Do You Feel the Spotlight Shining on Your Community?
Senior care review sites have grown in both numbers and volume of reviews since The Gilbert Guide launched in 2004. Now a part of Caring.com, The Gilbert Guide began adding consumer reviews to their directory listings in 2006. The Senior List was founded in 2008, the same year Angie’s List began adding health care verticals. The real growth has been in the last five years.
What is driving this growth?
Adult children are looking for and reading reviews. It’s as simple as that.
Research conducted by Caring.com showed 94% of family caregivers find online reviews to be trustworthy and helpful to a search for senior care providers.
While some providers have been less than enthusiastic about embracing reviews, families are not. According to Eric Seifert, President of SeniorAdvisor.com, “Families know firsthand how hard the process can be and are usually happy for the opportunity to share what they have learned with others,” He predicts this trend is here to stay. “Consumer demand for this level of information will continue to drive growth in this arena.”
How fast are consumer reviews being added?
SeniorAdvisor.com has almost 68,000 family reviews on their site. Angie’s List is also realizing strong growth. According to Cheryl Reed, Director of Communications, elder care searches are up 76%; 8,000 members search for elder care each month and 800 new family reviews are added.
While some may argue that individual senior care providers have limited opportunities for reviews, families that are facing this difficult decision clearly see the value in using them. A 2012 Caring.com study found that assisted living and memory care listings that had reviews – both negative and positive ones – were five times more likely to earn an inquiry than those without. SeniorAdvisor.com says their research shows reviews have a positive impact on the decision-making process.
Jill Gilbert, the founder of The Gilbert Guide, believes reviews contribute to the larger picture in making the senior care decision. “Visiting a community on a few occasions, getting feedback from other residents and doing some good research will never be completely replaced by consumer reviews.”
Provider engagement with consumer reviews
Providers that have embraced reviews believe they help engage families, drive decisions, and present an opportunity for service enhancements. Then there is the trust factor.
Families are twelve times more likely to trust peer reviews than a provider’s own marketing message.*
Providers ignoring consumer reviews do so at their brand’s peril. The increased volume of reviews being completed by families likely means you are already being talked about, even if you are not joining the conversation.
Families understand that our industry provides care for some of the oldest, most frail members of the population. Things will go wrong.
What families won’t forget is how providers respond to those incidents.
If they see a negative review quickly and appropriately addressed online, a provider can turn a bad review in to a positive. Families can see how the provider reacts when things go wrong – important insight to have when making a decision.
Reviews also reinforce your marketing message. According to Blair Carey from RetirementHomes.com, “Senior Housing operators have to embrace primary review sites to help validate and authenticate their message and brand.”
Where can you join the senior care review conversation?
Caring.com and SeniorAdvisor.com should both be on your list. They each have the traffic and resources to pull families in.
Other Sources of Information on Senior Care Reviews:
- Online Review Use in Assisted Living Facility Selection
- How Important are Senior Care Reviews to Families?
- Four Top Tips to Help Build Senior Care Reviews Online
Still have questions about home care or senior living reviews?? Shoot us a note! We will be happy to help…
*eMarketer 2010
