Consider this:

I hear about your product on the radio… so I type the name of it in Google and check the Google reviews.

I read my friend’s Tweet about his great experience with your business…so I search your Twitter handle to see what else is being tweeted about your company.

I saw your billboard and was impressed…so next time I’m online I check to see what’s happening on your Facebook page.

Such is the common researching and buying process of today. We are becoming increasingly reliant on the voice of our peers, friends, neighbors, and the multitudes of strangers we haven’t met, but perceive are just like us.

As a consumer, when I hear about any product, brand, or service that holds some interest for me—whether it be a restaurant, MBA program, plumber, car dealer, smartphone accessory, etc.—I immediately turn to the Internet and LOOK IT UP!

When it comes to consumption, this is the knee-jerk response of the current generation. And whatever I perceive about your product, brand, or service is reality to me, and therefore the reality for you as well.

So, how visible are you? How good are your reviews? How about your rankings? And what are you doing to influence your reviews, rankings and likes?

I recently typed in a generic Google search as a test. The search was equivalent to “California Electricians”. What I found was astonishing. There immediately appeared seven companies with their contact information. Six of them had Google reviews.  Four of those had a Google score, which were: 4, 8, 25, and 27 (out of 30). And of these businesses, the one with a score of 4 had 35 reviews, the one with a score of 8 had 28 reviews, the one with a score of 25 had 16 reviews and the one with a score of 27…(drum roll please) had 281 reviews!

I didn’t stop there, though I’m sure many would have. I looked up the 4 companies who had a Google score on Facebook. The one with a score of 27 and 281 reviews had over 2,500 “likes,” while another was not listed at all. The other two companies had around 250 “likes”. What was my immediate perception? What would yours be?

Think about this: If I am looking for an electrician, and I have no other reference than their reviews, how could I not seriously consider calling the one with a 27 out of 30 score among 281 customer reviews right then and there? The others barely stand a chance. Their clever TV ads, billboard campaigns, and radio spots can only take them so far. And any other awards, accolades or honorable mentions they have displayed on their homepage pale in comparison to the 281 straightforward reviews of a customer who has nothing to gain but to relate their true experience.

The question is—why is there only one out of dozens of “electricians” in the area that have worked effectively to influence these rankings? I am certainly not alone in my process of going to Google and searching for the right company to do business with. It is the new norm.

This is the purchasing pattern of today. It is a moment of opportunity. Take action to influence and control how you are being perceived. Don’t just have a website, don’t just be on Facebook, don’t just “be on” social media—make strategic plans to be credible, likeable and irresistible!