7 ways to get Angie’s List reviews and why they matter.

There has been some debate regarding Angie’s List, as some regard it as a valuable resource, while others see it as a waste of time or not providing useful information. While there are some positives and negatives for consumers who use Angie’s List, it is typically helpful for business owners.

At the very least, as a business owner, getting Angie’s List reviews and setting up a page on the website will give you a backlink, boosting your SEO rankings, and making it easier for consumers to find your site.

Is Angie’s List reliable?

For consumers, Angie’s List is not always considered the most reliable. There have been some criticisms in recent years, such as that it favors the companies that advertise with it when displaying “top-rated pros.” Keep in mind that 70% of the website’s profits, as of 2013, came from advertising, so it certainly wants to attract more of these advertisers.

Experts say that even with that issue, it can still provide valuable information for consumers. They can find general information about businesses, including contact information like email addresses, phone numbers, and pricing. Additionally, as long as consumers avoid the “recommended” companies and pay attention to actual reviews, they can find accurate reviews.

How do you see reviews on Angie’s List?

Seeing reviews on Angie’s List is as simple as visiting your company profile and then looking at the section labeled “Reviews.” Consumers will see an option to “View All Reviews” directly underneath your report card.

How much does it cost to use Angie’s List?

It is completely free for businesses to sign up and make a profile on Angie’s List. For consumers, there are various plans available, with the Green plan being free. Silver plans cost $24.99 annually, while Gold plans cost $99.99 per year.

Despite the numerous criticisms of Angie’s List, we suggest making use of it for your business. You may want to rethink spending your advertising budget directly with Angie’s List. Instead, you should focus it on efforts that will help you get reviews on the website.

For some real-world data on how much it would cost you to use Angie’s List advertising services, consider the real data provided by Motava.

1. Offer discounts for Angie’s List reviews.

 One method of getting more Angie’s List reviews is to offer customers a discount in exchange for writing a review. If they are already happy with your services, then they are likely planning to hire your company in the future.

These plans to hire you again make a discount appealing, as it is an incentive that they will likely use. You may worry about the discount hurting your bottom line, especially if the reviewer would have paid the full price for your service. However, keep in mind that the discount is likely much less than the increase in revenue you will bring in with new customers thanks to their reviews.

2. Consider a contest with Angie’s List reviews.

If you cannot afford to offer everyone who leaves a review a discount, you could opt for a review-based contest instead. Offer a single discount or free service of some sort and make leaving a review of the entry a requirement. To get the most out of this method, announce the contest on social media and send out emails.

3. Ask them to leave an Angie’s List review.

Even if you do not provide an incentive, merely asking customers to leave Angie’s List reviews for you can produce results. If your customers are pleased with your services, they will be willing to write a short review, especially if you emphasize that it is short.

To further motivate people to leave reviews, remind them that you are a small, local business and that reviews make a big difference. When appropriately phrased, that might be all the encouragement customers need to post a review on Angie’s List and other websites.

Get creative when asking customers to leave a review. Consider asking in-person after your service calls, in your confirmation emails, and even on your social media pages. Even just posting a link to your profile on Angie’s List on social media can encourage past and current customers to post reviews.

4. Follow up with customers to get Angie’s List reviews.

After you provide a customer with a service, do not just ignore them until it is time for another visit or contact you. Remember that you have a better chance of getting reviews soon after the service, as it will still be in your customer’s mind. Take advantage of this by following up in some way, over the phone, via text, or via email.

Make sure that it is as simple as possible for customers to leave a review in your follow up. Ideally, this would mean including a link to your page on Angie’s List, so customers do not need to waste time finding it.

5. Show how Angie’s List reviews help customers.

Yet another way to encourage customers to leave Angie’s List reviews is to show them the potential benefits for them. Even if you do not offer a discount in exchange for the review, this is easy to spin.

Let customers know that you use reviews as a way to gauge feedback and make improvements. Make it clear that by leaving a review, they will help you improve your services, so they are better tailored to customers’ needs.

6. Follow up on reviews.

When someone leaves you a review, follow up with them afterward, especially on negative or extremely positive reviews. In the case of negative reviews, responding will give you a chance to come to a solution with the customer and perhaps change the review into a positive one, or at least a neutral one. This initiative could turn the potentially damaging negative review into one that helps your business. Responding to negative reviews can also be a way to help you retain customers, especially if you can overcome the issues that led to the negative review.

Another thing to consider is that when you respond to a negative review, especially if you do so directly on Angie’s List, you show potential customers that you care about your customers. They will see you going out of your way to make things right with a customer and assume that everything will resolve itself if they run into any issues while working with you.

In the case of positive reviews, following up and saying thanks is an excellent way to maintain engagement and make customers feel appreciated. It also allows you to ask if you can share their review on your website or social media.

7. Let Podium help you get Angie’s List reviews.

Perhaps the best way to get more Angie’s list reviews is to use Podium, a platform designed for review management. Podium Reviews are one of the critical features of the platform. One of the platform’s crucial aspects is automated review invites. Podium automates the process of inviting customers to write a review, saving you time while delivering more completed reviews. To save even more time, you can use a customizable template for these invitations or completely personalize the message.

Podium not only helps you get reviews, but it helps you manage your reputation within them. This comes via the convenient reporting that shows you a comprehensive view of your reputation. Thanks to the report’s information, you can identify problem areas to know where to focus your efforts. Notifications, when reviews get posted, make it even easier to keep track of what customers think. There is even a mobile application so you can get the relevant information on the go.

Podium does not just focus on getting you reviews for Angie’s List, as it gets you reviews for a range of sites, including Google, Facebook, and more. The switchboard even lets you control how many review invites you send for each site.

You can also give Podium a try with a 14-day Free Trial, which includes some reviews, along with other helpful features. Your business would also likely benefit from the messaging feature on Podium. Some of Podium’s other components that may help your business include Webchat, Videochat, Payments, and Feedback.

Why Angie’s List reviews are important to your business.

Angie’s List reviews are essential to your business in the same way that any other review is. They provide you with an additional backlink, driving traffic to your website. At the same time, they help you build trust in your company. Consumers are more likely to trust companies with strong online reviews. Therefore, having reviews improves your ability to attract customers.

Jennifer Wilson
Jennifer Wilson Strategic Home Services Account Executive

Jennifer Wilson is a home services professional at Podium, the premiere messaging platform that connects local businesses with their customers.

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