Clout didn't start as a software idea. It started as a problem we kept seeing in our own clients' businesses, one that was costing them work they didn't even know they were losing.
We've been building websites and running digital marketing for NZ businesses since 1999. Over that time, one thing has become consistently clear: the businesses that win the most enquiry from Google aren't necessarily the best at what they do. They're the ones with the best Google reputations.
We watched good businesses lose jobs to competitors who had more Google reviews, better star ratings, and more complete profiles. The work was there. The customers were there. The reputation just wasn't keeping up.
We started looking for a tool to solve this for our clients. We found plenty of options, mostly built for American businesses, priced for larger companies, and complicated to set up. Nothing that felt right for a small NZ business that just needed a simple, effective solution.
So we built one.
Clout automates the parts of Google reputation management that most business owners know they should be doing but never quite get around to. Review requests go out automatically after each job. Unhappy customers are redirected to a private feedback channel before they can leave a public review. Your Google Business Profile stays accurate and complete. Your best reviews show up on your own website.
It's not complicated. It doesn't require a developer or an IT person. Most businesses are up and running in under 5 minutes.
The Team Behind Clout
Energise Web Design has been based in Whangarei, Northland, since 1999. We design and build websites, manage Google Ads campaigns, and handle SEO for around 200 client websites across New Zealand. Clout is a product of that experience. We understand how NZ businesses find customers online, what actually moves the needle on Google, and what business owners realistically have time to manage.
Visit Energise Web Design →Most review management tools are built for the American market and adapted (loosely) for everywhere else. Pricing is in USD. Support is in a different time zone. The advice and defaults are built around how American consumers behave, not New Zealanders.
Clout is built for the NZ market from the ground up. Pricing is in NZD. Support is local. The product is designed around the kinds of businesses that make up the backbone of the NZ economy: trades, hospitality, professional services, health and wellness, retail.
How We Think About This
Clout is built around generating genuine reviews from real customers. We don't manufacture social proof. Every review Clout helps you get is one your business actually earned.
A tool that takes an hour to set up and requires ongoing management is a tool most business owners will abandon. Clout is designed to run with minimal involvement once it's configured.
We built Clout because we genuinely believe a strong Google reputation changes the trajectory of a small business. Every part of Clout is there because it makes a real difference.
Real Results
We're happy to answer any questions. Get in touch directly, or go ahead and sign up. Setup takes under 5 minutes and there's no lock-in if it's not the right fit.
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