Customers rarely call the first name they see. They compare two or three businesses in a few seconds and pick the one that looks safest. Getting found puts you on that shortlist. What they see next decides whether they call you.
This article explains what customers look at when they compare, what Beside does about each, and where to see it working.
Why getting chosen matters
When someone is about to let a stranger into their home or onto their job, they look for proof that you are real, busy and easy to deal with:
Fresh reviews. Two plumbers are both rated 4.8. One's latest review says "2 days ago", the other's says "7 months ago". Which one looks busy? Recent reviews say more than a big, old total.
Replies to reviews. A reply is not only for the reviewer. It is for the next people reading, who want to know how you behave when something goes wrong. A calm, personal reply to a bad review can build more trust than another five stars.
A profile that looks alive. Recent photos and updates show the business is open and working.
A website that answers the obvious questions. What you do, where, and how to call or book in one tap.
What Beside does about it
Asks your customers for reviews. Beside has several ways to ask, on the Requests tab under Business Profile in the left menu. They stay switched off until you turn them on. 📖 Get more reviews from your customers
Drafts a reply to every review. Once your Google profile is connected, Beside drafts a reply to each unanswered review, unhappy ones first, in your voice. You edit and approve it on the Replies tab, unless you let Beside post replies on its own. 📖 Request and manage your reviews
Helps with the hard ones. A draft for a bad review apologises plainly, says what is being fixed, and never argues with the reviewer. 📖 Reply to a negative review
Keeps your profile active. Beside turns photos of your finished jobs into updates on your Google profile. 📖 Post updates to your Google profile
Keeps your website clear and current. Beside builds your site and keeps it saying plainly what you do and how to reach you. 📖 Set up your Beside website
See it working
Reputation is one of the two pillars of the Marketing score in your Marketing Audit, which you open from your Library. It looks at your rating, how many new reviews arrive each month, and how many of them you have answered.
Under Business Profile, two review counters show where you stand today: Needs reply and Replied.
💡 Next step: being chosen brings you the call or the request. Answering fast and following up is what turns it into a job.
FAQ
Will Beside post a reply to a bad review without asking me?
Will Beside post a reply to a bad review without asking me?
Only if review replies are set to Always allow in Settings → Autonomy. Everyone starts on Always ask, where every reply waits for your approval. There is no separate switch for 1 to 3 star reviews.
Does Beside ask customers for Yelp reviews?
Does Beside ask customers for Yelp reviews?
No. Yelp's rules forbid asking for reviews, so Beside's review requests only ever point to Google. If you connect Yelp, Beside still drafts replies to your Yelp reviews for you to post.