As more and more people resort to the internet for recommendations on everything from restaurants to plumbers, it's no surprise that funeral homes are also being judged by their online reviews. While a few bad reviews are not the end of the world, a funeral home with no online reviews or only positive ones is likely to raise some eyebrows.
When it comes to increasing positive reviews about your funeral home, you must take several steps to ensure you have an online presence that can positively impact your business in the lives of others.
Ask For Reviews for Your Business
If you want to get more online reviews, you must ensure you actively ask your customers for feedback and encourage them to leave an honest review on your Google Business page or other review sites. GMB reviews and others online can help inform other bereaved families of the services you provide.
Being unsure of how to ask a customer for a review during such a challenging time is understandable. However, you must encourage them to provide an honest review to let other people know about your business and your compassionate services.
After a funeral service, email or call asking if the family was satisfied with the service and if they would be willing to leave a review on your website or Google My Business page. If you don't receive many responses, you can also consider offering an incentive, like a discount on future services, which encourages people to leave a review.
Respond to Any Negative Reviews
Take the time to respond to any negative reviews professionally and compassionately. As you can imagine, staying calm when another person is saying something negative about your business is not always easy.
However, it is important to remember that most people who take the time to leave a review do so because they want to help others make an informed decision. So thank them for their feedback and then calmly explain why you think their experience was not representative of what your funeral home typically offers.
Suppose you can effectively address any concerns raised in a negative review. In that case, you'll improve your chances of attracting new customers and show existing clients that you're committed to providing the best possible service.
Regularly Monitor Your Online Reviews
Finally, stay on top of what people say about your business by regularly monitoring your online presence. In the funeral industry, online reviews can be make-or-break for companies. Reputation is everything regarding funerals; a few bad reviews can quickly turn potential customers away. That's why it's important to actively manage your online reviews and ensure you get positive feedback from your clients.
Monitoring your online reviews is crucial to maintaining a good reputation. Customers often decide whether or not to do business with a company based on what they read in online reviews. If you see negative reviews, take steps to address them immediately. Responding to positive and negative reviews shows you care about your customer's feedback.
There are a few different ways to monitor your online reputation. You can set up Google Alerts for your business name, so you're notified anytime someone mentions it online. You can also regularly check review sites like Yelp and Funeral Home Reviews to see what people are saying about your business.
Setting aside enough time to examine your online reputation will pay off in the long run. A solid online presence will help you attract new customers and build trust with existing ones.
Learning how to ask clients for reviews online can help ensure your business can positively impact your community and provide the best funeral home services imaginably. If you're planning to thrive in the funeral industry, you need to understand how online reviews work and how they can use them to their advantage.
Asking customers for reviews, responding to any negative feedback promptly, and regularly monitoring online review platforms are essential steps to ensure that your business has a positive online presence. Implementing these strategies will help build trust among current and potential customers so that your company can continue confidently providing its services.
If you need help with transportation services for your processional, feel free to contact our team at Shields today to see how our services can help you.