All small businesses, regardless of their type of business, should be aware of their online presence and take steps to protect their online reputation. One part of that process is being aware of online review sites that post customer feedback, reviews, and recommendations.
Once you know where your business is getting review traction online, it is time to be proactive about using these review sites to maximize your online presence. The tips below will get you started.
Monitor Review Sites Regularly
You can’t stay on top of customer reviews unless you have a consistent process for monitoring and reviewing feedback received online. Develop a list of websites where your customers post their reviews and regularly check to see what’s being said.Â
In addition to online review sites, you should monitor social media sites to track what is said about your business. It may seem like a huge undertaking, but several tools can help you streamline this process.  For review monitoring software, make sure to check out Rep.co.
Encourage Happy Customers to Post Reviews
You can leave it up to your customers to post reviews about your business on their own, but there is nothing wrong with giving them a little nudge. Next time a customer tells you how happy he or she is with your business, ask him or her to share their opinion on one of your favorite online review sites.Â
Respond To All Reviews… Even Negative Reviews
The first goal of using online review sites for your small business is getting customers to post their thoughts about your business on those sites. The second goal is opening up the lines of communication and creating a dialog with those customers.
If a customer leaves praise about your business, a thank you or a short personal note is a great way to encourage conversation and show your appreciation. If a customer posts something negative or complains about your products or customer service, you have a unique opportunity to demonstrate how in tune your business is with its customers. There are several ways to handle customer complaints and negative reviews — comment back, respectfully refute a negative claim, shift into customer service mode and take it offline, and draft a formal response — but the key is to make sure each and every comment receives an official response from your business.
Collect and Use the Feedback
Once you have set up your process for tracking and managing online reviews of your business, it’s time to compile the results and look for common themes. Do many customers state that they wish you sold a different type of product or started offering a related service? Do your customers commonly say that your customer service is lacking? There are likely to be lessons learned and things you can implement in your business to make an immediate impact based on the feedback you receive.
As you start using online review sites to promote your business, keep in mind the most important part of this process: consistency and a strategy that guides your activity. This article on online reputation management provides more tips you can use when you create your plan.
