As buyers, our decision-making process has changed considerably over the years. Even more so as of late.
Whereas word of mouth was once the biggest influence on the way we went about choosing anything from a car to a lawyer to a restaurant, nowadays we’re just as likely (if not more so) to base our decisions on online reviews.
Being a digital marketing agency that prides itself on staying ahead of the trends, we at WebMarketers identified review management early on as one of the areas in which we could help our clients. It’s been a fun journey, watching the great reviews come in and seeing clients soar in search rankings, traffic, leads & profits.
How WebMarketers Helped Argyle Associates Improve Their Online Reputation
Argyle Associates is a leading Ottawa dental surgery clinic, with four locations across the National Capital Region. They are one of the most known and utilized Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery organizations in Eastern Ontario.
And yet their online presence did not reflect their high quality of patient care and satisfaction.
That’s all too common of a problem!
It’s so frustrating to see a business that’s really good at what it does, and yet leaves money on the table by not tending to its online reputation.
Fortunately, that’s an opportunity for which exists a handy solution.
The Problem Presented by the Client: Low Star-Rating & Small Number of Online Reviews
At the time they came to us with the challenge, Argyle had only 49 reviews on Google – across all four locations – and were struggling with a 3.6-star rating.
Meanwhile, on RateMDs.com, a popular platform for reviewing doctors, dentists and other medical practitioners, Argyle was nowhere to be found.
This most certainly was costing them business.
Considering the customer lifetime value in the dental surgery business, imagine what each missed lead was worth – then multiply that by how many people searched for a dental surgeon (“wisdom tooth removal,” “dental implants” and other high-value keyword searches) and either:
Weren’t seeing Argyle ranked highly on the page
Or saw Argyle but were dissuaded by the lacklustre star rating and low number of reviews.
That’s a lot of revenue to be missing out on!
But how to get it back? Was it just a matter of asking customers for reviews?
Strategic Review Management
It turns out Argyle was already asking customers for feedback.
Which is great, don’t get us wrong.
Feedback is a vital tool in improving any business’s service offering. Argyle was using that feedback internally, which has helped them become even better at what they do.
Equally important as asking for feedback is letting the rest of the world know about it!
All those reviews were being stored in their internal records and not in the review platforms that matter to people the most. Ultimately, they had 1000’s of reviews in a spot where no one would ever read them, all the while struggling to keep a positive rating on Google (the #1 spot to be)!
How We Worked with the Client to Deliver a Solution to Their Online Reputation Management
We approached Argyle with a powerful solution to their online reputation woes. They were eager to improve the situation and happily jumped on board.
The Process Leading Up (Planning, Collaboration, Research)
We embarked together on a process in which we:
- Got all surgeons properly verified on RateMDs
- Applied proper branding on all Google My Business profiles
- Implemented an email funnel to reach out to all patients, asking and reminding them to leave reviews
- Ensured that all 5-star reviews were properly funneled to Google and RateMDs rather than merely to their internal records so that Argyle would get full value and credit
- Made sure that each review was given a response, so that the customer felt that their voice was heard
It’s a pretty straightforward but powerful plan, right?
But wait. Did one of these steps stand out from the others?
Sending Only 5-Star Reviews to Public Review Platforms
Yup, we set up a system that allowed the 5-star reviews to go public!
That came as a result of wanting to filter the ‘happy’ or ‘fully satisfied’ patients to the prime spots; while those who experienced some issues (and gave less than 5 stars) were directed to an internal form.
It’s not that Argyle didn’t want to hear from the 4-stars-and-less crowd. On the contrary! That feedback, less common as it is for Argyle, helps them improve even further.
By directing only the 5-star reviews to Google and RateMDs, however, Argyle was guaranteeing a steady increase both in the number of online reviews as well as in the star rating.
What Was the Result?
We’re pleased to say that, in a relatively short period of time, Argyle’s online reputation has made huge leaps!
Reviews & Ratings on RateMDs
Argyle has gone from unranked to become the #1 rated medical facility in Ottawa on RateMDs!
On Google, meanwhile, Argyle has improved from 49 total reviews across all four locations, averaging a 3.6 star-rating, to:
- Kanata clinic – 141 reviews / 4.9 rating
- Barrhaven clinic – 152 reviews / 4.7 rating
- Orleans clinic – 154 reviews / 4.7 rating
- Carling clinic – 136 reviews / 4.6 rating
By continuing to ask for reviews from patients who’ve come into the clinic, Argyle is helping to ensure that their rating stays in the ‘sweet spot’ (4.5~4.8 stars), and that the number of online reviews keeps going up.
All these help Argyle’s reputation and trust factor, and ultimately lead to more traffic to their website; more leads; and more revenue.
How Could Online Reputation Management Benefit Your Business?
Many businesses struggle to collect reviews.
It’s awkward, tedious and time consuming.
At the end of the day, you just want to your online profile to properly reflect the effort you put into making your customers satisfied.
Instead of struggling with reviews, why not have someone do all the heavy lifting for you – so that you can focus on doing what you do best?!
When WebMarketers takes the helm of running your review management, we cover:
The initial ask, the multiple follow-ups, not walking on eggshells when picking who to ask for a review… and, responding to all reviews!
We’ll help create and maintain a stellar online reputation for your business. All while you continue to provide your clientele with high quality service.
Contact us today to find out more about how WebMarketers can help boost your online reputation!