Linkedin.com: Linkedin is a professional business networking web site that allows you to virtually “network” leverage the connections and relationships that you build. The system allows you to see up to three levels of connections, which can help you get warm introduction to a potential prospect versus a cold call.

3. Create a YouTube channel: YouTube is the world’s 2^nd largest search engine, behind Google. Why? Because people often trust authentic video more than slick TV commercials, so they search for what they need on YouTube. Google and other search engines now return videos as part of keyword related searches, so this can be a great way to get found and build online trust.

4. Ask for reviews from your customers: As mentioned above, online reviews are now playing an increasingly important role in whether somebody decides to do business with you. It is important to be proactive about asking for reviews from your customers. You can direct them to sites such as whirLocal, Google Places, Yelp, or even get authentic video testimonials to load on YouTube.

What can all of this mean for a local main street business?

1. Multiple storefronts: By setting up online social media profiles and what we like to call “Channels”, you now have the opportunity to have multiple online storefronts and the opportunity to build solid relationships with your target market.

2. Increased search engine results: Google is now increasingly including social media sites, reviews, and even sites that your friends on social media circles “shared” on the first page of search results pages. Using these recommended strategies will help your search engine results.

3. Build and manage your online reputation: By being proactive about asking for reviews, you also become more engaged in controlling your online reputation, which is critical in today’s recommendation age.

4. Build your buzz, brand and business: Using these tools will allow you to generate more leads, prospects, customers, and raving fans.

Today’s recommendation age is a great opportunity for smart local business owners to use the tools and systems available to grow their reputation and business.

Tim Fahndrich is a founding partner of thirdRiver Marketing, LLC, a nationally recognized, locally based new media marketing agency and creator of whirLocal, a reputation management system. He is a frequent speaker on the topic of social media and reputation management for business. You can reach Tim at 503.581.4554 or visit their web site at www.thethirdriver.com.

What did we do when we needed a plumber before all this Social-Media-Web-Stuff?

Have we all forgotten – We asked a friend, asked a neighbor or asked the concierge. “Hey, where’s a great place to get a steak?” or “Know a good plumber?” Simple, right! Well, nothing has really changed except the face-to-face interaction. Today, we scour the net for our recommendations. We search reviews on Amazon before buying a summer read, we check Google before buying a new car and we certainly take a peek at Rotten Tomatoes before wasting $20.00 and two hours on one of Hollywood’s self-proclaimed “Blockbuster.” Today’s consumer is informed, well informed. They are socially connected through Twitter and Facebook and honestly, they won’t waste their time or money on a product, service, movie or meal without doing a quick on the web or within their social sphere.

MAKE IT EASY TO SAVE TIME.

Reviews save your customers time and time is a very valuable commodity today. How many times have you been searching for a product, any product, and just bought the one with the best reviews? It happens all the time. I do it. You do it, too. In fact, most online retailers will allow you to sort or filter results according to the best reviews. Do you have the time and energy to drive to each electronics store and try-out every new 32” LCD. No, neither do I. I look for the features I want and then read the user reviews of the sets on sites like Best Buy and Amazon and then purchase from whomever has the best combo of price, customer service and availability. Would I buy a set with no reviews, probably not…I’ll let some other adventurous soul waste their time and money, mines too important.

• When making purchase decisions, North American Internet users trust recommendations from people they know and opinions posted by unknown consumers online more than advertisements on television, on the radio, in magazines and newspapers, or in other traditional media. (Nielsen Online, April 2009)

• 91% of millionaires say they always or often look at reviews before buying luxury goods; 68% of ultra-affluent shoppers use consumer reviews. (Unity Marketing/Google study, reported in AdAge, October 2008)

• 90% of consumers online trust recommendations from people they know; 70% trust opinions of unknown users. (Econsultancy, July 2009)

• 83% of all holiday shoppers are influenced by customer reviews. (ChannelAdvisor “Consumer Shopping Habits Survey”, August 2010)

MAKE MORE SAVE MORE.

We all want to make and save more money. Certainly we can see how great reviews spur consumer confidence and thus result in higher conversions. When was the last time you purchased something with bad reviews or no reviews at all? Sure you might take a chance on that low budget spend like lunch at the local greasy spoon, but what about that higher ticket item or personal service. That new $1000 video camera you’re counting on to capture little Johnny’s state championship game or the local plumber who’ll be installing your new master bathroom suite or even your dentist that recommended you get a root canal. Reviews build confidence and I’ll certainly be thinking about what past clients had to say before the Novacaine takes effect.

One of the relatively unknown positive effects of having great reviews is less returns and refunds. It seems customers are happier and less likely complain or request a refund if they believe that others have had success with your product or service. They are also still likely to recommend your services to others, even if they themselves have had a less then desirable experience. Chock it up to human psychology – people like to feel accepted and no one wants to be the odd man out, even if the group is someone you’ve never met. Tell me you’ve never heard someone recommend a restaurant and say “Well I didn’t really care for what I had, but Joe loved it. So I would try it again.” Again, more reviews help you convert more and save more in less returns.

• Products with reviews have a 20.4% lower return rate than those without reviews. (Bazaarvoice PETCO Case Study, 2007)

• 92% shoppers have more confidence in info sought online vs. anything from a sales clerk or other source. (Wall Street Journal, January 2009)

• 67% of shoppers spend more online after recommendations from online community of friends. (Internet Retailer, September 2009)

• Consumers were willing to pay between 20 to 99% more for a 5-star rated product than for a 4-star rated product, depending on the product category. (comScore/Kelsey, October 2007)

• High product rating will increase likelihood of purchase for 55% of consumers. (eConsultancy, July 2010)

MORE REVIEWS EQUALS MORE CUSTOMERS

As we’ve already seen more reviews will get you more sales, less returns and higher margins once your customers find you. But how can reviews help me get found? That’s just how search engines work. They love fresh and relevant content. If clients are consistently leaving reviews about your business, each individual review creates a new link with to your name. The more links that mention you, the easier your website is to find. Of course, if you could control the review process and own the site where the reviews are left, then all the better. The links would point directly back to your company. But what about Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and the plethora of other popular social media sites? Are your reviews working for you here too or are you missing a huge piece of the pie. Social media is another critical distribution and search tool for your company’s positive reviews. In fact, a recent article in The Telegraph (UK) found that traditional social network ads fail to engage 96% of users; users of social media sites such as Facebook “are looking for buyer reviews.” Are your reviews posted on Facebook? They should be because content on Facebook and LinkedIn also shows up on search engines too.

• Majority of consumers (74%) rely on social networks to guide purchase decisions. (Gartner, July 2010)

• 44% of Moms use social media for brand/product recommendations; 73% trust online community recommendations. (BabyCenter LLC, July 2009)

• Facebook, blogs, Twitter and customer reviews are considered the most effective tactics for mobilizing consumers to talk up products online. (Etailing survey of 117 companies, September 2009)

• Users put great trust in their social networks. 50% of respondents said they considered information shared on their networks when making a decision—and the proportion was higher among users ages 18 to 24, at 65%. (eMarketer, October 2009)

• In a study of online UK retailers, 59% reported that the consumer-generated activity leads to better search engine optimization. (eMarketer, 2007)