What is Reputation Management?
According to Wikipedia, Online Reputation Management, sometimes abbreviated as ORM, refers to influencing and controlling an individual’s or group’s reputation. Originally a public relations term , reputation management now refers to managing the website results and reviews of a company’s product and service searches.
Reputation management is considered one of a company’s most valuable intangible assets, providing a competitive edge in a very competitive Internet Marketplace. Sound practices also reinforce a firm or businesses branding objectives building trust in their name and practice.
While we all know about the importance of positive Yelp and Google reviews, there are many professional review sites, also. Having consistently solid reviews will set you up as an industry leader.
Unfortunately, a strong online reputation can be difficult to build. It can also be destroyed in minutes by a single negative comment posted about your firm online.
Responding to a Negative Review
- A positive reputation online builds trust, lands new clients, attracts new staff and makes increases client referrals. Your reputation is everything. Regardless of where the review is—be it Google, Yelp, Facebook, Bing, Foursquare, Amazon or a top directory—you can capitalize on a good review, and minimize the damage of a bad review. Let’s see how!
Negative reviews can’t be deleted, but they can be placed in the proper perspective by encouraging all your clients to submit reviews.
Publishing helpful articles on social media sites also builds a foundation of trust that can mediate negative reviews. However, knowing how to respond to negative reviews is a crucial aspect of reputation management.
Nearly 90% of consumers state that they only consider purchasing from a business, if they have an average star rating of over 3 stars.
According to Google, “Responding to reviews shows that you value your customers and the feedback that they leave about your business.” This in turn can affect the ranking of your Google My Business (GMB) listing.
Dealing with negative reviews can be an opportunity to market your brand, if done correctly.
Remember:
- You’re speaking to everyone who reads the review, including potential clients.
- Replying is your opportunity to make things right. Consider the complaint the same way you would, if the client came to you in person. You would try to make it right.
- Replying shows other readers you are not shady and that you take feedback seriously by taking steps to ensure this problem won’t happen to the next customer.
“Even if you do get negative feedback, you can turn it into a positive by engaging in a constructive way and showing that you’re a genuine business,” said Shama Kabani, author of The Zen of Social Media Marketing and CEO of The Marketing Zen Group.
“People are not looking for perfection online. What they’re really looking for is humanity and a genuine response, so a negative review can be a great opportunity to respond in a positive and transparent manner. And that has a good impact on all your customers.”
Four Steps For Responding to Negative Reviews
Step 1: Apologize and sympathize with their concerns in your response to the negative review.
Show sympathy that they had a bad experience, even if their opinion seems unfounded.
Step 2: Add a little marketing in your response to the bad review.
Explain what our customers usually experience and apologize for not meeting your normally excellent standards.
Step 3: Move the conversation offline.
Provide contact info so they can call your firm and discuss the problem in person. “My name is ( ). If you’d like to discuss this further, please contact me at this phone number ( ).” But don’t include the name of your business or relevant search keywords. You do not want this review showing up in search results.
Step 4: Keep your response simple, short and sweet.
Don’t go into too much detail or ask questions. Any additional information could further upset the customer, turning the response into a debate. Three sentences is a good rule of thumb.
Responding to Positive Reviews
Responding to all reviews is polite and good for business. Providing a response for a positive review increases its impact and draws attention away from any negative or neutral reviews. Written correctly, your responses to good reviews will build trust and brand recognition while strengthening your relationship with current customers.
You should always respond to a positive review. If a customer gave you a compliment in real life, you would say thank you. And with an online review, the compliment is public. So your response she be extra nice.
92% of consumers now read online reviews (BrightLocal). Your potential customers as well as the public may read this review. This is a chance to speak to a targeted audience and do some discreet marketing.
Positive online conversations about your brand and he local community can draw others into the conversation, generating more visibility and warm feelings for your business.
Replying quickly and properly can improve the SEO ranking of the review and help the review show up in the search results for your business.
Four Steps for Responding to a Positive Review
Step 1: Thank the customer for the positive review and mention something specific they wrote.
Step 2: Use your business name and keywords in your review response to the good review.
Step 3: Insert a little marketing into your review response. Mention a new or favorite service or feature.
Step 4: Invite the customer to do something in your response. Ask the customer to return, use another service or spread the word.