When you run a business that caters to pets, whether it’s a veterinary office or a dog training facility, building trust is essential. People treasure their pets, and as such, they aren’t going to trust them to just anyone. Client testimonials are one of the most effective marketing assets veterinarians, pet groomers, dog trainers, and other pet business owners have as they build client trust.
Understand the Power of Reviews
Reviews are a powerful tool for pet services marketing because they show that other pet parents trust your business. In fact, 98% of customers across all industries say they look at reviews before choosing a business to work with, and this holds true for pet parents as well as other types of customers. Since your potential clients are, quite literally, trusting you with their pet’s life and well-being, they want to know they are putting their trust in a safe place.
Seeing that someone else has had a good experience with your business will make them instantly feel they can trust you. These reviews are more powerful than anything you say about your business on your own.
Reviews also boost your conversion rate. Well-rated businesses get more clicks from their Google Business Profile, and more of those clicks will turn into customers. You don’t have to work hard to convert people when there are glowing reviews on your page.
Finally, reviews can help you improve your rankings. When you have high rankings, people can find you more easily when they’re searching for a vet, pet groomer, or dog trainer.
Are you wondering how to use testimonials to help people trust your business and enjoy these benefits? Here are some excellent tips that will help.
Gather Positive Testimonials
Before you can use veterinarian, groomer, or dog trainer reviews in your online marketing, you need to get some. Encourage your clients to leave a review after completing a visit. If you use email marketing, add review requests to the email messages you send.
Make it easy for people to leave reviews by adding links directly to your Google profile. You can also add the Google Reviews widget to your website for people to click. Use QR codes on business cards and survey emails to make this easier.
Time Your Review Request Well
Asking for a review is the best way to get one, but you need to ask at the right time. If you have a checkout process, use that time to personally ask for a review. If you send an emailed receipt or follow-up communication, include a link in that. Requesting the review as close to the time of service as possible will increase the chances of getting one.
Strategically Place Reviews on Your Website
Once you have your reviews, make them visible on your website. You can add a rotating section of reviews near the top of your home page. People will see this every time they visit your site. You can also add it to individual service pages, as long as you choose reviews for the particular service you’re highlighting. You can also add reviews to the contact or “book now” page, as this will build confidence that encourages the potential client to go ahead and book a service.
Use Reviews in Email Marketing
If you send email marketing to your prospective and current clients, include reviews relevant to the information in the email. Again, this gives you another opportunity to build trust and show the legitimacy of your business to potential clients. It may also encourage people who get your newsletter or marketing material to book a service or appointment with your business.
Add Client Stories to Social Media Posts
Many testimonials read like a client story. The client tells what they experienced at your business, and as a result, they tell a story. Utilize this in your social media posts.
If you get a particularly high-impact, story-like review, feature it on Facebook and Instagram. People will appreciate the story, and you will gain more trust in your community. If you can, post a picture of the pet associated with the review, as this adds relevance and visual impact.
For highly dedicated clients, consider asking them to film a video testimony. If you can gain this video, you can add it as a reel or other social media post. This type of storytelling has a high impact on the people considering your business.
Remember, reviews are one of the most effective forms of social proof. It shows that your business does, in fact, do what you say it does.
Always Ask Permission First
Keep in mind that posting a review, especially if it includes the client’s actual name or any photos of them or their pet, may require you to ask permission. Reach out to your client and ask if you can feature their name and their pet’s picture on your social media page before you do. If you don’t have permission, then don’t share anything that the client didn’t already place online. Some people need to protect their privacy, and your business should respect that.
Create “Testimony Tuesday”
You can feature client testimonials weekly on a “Testimony Tuesday” post. This post is something people will come to expect, and it can be highly effective to build trust with your target audience. Featuring a new client testimony every Tuesday or every other Tuesday also adds some consistency to your social media marketing schedule.
Leverage Reviews in Offline Marketing
If you set up a booth at a fair, create a mailer, send out a brochure, or place an ad in a periodical, you can use your online reviews in these places. Select a particularly glowing and helpful review, and reproduce it in your other marketing channels. You can even create a wall in your brick-and-mortar business where you post some of your best reviews.
Address Negative Testimonials Professionally
When you open yourself up for reviews, you will have some negative ones on occasion. This can be painful, especially when you put your all into your pet services business, but it’s a normal part of marketing.
Instead of ignoring negative reviews or arguing with the person, use them as an opportunity to build a little more trust. If there was a problem with the service you provided, address it professionally and offer a way to remedy it. Also, thank the pet owner for taking the time to leave the review.
If the review was unfounded or you’ve already addressed the problem, respond to it, outlining how you resolved the issue. Be apologetic, if appropriate, but firm in your response that you have addressed the problem.
If the review came from someone who has never done business with you, then it may be a troll or a competitor trying to hurt your business. In this case, report the review to Google or the review page where it came from, and leave a comment that you have not done business with that person for other people to see.
Learn from Your Reviews
While reviews can help with SEO and other online marketing tactics, one of the best reasons to use them is to build client trust. To do this, you need to learn from your reviews. Is there something your pet services business is doing well? Highlight that service. Do you have areas to improve? Showcase that you’re listening to your clients by making the improvements their reviews ask for. Adjusting to meet the needs of the people who take the time to review your business will go far in building trust within your local community of pet owners.
Keep Tabs on Reviews with Surefire Local
There are many benefits of testimonials for veterinary offices, dog trainers, pet spas, and pet grooming businesses, especially as they work to build trust with their target audiences. However, keeping track of the reviews you receive, responding to them promptly, and using them to support your other marketing goals can take a lot of time. Surefire Local makes it easier.
With Surefire Local, you can use built-in tools to generate more five-star reviews. Since research shows businesses grow revenue by as much as 50% with better reviews, this is an invaluable way to build your business.
Once you get your reviews, Surefire Local makes it simple to utilize them. Our comprehensive all-in-one marketing platform lets you see your reviews all in one location. You can request and respond to reviews directly on the platform, saving you time while still helping you leverage reviews to build your online reputation. You can also post to social media directly from your back office, so you can pull reviews into social media posts easily.
Surefire Local is the key to leveraging your online reviews and testimonials well. If you’re curious to learn more, plan to attend a demo to see all that the platform can do.