In the age of the internet, every business owner fears one thing – the dreaded negative review. Not only can a single lousy review harm your business, but it can also cost you time and money as you pick up the pieces and double down on building back public trust. Entrepreneurs work hard and tirelessly to build a brand and a successful business. Yet, not everyone is going to be pleased with your services.
As part of our services, Charley Grey helps businesses manage their Google My Business accounts and websites, which means we see all of the good and all of the bad. We always try to turn every bad review into an opportunity or a learning experience. Here is how you can handle negative online reviews before they damage your business reputation and brand.
Ways to Handle Negative Reviews
Respond Quickly
According to a 2019 consumer study, people trust the opinion of others the most. On average, a potential client could read up to 10 reviews before deciding whether or not they want to shop with you. With that being said, you shouldn’t let bad reviews linger on your page without a response. The internet is 24/7, so you should keep an eye on these bad reviews and respond within 24 hours. Remember to keep your response professional and offer contact information to move the complaint into a more private conversation rather than leaving it out in the open.
Look for Commonalities
If you’ve received a bad review recently, try not to take it personally. You have to remember that not all customer feedback is essential and considering everything can actually harm your brand or product, shifting your focus away from your mission and values. However, as you read through your reviews, look for themes or commonalities that will give you a better idea of where you can improve. Once you’ve identified patterns, you can determine which products or services aren’t cutting it and make changes. When you begin thinking of bad reviews as learning opportunities, you can quickly improve your business.
Have a Plan
Not having a plan for responding is one of the worst things you can do. Naturally, your social or digital marketing staff would be responsible for keeping track of reviews and responding to negative ones; however, not everyone has the process down. To create a plan, outline who will be responding to negative reviews and how often they will be checking or responding to all reviews and develop some quick and easy fixes for common issues. You can also have answers to your frequently asked questions ready to review should the customer need an immediate response. Either way, you shouldn’t bog down your business flows and processes by reading reviews all day long. This isn’t efficient and can really be demoralizing.
Ask for More Reviews
Nearly everyone uses the internet now, which means you should be taking advantage of asking for online reviews. Getting reviews from all of your clients is a great way to build company morale, public trust, and gives your marketing team a plethora of content to use! You can even use these reviews to build your LinkedIn networks and showcase how your business solves problems for others. Include asking for a review as part of your routine when closing a sale or print out a QR code at the bottom of your receipts to make it quick and easy for people to leave a comment on your social pages or Google page.
Turn Over Your Digital Marketing
Nothing can be more confusing or frustrating than navigating the world of digital marketing, especially when you’re too busy dealing with bad reviews or comments on the internet. That’s why you need a managed website service in your corner – that’s why you need Charley Grey! We take care of all your website changes, blogging, and email campaigns so you can stay focused on the other aspects of your business. Give us a call today at (317) 207-2015.