Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/196551
GET MORE CLIENTS WITH ONLINE REVIEWS When McMillan's onlinescheduling software sends out an automated thank-you message after a client schedules an appointment, the last sentence reads, "If you had a remarkable experience, feel free to review your experience on Google or Citysearch." Sometimes, a gentle nudge in the right direction is all it takes. 94% ofusers smartphone search for local products and services online. WHY ONLINE REVIEWS MATTER Word of mouth is powerful. Word of mouth through the Internet is even more so. While referrals in the physical world are limited to clients' friends, family, and acquaintances, there are no limits to the reach of referrals in the virtual world. A review left by a client on sites like Google Places, Yelp, or Citysearch can give you an advantage that keeps on growing long after it is posted. Nancy Reagan, owner of Bella Reina Spa in Delray Beach, Florida, knows the power of online referrals. Her spa serves 8,000 guests per year on average, and many of those guests are drawn to Bella Reina as a result of reading the online reviews for her business. While clients now write the majority of the spa's reviews on their own initiative, Reagan initially encouraged reviews by offering incentives, such as a gift card or a free spa service like Bella Reina's collagen eye mask. This initial push got the ball 62 massage & bodywork rolling. Now, the momentum continues on its own. Even without the extra incentive, Reagan says, "It has become so popular to leave reviews that we often get reviews without even asking." GETTING STARTED According to Google's 2012 report "Our Mobile Planet," 94 percent of smartphone users search for local products and services online. Ninety percent of those searches result in taking an action, such as making a phone call or visiting the business. Plus, that number doesn't even include the millions of local searches that happen on computers, tablets, and other Internet devices. Think of local search directories and the online reviews they host as a source of free advertising. The only investment required is the time and effort it takes to submit your business information, verify your location, and encourage clients to leave reviews. With a little initiative, you and your practice will be well on the way to a larger client base. Before you get started, decide on a consistent business title and use it everywhere. If you call yourself "Soft Hands Massage" in one local directory and "Soft Hands Massage Therapy Center" in another, the search engines might see that as two separate businesses. Choose one business title (your actual business name) and stick with it across your entire marketing presence—online and offline. Next, make your website as visible as possible. Search engines rate your business for local searches using two primary factors: links to your website from other sites and mentions of your business on other websites. While you don't always need a website to add your business to local search directories, it certainly helps—both from a rankings perspective and from a user perspective. The more clients know about your business, the more likely they will be to call and set up an appointment. november/december 2013 If you don't already have a website, Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals' (ABMP) Website Builder is the place to start. ABMP membership includes a free website, plus resources that guide you through the process of building your own website, including ready-made templates, an unlimited number of pages, and free hosting for members. Even if your practice is built mainly around word of mouth, new clients may still want to check your website for more information before making the decision to schedule their first appointment. To boost your credibility, add reviews to your website and link out to search directories where clients have reviewed your business. CHOOSING THE BEST ONLINE LISTINGS The number of local online listing sites is overwhelming, but some are more popular than others. Jasmine Teer, public relations manager for the online-marketing company Yodle, suggests starting with the most wellknown directory sites hosted on search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo. "Search engines can have special pages (e.g., Google+ Local) or map listings (e.g., Google Maps) that help small businesses get found online through organic search," Teer explains. "However, remember that you don't have to pick just one place to list your business—in fact, you shouldn't. There are a host of other sites, like Citysearch, Yelp, the Internet Yellow Pages, AOL Local Search, Local.com, and more, that can also be extremely valuable to your online marketing. Millions of people use these sites." The popularity of local online directories also varies depending on your location and your specific business type. Massage-specific directories, such as the referral