The evidence is clear: most consumers look at online reviews before buying a product or service.

That means advisers and planners who want to impress prospective clients need to think about which platforms they should use to collect reviews.

Google is the obvious choice, because the reviews immediately impress a potential client when they search for an adviser or planner. They also help with local search engine optimisation and can be used elsewhere in your marketing.

But there’s a problem.

To leave a Google review, your client needs a Google account and must be happy for the name linked to it to appear in public. Combined, those two things mean Google reviews are important but hard to get.

So, if the only option you’re offering is Google, and your client can’t or doesn’t want to leave a review on there, you’re sending them down a dead end. To put it another way, they want to leave a review, but you’ve made it impossible for them.

That’s why we always recommend using two platforms: Google and another.

Important note: By using two platforms, you aren’t asking your clients to leave a review on both (although some might). Instead, you’re giving clients a choice for their convenience.

Over the years, we’ve looked at many options for that second platform. In 99% of cases, we believe it should be VouchedFor. We regularly get people challenging that conclusion, so we thought, once and for all, we’d set out the 12 reasons why.

Another important note: Before we get to the reasons, I need to make something crystal clear; there’s no commercial relationship between Yardstick and VouchedFor. We like them and are big fans of their people and products, but we get nothing for recommending them, and they don’t even know we’re writing this article.

So, with that said, here are the 12 reasons we recommend advisers and planners use VouchedFor as well as Google.

#1. Google reviews are hard to get

As we said, Google reviews are incredibly important but are hard to get.

Therefore, if your client can’t or doesn’t want to leave a Google review, and it’s the only platform you use, you’ve just sent a willing client down a dead end. That’s not a great outcome for anyone.

#2. It’s easier to get VouchedFor reviews

In our experience, firms often get five to 10 times more reviews on VouchedFor than they do on Google. So, not using it means you could be missing out on dozens, or even hundreds, of reviews.

#3. Cover two bases when people look you up online

After becoming aware of you, and before getting in touch, many prospective clients will look you up online. Some will search for your firm and be impressed by your Google reviews. However, if they look up an individual adviser/planner, the Google reviews won’t appear, but VouchedFor reviews will.

Assuming you have them!

So, by having reviews on both platforms, you’re hedging your bets and impressing prospective clients, no matter what they search for.

#4. VouchedFor’s reputational tools

Ideally, you want your VouchedFor reviews to “live” in as many places as possible.

Your website is probably the most important, and VouchedFor’s reputational tools allow you to embed reviews elegantly into your site, so clients can read them without having to leave.

#5. Impressing the AI robots

When a consumer asks AI to recommend a financial adviser or planner, it uses multiple sources to formulate its answer. In our experience, VouchedFor is one of the sources that appears time and again.

That matters, because your reviews now need to impress two audiences: humans making buying decisions and AI tools deciding who to recommend.

#6. The Top Rated guide

Each year, VouchedFor publishes its top-rated guide to financial advisers, planners, and firms.

If you have a Verified membership and meet the qualification criteria, you will be included, which provides additional promotional opportunities.

#7. Consumer Duty

VouchedFor was a tool we recommended advisers and planners use long before Consumer Duty was even a twinkle in the FCA’s eye. However, now it’s here, the platform gives you another way to gather feedback, understand client outcomes, spot issues, and prove you’re listening.

#8. Supporting your referral strategy

The data in the reviews is gold for underpinning a referral strategy.

It’ll tell you which clients are happy to recommend you, whether they have, and the extent to which your advisers/planners are talking to them about referrals.

#9. New enquiries

VouchedFor’s main role is to help you manage your online reputation.

It is not Unbiased.

However, in my experience, it will generate new enquiries. The number varies from adviser to adviser, planner to planner, and firm to firm, and leads will never be the main reason for having a VouchedFor profile. However, they’re a nice cherry on the cake.

#10. Giving you ideas for blogs and social media posts

When leaving a review, some of your clients’ answers will appear on your public profile, while others are only available to you. If you know how to use them, these private answers will provide you with fantastic insights into a client’s thinking and give you ideas to write social media and blog posts about.

#11. Use reviews in your meeting confirmation emails

Your first email to a potential new client might be a link to your online diary, or confirmation of the meeting you’ve agreed on a phone call. Either way, it’s an opportunity (that most advisers/planners don’t take) to prove to the client they’re in the right place.

So, along with the routine stuff, add a link to one form of social proof that’s specific to their circumstances. For example:

“You told me you want to understand whether you can afford to retire. Here’s a video of John and Jane explaining how we helped them through the same challenge. They’re now both retired and loving their new life.”

Or…

“You want help dealing with the financial implications of your divorce. Here’s a VouchedFor review from Amy, who explains how we helped her through a similarly tough time.”

Do this and your prospects will feel three things:

• “They’ve helped people like me.”
• “These people know what they’re doing.”
• “I’ve made the right decision getting in touch.”

And that’s going to increase the chances of you turning a prospect into a client.

#12. Share your reviews after introductions

After a new client, who was previously introduced to you by an existing client or professional connection, leaves a Google or VouchedFor review, share it with the person who made the introduction.

Doing this shows whoever made the introduction that the person they care about had a good outcome, while validating their decision to trust you.

A word about return on investment

There are times when marketing spend can be linked directly to outcome.

VouchedFor isn’t one of those times.

Honestly, though, if someone needs to see a direct return for every pound spent on marketing, that mindset will hold the business back.

And you don’t need to take my word for that, here’s the irrepressible Rory Sutherland on the topic of budget attribution:

“The biggest marketing lie is that marketing is a cost. Once you frame marketing as a cost, you’ve got the wrong mindset. Marketing is a way of avoiding opportunity cost. It’s completely wrong to frame it that way.

The second biggest lie is that you should only do marketing when it’s completely measurable, or accountable, or quantifiable, because that’s simply setting the bar too high, and a lot of very valuable things you can do to distinguish yourself are rendered impossible by that rule.

Don’t follow that rule. Measure what you can, but don’t demand that you measure everything.”

Here to help

As with most things in life, VouchedFor is what you make of it, and we have hundreds of mutual clients, including some firms paying for 10, 15 and even 20 advisers/planners to be on the platform.

Those firms understand the value. Hopefully, after reading this, a few more will do too.

If that’s you, and you’d like to learn more about VouchedFor or how to get the best from your membership, please email abi@theyardstickagency.co.uk or call 0115 8965 300.

Alternatively, if you have any comments on this article that you’d like to share, please send them to phil@theyardstickagency.co.uk or call/send a WhatsApp message to 07785 284429. I’d love to hear from you.