Professional Reputation Management Eliminates Risk

There are very few things that will tarnish a business’s reputation as quickly as negative reviews can. Regardless of whether having an online presence or not, your business is at risk of suffering from a poor online review. Since most of us are glued to the internet (especially those of us who work in the field!), that is where we read and leave reviews for the products and services that we purchase. If your business has bad reviews it is likely that your sales are dropping as a result.

We at the Delaware SEO group cannot emphasize this next point strongly enough: It is not advisable to ignore bad reviews because many consumers will not even consider a purchase before looking at a company’s reviews first. Unfortunately, dealing with bad reviews takes a bit of strategy and skill. It also takes patience and a great deal of empathy. But, don’t worry, because we can help in this. If your company has received a bad review it is imperative that you maintain control, even if you know you are in the right. You see, not every customer is going to find their experience with your business purely pleasurable.

Sadly, there are even people out there that seem to thrive on leaving destructive comments. Your job is to overlook these things and try to do some damage control. Whether you feel you are in the right or not a dissatisfied customer must be treated with tact and respect, especially if they are not giving the same consideration to you. Arguing and trying to prove a point is a fruitless effort that will ultimately destroy your reputation. Remember that future clients generally tend to side with the unhappy customer.

Your first step of recourse is to apologize or at least acknowledge the review; the second step is to offer to make the situation right for the dissatisfied shopper. The third step is to correct the mistake and the fourth is to follow up. When consumers see that you are actively trying to ensure client satisfaction they will feel more secure dealing with your business. It is impossible to get glowing reviews from each client all the time, so you should expect a few naysayers every now and then. For example, the Delaware SEO Group has worked in reputation management for many of our clients, and one of the things that we advised one restaurant client to do when they received a bad review (someone had accused them of using tasteless and frozen veggies when, in fact, they used only fresh produce) was to respond by inviting the dissatisfied customer back in, and they would be happy to show them the kitchen to see how they sourced and prepared their produce. They asked the customer to please come back and give them another opportunity.

Also, these negative reviews can actually be good for your business. Most consumers realize that perfection is hard to reach, so when a company has nothing but positive reviews it can create suspicion. After all, you can’t please all of the people all of the time. Without a negative review every now and then, consumers may jump to the conclusion that your reviews may have been be purchased.

If they see a negative review and also see that you did everything in your power to politely and quickly resolve the issue they will quite likely feel like you are a company they can trust. The internet is vast network that provides numerous opportunities for consumers to leave reviews about their experience with your business. It can be difficult to monitor all of these sites and handle each negative review immediately.

Since a bad review can pop up anywhere, a lot of businesses protect their profits by hiring a professional marketing group to handle their online reputations. Through the close attention and constant monitoring that an SEO group offers, your business could be protected 24/7. Eliminate the risks of negative reviews by scheduling a consultation with a reputable firm like the Delaware SEO Group today.