For many shed customers, buying from one dealership or another doesn’t make much of a difference. By and large, the general public doesn’t know specific differences between shed manufacturers, supplies, materials, or anything that goes into getting those portable buildings to their home. If that’s true for your market, you’re likely feeling limited on ways to differentiate yourself from your competitors. That’s where customer testimonials and reviews come in. When Average Joe decides he needs a storage shed or a greenhouse or a she-shed or an easy garage solution, he is most likely going to start with a simple Google search for sheds in his area, and will likely take reviews and testimonials into consideration. Testimonials build trust, enhance credibility, and directly influence purchase decisions.
The Value of Online Reviews
According to On the Map Internet Marketing, 89% of consumers go to Google first when looking to learn more about local businesses, followed by Facebook at 48%, and Yelp at 32%. What does this mean for you? It means it is imperative that your business ranks highly on those platforms, both in terms of presence in the search results and quality and quantity of valid consumer reviews.
If you already have a decent pool of reviews and testimonials on Google, Facebook, and Yelp – great! Now you should be utilizing those assets on your website and social media. Don’t be afraid to boast about it!
However, more is always merrier when it comes to reviews. Your sales reps need to find creative ways to ask successful customers for reviews or testimonials. Most importantly, asking for these reviews should not feel like a burden to the customer. That could mean a QR code they can scan is placed in their closing packet (or even in the portable building itself!), or a follow up e-mail that goes out a few weeks after the customer receives their building.
There are lots of ways to farm for reviews and testimonials, and when done correctly, they don’t burden the customer and greatly benefit the business. If you need help coming up with ideas, creating signage asking for reviews, or some insight into how to automate those follow up emails, reach out to us! The ShedBetter team is always happy to help.
First-Hand Testimonials: Authenticity Matters
The golden geese of customer reviews and testimonials: an elated customer asking how else that can help promote your business. It may not pop up a lot, but when it does, it is in your best interest to NOT give them a generic, “tell your friends! Spread the word!” Test the waters and see if they’d be interested in a video interview or a written testimonial. If they’re game, try your best to get a videographer of some sort and schedule the three parties to meet up and shoot the video interview. If that’s not possible, at least get your hands on a phone tripod so you have something better than shaky, low quality smart phone video.
Once you have that video interview in the can, you’re set. If done correctly, that video can last you the better part of a year (in addition to other tactics). Cut it into different clips and post on social media, give it to your local TV station as a basis for a new commercial, and of course GET THAT VIDEO ON YOUR WEBSITE.
Humanizing your brand with these types of testimonials will show all potential customers that real people trust you. People with faces, names, stories, not just an anonymous user online.
In some cases, you can use those glowing reviews users are putting in the comments of your Facebook post or instant messaging you or posting them on your profile (just be sure you have their permission to share the kind message).
SEO and Aggregated Ratings: Standing Out Online
I don’t want to get too “in the weeds” with this topic, but it is important to note. Once you’ve gained a significant amount of reviews and testimonials, getting them on your website is of utmost importance.
Simply using a WordPress plug-in or manually writing out some of your reviews isn’t always enough, either. To really get those most bang from your buck, you’ll want to implement schema markup to ensure aggregated ratings are displayed correctly in search engines. Basically, ratings can be entered and formatted in certain ways on your website to ensure Google recognizes them and boosts your page to the top of the search results.
I’m oversimplifying this a bit, but like I said it is important to to get those star ratings in search engine results pages (SERPs). And again, if you need help with any of this, don’t hesitate to reach out to the ShedBetter team.
Honest and real reviews from your successful customers may be one of the most important tools you can utilize to separate yourself from competitors. And once you have them appearing in search results, using them again and again on your website, social media, and other advertising efforts can elevate your brand awareness to the next level.
Work with Us
Ready to get started? Our team is here to help you build an unforgettable brand! Our designers, writers, and marketers are experts at crafting a unique identity for your Shed business and making sure it shines at every touchpoint—whether online, in print, or beyond. Reach out to ShedBetter today, and let’s build a brand your customers will love! Also, give us a like and a follow on facebook to keep up with the latest in the shed industry.
