Matt Capell of Meridian, Idaho-based Capell Flooring and Interiors knows the value of an online review—he's spent the last decade exploring ways to cultivate them. His latest effort, raffles, has helped generate about 100 new reviews this year. "I basically turned it into a contest to get reviews and make it a little bit fun," he says. "A lot of people will do reviews if there's a little bit of a nudge." One review equalled one entry into the company's raffle, with prizes including a new TV, Kindle, Instant Pot and Nintendo gaming system. One video testimonial equalled 10 entries. The contests were held over Christmas and over St. Patrick's Day, and Capell plans to expand it with more holidays and themes. The raffles are offered to the roughly 2,200 clients on the company's email list and are open for three weeks before the drawing. Reviews can be left on Google, Facebook and Houzz. "Of course, all these don't work if your business isn't good," Capell says of the initiative. "You've got to do the fundamentals; you have to take care of your people. If you've got that down, I find that online reviews, as long as they're current and active, are almost as good as getting a referral from a friend."
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