Today’s consumers don’t follow the same paths to purchasing decisions as their counterparts of the past. Instead of looking through newspaper hard copies for sales, doing comparison shopping, and asking friends, neighbors, and acquaintances for advice, most people cut right to the chase and access online review sites for applicable information. Although many consumers go on to utilize other methods to research goods and services prior to making a financial commitment, they’ll usually cross a specific items off their list if poor online reviews are a part of the picture. Unfortunately, bad reviews can and do happen to good companies who provide excellent products and services. Competitors, for instance, may plant negative reviews for the purpose of making your business look bad in comparison. Those with a personal ax to grind, such as a bitter ex-spouse, may decide to take out their anger on your business by accessing review sites and leaving fake testimonials. Even the occasional actual customer who’s having a bad day may leave a not-so-positive review. Fortunately, strategies exist to help ensure that your business has an online presence that’s conducive to customer attraction and retention. Here’s how to keep the good reviews coming:
Look at Existing Reviews With an Open Mind
Taking the time to sit down and thoroughly read your existing reviews in a distraction-free environment provides you with the opportunity to identify areas in which your company could do better. Common denominators in the reviews will tell you where you need to focus.
Respond to Negative Reviews in a Timely Fashion
Although it is definitely tempting to pass by bad reviews as quickly as possible and try to forget you ever saw them, ignoring them may make you look unprofessional in the eyes of consumers. Respond politely to the review even if the one who left it used an angry and/or unreasonable tone — what you want to do here is show potential customers another side to the situation. Stick to the facts, keep a clear hate, and resist getting into a debate with the person who left the review.
Keep in Mind That Every Business Gets a Bad Online Review From Time to Time
Businesses that have nothing but glowing online reviews are viewed with suspicion by today’s savvy consumers. When the whole online review concept was new, many business owners seeded review sites with false reviews designed to show their business in a positive light. A series of news articles exposed this practice, and it rarely has the desired acheives the desired results anymore. After responding factually and positively to negative reviews, move on and consider them just a normal part of doing business.
Please feel free to contact us at your earliest convenience for more tips and tricks designed to keep your business flowing with positive reviews.
