5 Online Reputation Management Strategies for Negative Reviews

Millions of potential customers, patients, and consumers conduct a significant amount of research online before purchasing. Online reviews can positively or negatively impact your business reputation. Potential buyers trust the non-bias opinions of others.

While the positive reviews are awesome and add to your credibility, negative reviews leave room for you to grow and evolve as a business. While we understand the heartbreak that comes from a negative review, we also understand the importance it has for you to respond and work to make a situation right.

We often see negative messages, one-star reviews, or those angry emails WAY more often than we see the positive. We understand it; we’ve all been that unhappy customer before.

The thing to remember is it's how you as the business respond that determines if the customer stays loyal or not.

Let us recommend 5 online reputation management strategies that will set you apart when responding to negative reviews:

1. Respond promptly and with empathy. 83% of people expect responses to social media comments in a day or less. Prompt responses prevent frustration and signify the value you place on your customers. Equally as important is responding with empathy, patience, understanding, and acceptance.
2. Responding to negative reviews is a must. 82% of consumers read online reviews, AND 97% also read the business's responses. Addressing negative reviews is a way to show customers you will take care of them and any issues that arise. Best practices for responses:
   • "Thank you for" or "We're sorry about" are crucial elements.
   • When possible, offer FAQ links or an email for direct questions.
   • Offer a timeline and set expectations.
   • Personalize your response; remember they're your priority.
3. Accept your mistakes and apologize. Showing remorse diffuses customer tension and encourages a life-long consumer. Craft an apology that accepts your mistakes and sets a plan to resolve the issue. Stating the importance of the issue and the steps you're taking to prevent it in the future sets a tone around your company’s intentions.
4. Be aware of your search results. Your aim should be to show up first when your company's name is searched; the #1 result in Google gets 31% of all clicks. Customers are 10X more likely to click on the first search. Monitor your brand's search results so you can see what customers see. A great way to improve search results is by encouraging happy customers to submit positive feedback on ranking review sites, improving your overall SEO rating!
5. Automate online reputation management. Safe time by using software that automates Online Reputation Management. Google Alerts is a great way to remain updated anytime your company is mentioned or talked about.

Managing Online Reviews Can Be Easy

With multiple review websites (Google, Yelp, Facebook, UrbanSpoon, Trip Advisor, Healthgrades, etc.) available in the online world today, it becomes challenging to manage multiple websites to generate online reviews that impact your business.

We offer access to a single online dashboard, Swell, where you can field negative reviews by communicating with customers through one online platform. With Swell, you can request reviews via text and email, respond and manage reviews, set review alerts, and ensure your customers return.

Our team is prepared to take your online reputation management to the next level. With our strategies and resources, we’ll help ensure your business stands out with great reviews.