Let the 5-Star Reviews Roll In!
Ask any salon owner. We are an industry driven by referrals. It doesn’t matter how good you are at selling your business, word-of-mouth will always have a special power. It's our basic psychology. You have heard it a million times, humans are social creatures. So referrals and online reviews appeal to our very human need for trust and validation. They offer us an example of ‘social proof’ and a chance to have our opinions heard. And as the pandemic has migrated a serious amount of our social life online, online reviews are more important than ever.
Online reviews can also greatly affect where your business ranks, compared to your local competitors, in search engine results. Try it out for yourself. Search for ‘salons’ in ‘the name of your local area.’ How far do you have to scroll before you see your business listed?
Either way, your salon’s online reviews will inevitably be one of the first things a potential client encounters when they find your business online. In these crucial moments, you’ll want to make a strong first impression.
According to 2020 research by Brightlocal:
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85% of hair and beauty salon customers look at online reviews
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28% of customers searched online for more businesses than they would in a ‘normal’ year
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94% of customers say positive reviews make them more likely to use a business.
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79% of customers say they trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations from friends and family.
When it comes to online reviews, you’ll need to be timely, consistent, and available.
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96% of customers who read reviews, also read the businesses’ responses to reviews
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72% said it was important for a business to be present on multiple review sites
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73% of customers only pay attention to reviews written in the last month
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The average customer reads 10 reviews before feeling able to trust a business
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Only 19% would use a business with fewer than 3 stars
At Phorest, we understand there are countless hours of hard work behind every review you receive. We also know that many salons aren’t raking in their fair share of glowing reviews. Not because they don’t deserve to, but because they don’t have a system in place to ask their clients for reviews.
Online reviews have become such a staple in our culture. Nowadays the average person consults them all the time, from booking a restaurant to ordering a new pair of shoes. Even still, many people don’t instinctively think to leave a review themselves. The easiest way to fix this? Just ask! According to BrightLocal’s research, of the 73% of consumers who were asked to review a local business in 2020, 72% went on to do so.
There is inherent value in getting feedback from clients
Without honest feedback, how would your salon identify the areas it needs to improve?
Even a negative review is better than silent resentment. That way you can open the door to a productive conversation. By taking the initiative to hear and address their concerns, you can often turn a disappointed client into the most passionate advocate for your business.
Susan Roche, Owner of Newcastle Hair & Beauty Clinic in Newcastle UK, says,
“I was worried about negative reviews, but it has actually been a real area of growth for us. The first thing I do with a 3-star [review] is I get them on the phone. And usually, it’s something tiny to fix. And you turn that client who, maybe had been a little bit dissatisfied, to being a client who was wowed. And she’s straight back in.”
Here are some ideas for getting more online reviews for your salon:
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Encourage your staff to ask clients directly to leave reviews. Consider incentivising your team for reviews that mention them by name.
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Share positive reviews on your social media accounts so your clients see how much you appreciate them
- Enlist the support of Phorest’s Online Reputation Manager to automate the process
Phorest’s Online Reputation Manager is one of the industry’s most advanced automation tools.
The to-list for a salon owner never seems to end. This is why Phorest has a dedicated team to proactively manage all the logistics for you. All of your reviews are delivered to you in a single convenient location. Online Reputation Manager saves you time and effort so you can focus on solidifying personal relationships with your clients, rather than scrambling around the internet.
You can monitor everything from one clean dashboard and respond to reviews directly from inside the Phorest platform. This means you never have to worry about a negative review lurking on the internet unattended. Plus, expressing your gratitude for the positive ones has never been so simple.
Online Reputation Manager helps you get more 5-star reviews
You can set up Phorest’s Online Reputation Manager to automatically request feedback from your clients after their appointment via email or SMS. Then you can customise when they will be prompted to post their review online. Most Salons choose to ask a client to make their review public only if it is 4 or 5 stars. Thereby, filtering out the negative feedback to be handled privately.
Watch this video for a walkthrough of everything you need to know about Online Reputation Manager’s features.
Set Your Sights on the Client Experience Award for 2022
There are many industry awards out there, but nothing is more important than what your clients think. Delivering a top-class client experience takes dedication and attention to detail. This is why, each year, Phorest is proud to present our Client Experience Award. The Client Experience award recognises businesses, using Phorest Salon Software, who have consistently kept their reviews over 4-stars for 12 consecutive months.
At Phorest Salon Software our mission is to help salon owners get their clients in more often, spending more, and generating referrals. Polishing your online presence is now key to your success. Phorest believes our online reputation manager can empower time-pressed salons to in a world where 5-star reviews reign. A consistent flow of positive reviews will boost your salon’s online profile, bring in new clients, and keep your team motivated.
To learn more about how Phorest Salon Software and Online Reputation Manager can help your salon grow visit us online.