Local word of mouth still matters, but now we must think of word of mouth" differently. Far more people now decide on local services — yes, including burial and cremation services — by researching them online.

The internet lets you tell everyone in the world how incredible your services are. You can go on about your amazing client service on your website. You can develop advertisements that boast about your being the premier funeral home in your neighborhood or city.

And if legitimate, worded well, and backed up by testimonials from satisfied families, people in the community will likely accept that your assessment of your stellar reputation is genuine.

Download our free guide, The Funeral Home Owner's Guide To Optimizing Your Online Reputation, which lays out a strategy to get more five-star reviews as well as how to deal with fake and negative reviews.