Once a company’s online ranking reaches a desired level and is driving traffic, the next phase is to engage with customers by responding quickly and efficiently.
But originators should not rely on traditional forms of communication, Ure said. “Most of us don’t really want to talk on the phone anymore, that means starting a webchat that goes to your cell phone, so that you can be out and about and still communicate with somebody without being tethered to a computer.
“If you don’t make the communication process easy – if you don’t engage me quickly – I’m going somewhere else, especially when it comes to mortgages,” he said.
Review invitations by text message form part of the frictionless and streamlined experience for clients. According to Ure, they have a 95% open rate within the first three minutes, and withing three clicks, the broker can have a review posted to sites such as Google, Facebook and Zillow.
Quantity and quality of reviews, as well as business responses to them, are evidently key aspects of review searches. But while securing a stream of good ones is the ultimate goal, paradoxically even the odd poor review can be turned to a company’s advantage, as it can add credibility and ultimately enhance a broker’s reputation.