Veterinary marketing today is very different from what it used to be a few years ago. This is the information era and nothing gives and sells like free information today. Your clients are using the latest technological devices and some of the most popular platforms and locations to look for you; review sites being one of them. So the obvious question here is – How important are online reviews to your clients?  The answer to that question – Very Important!

Consumers consider online ratings and reviews as highly influential information sources for making any kind of buying or consulting decisions. They are more likely to check you out long before they even decide to consult with your veterinary practice.

Dominate Online Review Sites
In the world of online reputation managment, reviews can help validate your practice reputation and your skills as a veterinarian. For this reason alone, veterinary practices need to focus on building a robust online presence and encourage reviews which speak of your credibility. Here are 4 ways in which veterinary practices can secure a presence over leading online review sites.

Increase Online Visibility
While listing your practice on all major directories is important; you can begin by ensuring that your veterinary practice is listed on the most popular consumer review/social sites such as Yelp. Remember your profile will come up in any Google search and social media is increasingly playing an important role in search engine rankings; so focus specifically on developing your profile on social sites such as Google+, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Not only will potential clients check review sites, but they will also check what is being said about your practice over popular social sites. Complete your profile and include videos and imagery, and other pertinent information such as hours of operation among others.

Encourage Clients to provide Feedback/Reviews
If you have the opportunity, don’t shy away from requesting an online review or feedback from your clients. Include a comment card along with the receipt which guides them to your online profiles. Also don’t forget to include links to review sites from your practice website. In short, encourage your clients to speak up and share!

Marketing with Reviews
Online reviews can double up as soft selling tools if used smartly. In you navigation bar include a “Testimonials” or “What our customers say” heading with links to reviews. Potential clients trust online reviews; there is no denying that fact. All you need to do is to direct them to reviews which show why exactly they should select your practice.

Don’t Ignore Negative Reviews
One of the biggest mistakes you can every make is to ignore negative reviews. So how do you respond? Sarcasm? Hit back? Ignore? Most definitely not! The best way forward is to apologize and try and address any grievances and issues if possible. Now here’s the irony – even if you do earn a few negative reviews, it can actually work to your advantage. How? Well, it adds to your credibility and authenticity. After all, a page full of only good reviews can seem a little suspicious.