Online Reviews for Senior Care Facilities: Do They Really Matter?

Karina Tama-Rutigliano, CEO and founder, Senior Care Clicks

Do you know what people are saying about your senior care facility? Whether people are talking about you in your community or online, the buzz about the quality of your care matters a lot. Plenty of genuine online reviews by the people you’ve cared for go a long way toward creating trust and giving your facility credibility.

Here’s another thing for you to think about: What are you missing by not soliciting and posting online reviews?

The great thing about online reviews is that they’re genuine and honest. Readers trust them because they want to know the real deal of how you care for your clients. On the chance that you get an occasional bad review, readers want to know if you’re paying attention to them and that you’re willing to address concerns and complaints.

Why You Need To Leverage Online Reviews

If you’re wondering if soliciting and promoting online reviews is worth the effort, the answer is a resounding YES!

Here’s why:

• Positive reviews bring you new clients.
• 93% of consumers say online reviews influence their decisions.
• 87% of customers won’t consider patronizing a business that has low ratings.
• 73% of customers read 1-6 reviews before they form an opinion.

Remember, anyone can leave an online review, and that includes caregivers. Your staff members talk amongst themselves about the integrity and reputation of the companies they enjoy working for.

Online reviews give you an opportunity to gauge staff satisfaction. Lots of great caregiver reviews tell potential hires that your facility is a great place to work. In the minds of readers, that translates into staff members who love their jobs and stay with you long-term.

What if you get a negative review? Most people understand that there are two sides to every story. Readers will be looking for a response that details a thoughtful explanation to help balance their opinion.

Which Platforms Have the Greatest Visibility for Online Reviews?

Certainly, your time is at a premium, so you’ll want to choose the most visible platforms for posting online reviews. If you need to make a choice of platforms to focus on, SeniorCareClicks recommends choosing Facebook and Google.

Why Facebook? The number of active Facebook users exceeded one billion in third quarter of 2012—the highest ever for any social media network. Consumers leave reviews on Facebook because it’s quick and easy to do, and that can mean a lot to your business.

A BrightLocal survey showed that 54% of consumers used Facebook to find information about a local business and 64% of consumers pulled up Google to learn more about local businesses. What’s more is that your Facebook reviews show up on your Google My Business listing automatically. You get greater visibility for your senior care marketing without any additional effort!

Considering Facebook’s popularity, bear in mind that consumers have to set up a Facebook account to leave a review. Google allows anyone to search on their platform and most everyone does. When you optimize the right keywords and phrases, Google delivers an informative overview of your facility. As you collect reviews, the level of trust in your facility will rise with right along with them.

How to Get Great Reviews

That all sounds great, but you’re probably asking yourself, “How do I get a bunch of great reviews?”

One of the cardinal rules of sales is to make the ask. The same is true for getting online reviews. Don’t be shy about asking for them.

How exactly do you do that?

1. Bring it up when a resident or family member compliments your services and make the ask.
2. Include an ask in your monthly newsletter or email marketing campaign, then link it to a place they can leave a review.
3. Craft a social media post asking family members to write a review and add a link.

Are you concerned someone might say no? You shouldn’t be. According to a BrightLocal survey, 7 out of 10 consumers are happy to leave you a review when you ask them to.

Karina Tama-Rutigliano

With 8 years of experience in Digital Marketing, Karina Tama-Rutigliano is the CEO and Founder of Senior Care Clicks, a digital marketing agency that provides 360 marketing solutions to home care, assisted living facilities, nursing homes and other businesses that serve seniors. Prior to starting Seniors Online Marketing, Karina worked in the home care and nursing home industry.