Reviews vs. testimonials: why testimonials on your website aren’t enough
Testimonials are a great way to show your audience how happy families have been with you. Placed on your website, they’re almost always glowing accounts of important features of your offerings. Reviews, on the other hand, are more objective, often hosted by a third-party, and definitely much more impactful on the reader. When it comes to building trust in your brand, testimonials just aren’t enough.
A recent study by Wyzowl.com found that 90% of people say they trust what a customer says about a business, more than what a business says about itself. This is especially true when the customer’s comments are not on your website. That’s where reviews come in.
Reviews complement testimonials
Online reviews are trusted by 90% of people and most people read multiple reviews before making a decision, so it is best to have as many reviews as you can. The more reviews you have, the more the audience trusts what is being said.
But, not all reviews are created equal and content and context are pivotal.
Almost everyone (97%) seeks out longer and more detailed reviews. In-depth reviews delve into your community, addressing crucial family questions and providing vital information. That’s the content piece.
Building a repository of retirement community reviews on a trusted platform like Comfort Life, dedicated to retirement communities and care options, bolsters review credibility and influence. This enables families to find out important objective information about you—information they don’t want to hear directly from you. That’s the context piece.
6 tips for building a large collection of reviews
- Leverage your most valuable resources
Seniors and their families are the best resources for reviews. Residents will provide the most authentic stories about their experiences, and they will be very real to the reader. A family member’s experience with your community is also very valuable, as prospective family members will understand what they went through to get to this stage.
- Reach out to those who are most involved
Seniors who have had a great experience so far will want to tell others about their experience. Reach out to those families who have solid connections to your community—family members who volunteer and visit often.
- Involve your administrative team
Let your team know how and why to collect reviews for your community. The more people who are involved in the review process, the more your pool of reviews will grow.
- Be transparent about the commitment
Reviews where families provide objective insider perspectives about numerous aspects of your community can take an hour or more to complete. Let families know about the time investment beforehand, and they’ll be more likely to complete the review.
- Reach out to your greater community
Share your requests for reviews with your entire community, using your social media groups, email lists, and other communication outlets. Even posting flyers in the common areas, with incentives to add reviews, will ensure greater participation.
- Find the right time to ask
There are times that make the most sense to ask your families for reviews. A few months after move-in, when seniors are settled and over the initial anxiety of moving in is a good time to ask for a review. Request reviews during important events like family events, holidays or fundraisers, when people are feeling happy and charitable.
