As a home builder, one of your primary goals should be to earn the trust of your customers. If they trust you, they’re likely to remain customers for long periods of time and potentially recommend you to their friends and family.
But with so much competition in the real estate market, gaining the trust of customers today can be difficult. Times are tough, and consumers are pickier now than ever with who they build and do business with.
Reading time: 4 minutes
Level: Intermediate
Key takeaways:
- Reviews are key to the success of any home building company.
- Good reviews will make you appear trustworthy and professional, and let potential clients know they can rely on you.
- Don’t be afraid to follow up and ask for reviews, or even offer incentives (within reason!)
One of the best ways to build up more customer trust is to get more online reviews from your previous customers. There are plenty of reasons why getting online reviews is important. If potential customers see a lot of positive reviews for you, not only are they more likely to become a client and spend more, but they will most likely see you as a trustworthy source of information.
Unfortunately, getting these online reviews isn’t always easy.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at five actionable tips you can work on right away to encourage more online reviews for your home building business and build customer trust.
While reviews on your site are great, not every client will want to have to visit your site to leave a review or to check your reviews. Be sure to create a Google My Business account.
Most people start with Google when searching for a home builder, so if you’ve set up your account, worked through some strategies to make the most of it, and have a lot of reviews, they’ll get a better picture of who your company is as a home builder.
Potential customers are already there, so make sure your reviews are there for them to see. Of course, don’t forget about things like Google My Business optimization to get more reviews and help your site rank higher on Google.
If customers haven’t left you a review after a successful purchase, don’t be afraid to send a reminder and ask! Often people will have an incredible experience, but simply forget or not think to leave a review.
Be sure not to overdo it with endless requests for reviews, as that can lead people to resent your company. However, if you follow up once or twice after a sufficient amount of time has passed, you could see your number of reviews begin to increase.
People these days have pretty short attention spans, especially online - with the constant flow and availability of information at our fingertips, people don’t like to wait for things.
As a result, if you want to get more reviews to build trust, you need to make the process incredibly fast and easy. It shouldn’t take more than a few clicks on your site to leave a review. Another option? In your online receipt or thank-you email, consider including a link that can take them directly there.
Another great way to encourage more reviews from customers is to offer a gift, reward or other incentive for the review. People like free things, even if they’re small. You can offer a variety of different things to customers if they leave a review, such as an ebook, a discount code, or even a deal on a certain finish or upgrade.
Of course, do your best to make sure the reviews are honest and not made-up, as that could hurt your reputation as a company going forward.
Your company should take customer service seriously; it can be one of the most helpful ways to get more positive reviews. If people enjoy their experience of building with you and their questions or concerns get answered, they will likely leave a good review or tell a friend.
Now, the opposite can also be true. Even something as simple as a rude voice on a phone call or an unprofessional email can be enough to drive someone away. Your customer service prowess needs to be dialed in, and you need to ensure everyone on your team is on board.
Online reviews are a major help when it comes to building the trust of customers. The tips outlined within this article will have you well on your way to getting more online reviews and becoming a more trusted company in the home building industry.
Guest Bio:
Ashley Lipman is an award-winning writer who discovered her passion for providing knowledge to readers worldwide on topics closest to her heart - all things digital. Since her first high school award in Creative Writing, she continues to deliver awesome content through various niches touching the digital sphere.
Originally published Nov 3, 2020