Why are online reviews important for my home care agency?

Online reviews are crucial for your care company because they significantly influence potential clients and employees. Many people research care services and job opportunities on review sites like Google, Facebook, and Yelp, and they often compare companies based on reviews. A strong online reputation with recent, positive reviews can attract more clients and top talent to your agency.

Should I be afraid of negative reviews for my home care agency?

No, you shouldn’t be afraid of negative reviews. While they can be difficult to receive, negative reviews offer an opportunity to address concerns and show that your agency listens and responds to feedback. In fact, most consumers don’t expect businesses to have perfect ratings, and addressing negative feedback can actually improve your reputation. By responding thoughtfully, you can even turn a negative experience into a positive one.

How important is it to respond to online reviews?

Responding to online reviews is very important. Customers expect businesses to engage with their feedback, and many are more likely to support a company that responds to all reviews. Whether the review is positive or negative, responding shows that your agency values customer and employee input, cares about their experiences, and is proactive in addressing any concerns.

What are the benefits of responding to online reviews?

Responding to online reviews offers several benefits: Demonstrates Active Listening: It shows that you care about what clients and employees think and are taking their feedback seriously. Expresses Gratitude: You can thank reviewers for their positive feedback or for bringing concerns to your attention. Provides Clarifications: For negative reviews, you can clarify any misunderstandings about your services. Shows Action: You can inform reviewers about the steps your agency is taking to address any issues they’ve raised, demonstrating a commitment to improvement.

How can corecubed help my home care agency with online reviews?

corecubed can assist your care company by automating review requests, helping you respond to both positive and negative reviews, and managing your online reputation. Our experts in home care SEO can ensure that your agency’s online presence is strong, helping you attract more clients and employees while maintaining a positive reputation.

Does Asking for Online Reviews of Your Care Company Frighten You?

Care Companies: If Asking for Online Reviews Frightens You, Read This!

Don’t let online reviews leave you scared; corecubed can help!

Does asking for online reviews of your care company strike fear in your heart? Are you afraid you’ll be shocked by a negative review and not know how to respond? Online reviews don’t have to cause a fright. At corecubed, we’ve seen it all—the good, bad, and ugly of reviews—from consumers and caregivers alike. We’ve also helped hundreds of care companies automate review requests, respond to good and bad reviews, and manage their online reputations. Our experts in home care SEO have the solutions you need to keep online reviews from being the stuff of nightmares.

Why Do Online Reviews Matter?

A compelling reputation is crucial for your care company to attract new clients and employees, and that reputation is primarily built through online reviews. Potential clients looking for care services and caregivers looking for jobs are checking Google, Facebook, Yelp, and other review sites to compare companies. It’s essential for your agency to build a strong online reputation that includes recent online reviews. According to BrightLocal’s 2022 Consumer Review Survey:

Consumers are reading online reviews more than ever before. In 2021, 77% of survey respondents, up from 60% in 2020, said they regularly read online reviews when researching local businesses.
83% of respondents said that reviews for care services play an important part in their consumer decisions, and 82% responded that healthcare reviews play an important part in decisions, meaning that people value care service reviews as much as those for healthcare.
The top three factors that influence consumer decisions are: the overall average star rating for the business (85%), a higher overall average star rating than competitors (76%), and how recent the reviews are (73%).

Potential customers and caregivers are comparing your company’s reviews to those of your competitors, so make sure your agency has the star ratings and positive reviews to attract them. Be proud of your agency’s reputation and encourage clients to share their experiences with others by asking them to submit reviews.

Should You Be Afraid of Negative Reviews?

Although it can be difficult to face public feedback and scrutiny, even negative reviews don’t have to be frightening. In the BrightLocal survey, 85% of respondents said the overall rating of a business is important, but consumers are not expecting your agency to have all 5-star ratings. In fact, only 4% of consumers report they would only use a business with only 5-star ratings. No business is perfect, and it can look suspicious if a business has only 5-star ratings.

Receiving a few negative reviews also gives you the opportunity to respond to the criticism while showing that your agency listens to its customers and team members. A client who had a negative experience may even change their mind about leaving a negative review if the agency takes actions to correct the concerns. According to the survey, 80% of people said they would be likely to change a review if their negative experience was turned into a positive one because of steps taken by the business.

Why Is It Essential to Respond to Online Reviews?

It may seem too time-consuming to respond to online reviews, but it’s worth the effort because customers are expecting businesses to respond. The BrightLocal Survey shows that:

89% of consumers are highly likely or fairly likely to support a business that responds to all of its online reviews.
57% say that would not be likely to use a business that does not respond to online reviews.

Make sure you’re responding to all of the reviews—not just the positive ones. Responding to reviews, good and bad, is a key step for your agency in showing that you are open to customer feedback. Responding to reviews allows you to:

Show that you’re listening. You can learn a lot about how clients and employees see your agency through their reviews. Responding gives you the opportunity to show that you care about what people have to say and that you’re taking their comments seriously.
Thank the reviewer. Whether the review is positive or negative, you can thank the reviewer for their feedback or for bringing a concern to your attention.
Provide corrections. If a negative review shows that the person was confused about your agency’s services, it’s an opportunity to apologize for the confusion while gently clarifying your services or other concerns brought up in the review.
Show that a concern is being addressed. A review may bring up an issue that management is currently addressing. You can thank the reviewer for bringing the concern to your attention and inform them of the positive changes you are making. Reviews may also draw your attention to services or procedures that may need improvement.

The key is making sure that you’re responding to your online reviews in a timely manner. corecubed can help!

What You Can Do

corecubed’s care marketing and SEO specialists can help your agency take the fear out of online reviews with our SEO and reputation management services.

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) – corecubed’s SEO services can help your agency increase visibility and attract more qualified leads—the right people at the right time—to your website. An effective SEO strategy can move your agency higher in search result lists, boost your website’s exposure, and help the people you want to reach find your site. Our home care SEO specialists expertly monitor changes in your agency’s SEO performance, stay on top of Google’s algorithm changes and home care industry changes, and more to help your agency achieve maximum results.

RISE (Reputation Improved – SEO Enhanced) is corecubed’s reputation management system that helps home care agencies turn positive client feedback into online reviews that improve the agency’s reputation and enhance SEO for its website. With RISE, clients, family members of clients, employees, and referral sources receive automatic, customized emails or texts asking for their feedback about your agency. For those who select a good rating, they are immediately directed to post their comments on one of the review sites of your choice, such as Google, Facebook, or Caring.com. Since RISE makes it easy for people to leave reviews, they are more likely to post their feedback online to enhance your reputation.

For the less-enthusiastic reviews, RISE allows a private response instead of posting the review online. This gives you the opportunity to respond quickly to address the concern.

RISE also notifies you immediately when a new review is left online, so it’s quick and easy to respond to your reviews and improve your agency’s online reputation.

We Can Help!

Contact us at 800.370.6580 or fill out our online form to learn more about how corecubed’s home care SEO experts can help you take the fright out of online reviews and improve your agency’s reputation. Leave the fears to the ghosts and goblins and take charge of your online reviews and reputation with our SEO and RISE services.