ISVs that design vet practice management software understand that the main goal of this software is to help create efficiencies across all areas of the practice. This begins with billing, invoicing, practice management, and payments, but should also extend into the realm of digital analytics and marketing. While automating repetitive administrative tasks can streamline operations, empowering practices with insights about their digital presence and practice as a whole can help them expand and grow their practice.
Online reputation management is a key component of digital marketing, especially for veterinary clinics. Reviews and other social signals are an important part of earning clients’ trust. In fact, studies show that well over half (68%) of customers form an opinion of a business by reading just one to six reviews online. What’s more, 88% of consumers say they trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.
Yet, negative reviews happen. A customer may have experienced a miscommunication or a misunderstanding. Perhaps they didn’t feel heard and decided to take the issue online. That said, taking proactive steps can minimize the incident and ensure that a practice’s online reputation remains intact.
Defining Online Reputation Management
ISVs and software developers that design vet practice management systems play a unique role in the lifecycle of a vet practice. Not only are they behind the systems and processes that help keep vet clinics financially afloat, but they also have the ability to help veterinary customers take control of their online reputations. For many, this begins with educating vet clinics on what online reputation management is - and why it’s important.
It can be helpful to start by defining what it is not. A common misconception is that online reputation management simply means social media monitoring. Some (incorrectly) assume that it relates to public relations. Others fail to see how anything online can impact a brick-and-mortar veterinary clinic. With almost 9 in 10 consumers reporting they have read online reviews to determine the quality of a local business, it is critical for vet clinics to understand just how important online reputation can be.
The reality of this digital era is that customers are constantly creating content and interacting with businesses on social networks. Customers are talking about the businesses they frequent, including those they love and those they are dissatisfied with. Those reviews and comments about a customer’s experience are passed around social networks for everyone to see. Without online reputation management in place, negative reviews go unaddressed and may leave bad impressions on other prospective customers who come across them.
Even the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) outlines best practices for online reputation management. It’s not uncommon for veterinarians to experience cyberbullying, which can occur through a variety of channels including social networking profiles (real and fake), emails, texts, and other video and photo-sharing sites. It may or may not include disputes about the care a patient received or about displeasure around the cost.
While vet clinics cannot stop these public airings of grievances, developers can empower them to keep a finger on the pulse of their online reputations and take the necessary, proactive steps to resolve disputes with customers or, at the very least, share their side of the story.
Social Reputation Management
Social and online reputation management is one of the ways Global Payments Integrated adds value to our suite of payment tools. We understand that you want to help your customers grow, which means you understand the importance of a good reputation. Maintaining a positive reputation requires constant oversight and management. We help you help your customers keep tabs on what people are saying about their business.
Our social reputation management tool provides real-time feedback on your customers’ online reputations. That means your customers can see how they are rated by those buying from them. It also empowers your customers to respond directly from within the resource, immediately improving online reputation. Our solution even goes one step further and provides competition reputation so your customers can quickly view competitive ratings leading to more effective marketing messaging.
We also help your vet customers accumulate more positive reviews. Our Callpop product integrates seamlessly with your software and enables vet clinics to send review requests directly to customers via a custom message. Clinics can choose to send a custom text message to customers that directs them to either Google or Facebook’s review page for their business. While customers are very likely to share a negative experience, they are less likely to spontaneously write reviews about positive ones. However, roughly three quarters (76%) of people who are prompted to leave reviews will take the time to do so.
Together, our Customer Engagement Suite portfolio of products can boost positive online reviews and keep negative ones in check. ISVs can enhance their software solution by adding these features, empowering vet clinic customers to improve customer engagement and increase revenue. Contact us today for more on how these features can help your customers.