Get Ahead on 2019 Funeral Home Reputation Management by Asking for Reviews

Think you can’t ask for reviews because of the type of service you provide? Death care providers will need to step out of their comfort zones to solicit online reviews in 2019 if they hope to remain competitive and enhance their digital reputation.

More than 95 percent of business owners believe online reputations are critical for success, and as many as 98 percent say reviews are important. Knowing when to ask for a review for your Google My Business page or another profile can help you increase funeral home reputation management efforts in 2019 without negatively impacting your business.

Obviously, you shouldn’t ask for a review if the family didn’t appear happy with services provided. If the family is pleased, however, you should find a good opportunity to inquire. Here are certain times during 2019 when a tactful request might be appropriate (and the clientele happy to comply):

• When the family or next of kin tags your funeral home in a social media post that includes kind words about your service 
• When the next of kin of someone you previously served refers another family in need or an individual interested in preplanning to your business
• When a family returns to your funeral home for service for multiple loved ones (though you may want to ask for the review a tactful time after providing that service)
• When someone praises your staff or services in an email or on the phone

In 2019, you might want to point people to Google first when it comes to reviews. The majority of people read Google reviews more often than reviews on other sites. Plus, more positive reviews on your Google My Business page will bolster your SEO position with the search engine.

As you plan for 2019 funeral home reputation management efforts, make sure everyone on your team knows when it’s a good idea to ask for online reviews.

(NOTE:€¯Monitoring your funeral home€™s online reputation is a requirement for success in the digital age. Try our free€¯Review Scan now€¯for an instant reputation report on your funeral home.)