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Our Customers Don't Talk about our services but we still benefit from Word-of-Mouth

Melissa Whalen runs an interesting business that's thriving - yet no-one talks about it! Jeune provides a mobile cosmetic medicine service, providing their injectable treatments and hair removal services at beauty therapists salons across Victoria. And yes, amongst other treatments, that means Botox, dermal fillers and IPL.

Think you don't know anyone that uses Botox? Melissa says that's probably not true as it's actually a lot more common than most people think. The thing is that most people don't like talking about the cosmetic medicine treatments they use. Which could be a bit of a problem for a business that relies on word-of-mouth for referrals!

Melissa says that "most people find us either by doing online research, or by discussing their needs with a trusted professional. Our business model of working through beauty therapists captures the second group, and WOMOW helps us capture the people that are Googling around looking for services and recommendations online."

She says that their main focus is on providing a great service that people will be happy with, and the word-of-mouth virtually looks after itself. "We particularly focus on giving people a very honest opinion of what we can achieve. If their expectations are realistic, then we're very confident that we'll end up with a very happy client. In some cases, people actually need fewer treatments or get a better result than we'd quoted - which of course delights them."

It's a simple strategy but one that certainly seems to be working as a scan of some of Jeune's customer reviews makes it clear how much people trust in their services. In a relatively short time, Jeune has built up an incredibly loyal client base - some of whom have moved interstate and even come back to Jeune for their treatments! "Our prices are reasonable and we offer a consistent and reliable service - extremely important when you're dealing with something as personal and sensitive as cosmetic medicines."

"Sometimes we'll get a 70 year old with a very limited budget asking to look young again. While we could offer some help, they're not going to be happy with the outcome - so we'll tell them they'd get a better result by using their money to buy a new outfit! We'd rather turn a customer away than have someone less than overjoyed with our service."

You can see customer reviews for Jeune's services here: www.womow.com.au/biz/Jeune-North-Melbourne/

Could this be the easiest way to be found in Google?

Getting your business listed near the top of a Google search is a very tricky task indeed. Big businesses find it hard enough, but for small businesses that don't have the time or money to put into SEO (search engine optimisation), it can be almost impossible.

There are lots of factors that determine how websites are sorted - and Google doesn't let us in on all their secrets. However, some businesses are finding that there is a relatively easy (and legitimate) way to get found on Google.

In general, Google favours the most relevant content from the most credible websites. So you need your business on websites that are well optimised for search engines, alongside words that people are searching for. One easy way to achieve this is by getting people talking (writing) about your business on a popular website. In case you haven't guessed, one good example of this is http://www.womow.com.au/.


Why are ratings so effective?

There are a couple of reasons. One is that on a review website like WOMOW, it's easy for your business name to be mentioned several times. Another is that the developers behind WOMOW have structured the web pages so that the content is easily spidered by Google. But it's also true that you could achieve these benefits from other types of websites.

The real reason that a site like WOMOW helps you get found on Google is because it's real people describing your business, in real people's language.

When people search for businesses, they use terms that you're unlikely to find on most business websites. But these are the exact same words that your customers use to describe your business. For example, the website for Mike's Sports Physiotherapy might say something like "We provide professional physiotherapy services and treat all kinds of sports problems. We offer thorough assessment and treatment which can include stretching and strengthening programs." On the other hand, one of his customers might write "I hurt my shoulder playing tennis and decided to see a physio. Turns out my injury was quite easy to treat and only took 2 sessions. I was nervous at first but Mike was extremely gentle - I'd recommend him to anyone in the Eastern suburbs."

If a potential customer was searching on Google, they might type "gentle physio for tennis injury in eastern suburbs". Mike's website would fail dismally but his listing on WOMOW would have a great chance of being one of the top results. This is an extremely powerful (and free) way to substantially improve your positioning on Google.

Surprisingly, it can be extremely difficult for a business owner to know just how their potential customers are searching on the web. One case in point was a dog trainer. He had a great website but when one of his customers rated him on WOMOW and referred to him as the "dog whisperer", his web traffic soared.


So how do you make the most of this rating phenomenon?

1. Get lots of customers to rate you on WOMOW.com.au
   Literally all you need to do is get into the habit of asking every customer to rate you. Not everyone will, but if your customers are happy with your service, they're usually more than happy to do this for you. (By joining WOMOW's Happy Customers Program, you can get flyers which you can give to customers make it easy for you to tell them how to rate your business).


2. Make sure your business is listed correctly
   Check that your address, phone number and especially website and email address details are included an accurate. To do this, you just claim your business listing (there's no cost).


3. Include extra information about your business
   Upgrade to an Optimised Listing and you can include a description for your business that helps you get found on Google. Here you can list the brands you supply, the areas you service, the products or services you provide, whatever it is you think people will be searching for on Google.
   
4. Keep the ratings coming
   Because Google values fresh information, it gives priority to pages that are frequently updated with new content so it's important to develop a way of requesting ratings from customers systematically. Aside from handing out flyers, you could also enclose a request (or flyers) with invoices, send recent customers an email asking them to rate you, or display a sign that explains how you rely on customer referrals and ask them to rate you that way.

Start this week and watch as your web traffic grows over the next few months. As they say, it may not happen over night, but it will happen!

Word-of-Mouth Goes Online

Ever wondered how some people seem to find all the best businesses? Word-of-mouth has always been a sure-fire way to find great businesses and avoid the worst. In fact, word-of-mouth is often said to be the oldest and most effective form of marketing. But recently a new website has begun revolutionising the way word-of-mouth works in Australia. It’s called WOMOW.com.au and it stands for Word Of Mouth On the Web.

WOMOW.com.au is somewhat like a business directory (excepting that it’s written by users, all businesses are rated, and businesses don’t pay to be included), and similar to a web forum (except that it’s more structured so that information can easily be retrieved by others). The result is a unique tool that’s already changing the way that thousands of people find and choose businesses – and it may end up having a dramatic impact on the business landscape.

Just imagine, you’re looking for a mechanic that won’t rip you off, or a hairdresser you can trust to give you a great new look, or you need to organise a funky dinner venue for a bunch of friends… what you want is a recommendation. Jump onto www.womow.com.au and search. There you’ll find businesses that have been rated by real customers – many with lengthy descriptions that give you a really good idea about the business.

Say you’re looking for a mechanic…

About Town Mobile Mechanics (Melbourne) by Jablue
“It might seem as I'm generous in my praise in that I've rated Rob & About Town in the highest category for all criteria - but that was honestly my experience. My car had been broken down for some time & after chatting to Rob he agreed to come to my home on that day to diagnose the problem. He arrived on time, found the problem (starter motor) very quickly, and had a replacement fitted for an agreed price. I was able to pay by bank transfer, and he even checked a problem my sister was having with her ignition while I was on the computer. Couldn't be happier !!!!”

Or a cleaner…

Theema Cleaning (Greensborough) by MelissaL
“Have used Theema Cleaning twice for a spring clean at my house including windows. When it comes to window cleaning they really know their stuff in terms of different types of glass and what products to use. They use environmentally friendly cleaning products and have a great team that come in and get the job done in record time. I also used Theema for cleaning the blinds at my office and they did a fantastic job at short notice for this as well. Would highly recommend.”

Or maybe a physiotherapist…

Rating for Coburg Physiotherapy by krees
“I have a chronic back injury, and I've been to many physiotherapists before, but none have fixed me like these guys. They are never late with appointments, are open later than other places, so you don't need to leave work early, and is a great experience. Compared to other physiotherapy centres, they are also quite reasonable priced, and also cover work cover and pensioners.”

Traditional directories let you find businesses, but how do you know if they’re any good? The businesses that pay the most are always the most prominent, but you know nothing about their service (other than they’re paying a lot for advertising). WOMOW co-founder, Fiona Adler, believes that “good businesses deserve to be rewarded for their efforts and WOMOW helps them by amplify their word-of-mouth reputation”. Product reviews are everywhere on the Internet so it’s about time we had an equivalent resource for finding out about local services. And what if businesses provide poor service? Adler says, “people need to know about that too!” In fact, WOMOW.com.au does more than help people find great businesses, it gives consumers recourse in the event that they’re treated poorly - in effect, giving more power to consumers.

But the real strength in WOMOW is that it provides an incentive for businesses to treat customers well. “Give people a great experience and they’ll thank you with a positive rating on WOMOW – and before you know it, more people will start trying your business, giving you more opportunities to show what great service you can provide.”

And it already seems to be working for some businesses...

Misty Singer from Misty’s Diner in Prahran says that "In one night alone, new customers from WOMOW accounted for almost a third of our revenue! It gives me goosebumps when I read some of the great things our customers are saying about us." (You can see the actual ratings here - www.womow.com.au/biz/Mistys-1950s-Diner-Prahran)

And hairdresser Lee Davies from Salon Lavan claims that “Business is booming – in the last 2 months, we’re been getting several new clients a week – just because customers are writing nice things about us on WOMOW.” (You can see Salon Lavan’s ratings here – www.womow.com.au/biz/Salon-Lavan-Elsternwick.)

WOMOW.com.au has been up and running for less than a year but already has more ratings for all kinds of businesses than any other site in Australia. In fact, users have already entered over 16,000 ratings and traffic is growing at around 25-30% each month! There’s a real sense of community coming through too. People are realising that by spending a couple of minutes submitting a rating and sharing their experiences, they can contribute to their community by helping their neighbours get great service and supporting the customer-focussed businesses in their area.

With more and more people turning to WOMOW to rate their favourite and least favourite businesses, we could be seeing the beginnings of a people’s movement for better customer service. And that’s got to be good for everyone – except the dodgy operators that is!

Check it out at www.womow.com.au.

Key Facts about WOMOW

• WOMOW.com.au went live in July 2007 after winning three out of four categories in the Melbourne Universities Entrepreneurship Challenge in April 2007.
• As of June 2008, WOMOW’s users have entered over 16,000 customer ratings with a new rating currently being submitted every 6 minutes. WOMOW already has more ratings for all types of businesses than any other website in Australia.
• Traffic is strong and growing at 25-30% per month.
• WOMOW began in Melbourne but now operates throughout Australia with localised ratings for each major centre.
• WOMOW covers all types of businesses – eg: tradespeople, hairdressers, gyms, doctors, physiotherapists, child-care centres, restaurants, activities, cleaners, vets, dentists, mechanics, accountants, computer repairs, wedding services, beauticians, and lots more (basically anything you’d like a recommendation for)