One of the most important ways to manage your brand online is to continually see what reviews are made about your brand or product on the Internet. Reviews are listed on sites such as TripAdvisor, social media sites, and Yelp, which can affect the way both new and returning customers feel about your brand experience. In today’s online market, consumers are ready to give both raving reviews and abysmal reviews about your business. With the ease of using mobile phones to quickly type reviews, consumers are able to do this while they are at your business or right after they experience your brand or product. According to a study released last summer by Boston-based strategy and communication agency, Cone; 80 percent of consumers said they changed their minds about purchases based on negative information they found online. Business owners need to be proactive to resolve any negative reviews online, instead of ignoring them. Ignoring reviews only allows the perception of your business to become a reality. Here are some tips on how to handle negative reviews:
- Take a breath. One of the hardest things to see is a negative review about your business. Remember that for every one person that writes a negative review, there are usually ten positive reviews that are not being written.
- Respond quickly with a well-thought-out message. The quicker you respond, the more other customers notice your focus on helping to build a better experience for customers.
- Personalize it by introducing who you are and not just your business name.
- Make sure you re-read your response a few times, before posting.
- Read positive comments and make sure that your staff knows the great compliments, and that these are now expectations for future customers.
Another key note to remember, is to peruse your competitors’ reviews. You can learn a lot about the little details they are doing to keep their customers happy. Let us know what you think in the comment box below!
