5 Ways to Get More Reviews for Your Optometry Practice

Did you know online reviews are a powerful tool for shaping potential patients’ perspectives? Today, before people purchase a product or book an appointment, they usually check that business’s reviews online. Having more negative reviews than your competitors can cost your business much credibility.

To help you improve your online eye care marketing strategy, we’ve developed five top tips to get more reviews from patients and boost your online reputation. We’ll also discuss the value of reputation management to optometry marketing.

1. Manage Review Listing Sites

If you want potential customers to read positive reviews on your practice, you should ensure you have the platforms for them to see your online reviews. Optometry practices should claim their business listings on relevant websites, including Yelp and Google My Business. While you may have existing Google reviews, claiming your listing allows you to take control and be more proactive in your practice’s online narrative.

Business directories list companies within specific niches based on relevant categories. Your business listing reflects your practice’s pertinent information. While you may have an existing listing, you can ensure all details are updated and accurate by claiming your business listing.

All contact information, including your business name, address and phone number, official website URL, and operating hours, should be correct. The information across all business listings should be consistent and accurate to avoid customer confusion.

While you should claim your listing on major directories, you should also take time to list your local business in niche directory websites. As an optometry business, you should list your company in healthcare directories, and the business information should be consistent with your other listings. While select directories may be paid, this is a stellar investment because more people would perceive your company as legitimate.

2. Simplify the Review Process

If you want more people to post reviews on your optometry practice, you should make it easy for them to share their experiences. Your patients shouldn’t have to go out of their way to write nice things about you.

One way to make it easier to post reviews is by providing direct links. You should add links to relevant review sites when you follow up via e-mail and on your website. Ideally, you should shorten the link to make it easier for people to enter it manually.

You can also display QR codes in the office to easily access review pages. You should keep several copies of the QR code, so your team can share them with multiple clients simultaneously.

You should make the process easier for your staff through automated reminders. Implementing software solutions to send automatic reminders post-appointment would ensure you don’t miss any customers.

3. Send Email Follow Ups & Text Reminders

Optometrists like you should set up a steady flow of emails asking patients to leave reviews or fill out quick surveys to keep them on top of your performance. The positive feedback can encourage your team, while the negative online reviews are opportunities to improve your services.

You should also send out quick surveys via text. After a patient visits your clinic, you should ask for their feedback. The experience would still be fresh in their mind, so you have a better chance of getting insightful comments. You can explore automation tools to simplify this process.

If a patient is already in your office, you can take advantage of the situation and ask them directly if they’re willing to leave a review of their experience that day. You should be prepared with a link or QR code to send quickly to their phones or emails. Alternatively, you can direct them where they can post their comments.

Moreover, it would be best to have a script to guide your team. This reference ensures your messaging is inviting and consistent.

Here’s a couple of sample lines you can send them:

• “Would you post about your experience today on Yelp? We can send you a link to our profile.”
• “Thank you so much for visiting our clinic. We’d love to hear from you. Would you mind sharing your experience through this survey?”
• “We’re grateful you visited us at XX. It would mean the world if you shared your experience on Google. We can share our official listing for your convenience.”

4. Create Incentives

If you want more patients to share their experiences at your practice online, you should provide incentives for them to take the time to write about your business. You can give away coupons, discounts, and other rewards to encourage them to write about your business. It’s also an excellent way to promote your services.

Here are some incentives you can consider to gain more positive reviews from patients:

• FREE eye exam on their next visit
• 10% off their next appointment
• A FREE gift for every review they post online

5. Be Responsive 

If a patient does leave a visible review on your optometry practice online, you should actively manage these reviews with appropriate and professional responses. Regardless of whether the comments are flattering or not, you should demonstrate that you appreciate them taking the time to write about their experience because it leaves a good impression.

Tips on How to Respond to Positive Reviews:

• Keep your response personal. Simply adding that person’s name to the reply will make them feel seen.
• Thank each customer for their loyalty. You should be graceful with every response you post online.
• Offer exclusive promotions. Your patients should be rewarded for posting reviews on your practice.
• Shout out to the staff and team for doing a stellar job. You should acknowledge your team’s efforts to deliver the best services possible.

On the other hand, mistakes happen, and too much negativity can damage your online presence. Negative reviews don’t have to mean the end of the world. In fact, you can use their comments to your advantage.

Tips on Managing Negative Online Reviews:

• Take accountability and apologize when needed for a less-than-stellar experience. Your optometry practice should accept that mistakes do happen, and you need to accept your client’s opinion.
• Ask to hear more details about their experience. Negative reviews can be a chance for your practice to improve your services. Your team should reach out to them personally for more information.
• Flag reviews that could be spam. Not all reviews might be from genuine customers, and you must acknowledge the platform where the review is posted.
• Invite them for a better experience. You can fix your relationship with that particular client and improve their perception of your practice by inviting them back for FREE. This is a stellar opportunity to convert them into a loyal client.
• Be mindful of your tone. How you respond to negative reviews is integral to your dynamic with that customer moving forward. Don’t be defensive in your response.
• Use their feedback as lessons. There’s always room for improvement, and you should share negative reviews with your team so they can learn from their mistakes.

Why Are Online Reviews So Important?

What value do reviews have to your business? 79% of consumers say they trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations from family or friends. Reviews online are your digital version of word-of-mouth marketing. And how can you show the world what you have to offer if you don’t try to get more reviews?

Here are some benefits you can enjoy through reputation management:

• Builds Credibility and Trust. More people trust an optometry practice with stellar reviews online.
• Improves Search Engine Rankings. Reputation management can be helpful in search engine optimization.
• Enhances Brand Perception. You can improve people’s opinions of you with the right strategy.
• Showcases Customer Service. You can demonstrate how you value your customers.
• Gives an Edge Over Competitors. You can gain an advantage over your local competitors.

Share Positive Patient Feedback

Aside from monitoring reviews via search engines, you should also proactively manage them through social media. Your team should actively respond to negative and positive online reviews through your business’s social media accounts, such as Instagram and Facebook.

You should share positive reviews your clients share on different platforms. The five-star reviews you receive can drive more patients to book an appointment with you. The customer who posted the review would also appreciate your acknowledgment of their kind words. They might even share your post on their personal page, which may lead new patients to discover your business.

In addition, you should post educational content as part of your overall digital marketing strategy. Your posts will keep your optometry practice at the top of your audience’s minds regarding eye care, and they’re also a stellar opportunity to keep your audience engaged.

Reputation Management Through Online Marketing with iMatrix

To get more reviews for your optometry practice, you need to make a solid effort to get people to write about you. Being proactive in your reputation management can help your team collect more positive feedback while efficiently managing negative ones.

Given your busy schedule, you may not have the time for all of these tactics. Fortunately, iMatrix can handle all your digital marketing needs, including managing your online reputation. Our team of online marketing experts can ensure no stone is left unturned regarding reputation management. For more information on digital marketing packages, including reputation management, call 800.792.8384 or click here.