Yelp. Amazon. TripAdvisor. I don’t know about you, but these days, I religiously check online product and business reviews before trying anything new. What does Urbanspoon have to say about the quality of that hole-in-the-wall Thai restaurant down the street? Where can I find a clean, inexpensive hotel room in South Beach? Which laptop do the masses recommend I buy?
The Internet has fundamentally changed the way that buyers and sellers interact in the marketplace. E-commerce sites make it easy to comparison shop and purchase, while crowd-sourced online review sites help customers make more informed buying decisions. As a result, reviews – both good and bad – spread faster and reach more people than ever before. Business owners will typically find that positive user-generated content adds credibility and provides the chance to interact with customers. On the flip side, unhappy customers are often quick to voice their displeasure on websites and social channels, and negative reviews can quickly take a bite out of sales.
According to a 2011 BrightLocal survey, approximately 70 percent of consumers use the Internet to find local business, and nearly all of those read online reviews when deciding which business to patronize. In addition, an overwhelming 86 percent of respondents claim online reviews influenced their decision – so they clearly carry a lot of weight. The question is: how should businesses deal with them?
Join the conversation: If your business or site has no customer feedback, reviews or testimonials, you may be viewed as less trustworthy than the competition. Make sure your company is listed on the major search engines and solicit customers for help promoting it on Google, Yelp, Bing and other key sites.
Face the negative: If you find your business being disparaged, the best approach is to respond quickly, publicly and in an accommodating manner. Don’t lash out against the criticism; use the opportunity to minimize problems and resolve issues. Negative reviews are by no means fun, but they can be an effective way to win over critics. By showing accountability and attempting to solve the problem, you’re giving potential (and existing) customers more reason to trust you. If people walk away from a discussion pleased with your response, they are more likely to have a better impression of your brand.
Don’t be so fake: According to Gartner, as many as 10 to 15 percent of social media reviews will be fake by 2014. Instead of honest customer reviews, praise and feedback, we’ll unfortunately see a growing number of professionally-paid for reviews. These might come from a company trying to bash a competitor or a business trying to boost its own profile by posting glowing reviews. Remember, reviews are all about public perception – and the public can pick up pretty quickly on phony feedback. Should you attempt to improve your own reputation through positive anonymous reviews, it could come back to haunt you. Therefore, transparency is paramount. On the other hand, if you see a review bashing your business that you know is erroneous or fake, contact the administrators of the review site with details. Sites like Yelp, TripAdvisor and Insider Pages have been known to delete a false review with enough proof.
Customer feedback is incredibly important for any business looking to be successful, and online reviews are increasingly valuable. Get in the game now. How you manage your online reputation can help make the difference between five-star success and one-star failure.
As design director at Cookerly, Tim serves as the creative lead in the development of branding campaigns, print collateral and digital media for clients across a broad range of industries, including consumer, professional services, healthcare and technology.
As a senior vice president at Cookerly, Mike Rieman is a strategic communications leader specializing in media relations and reputation management. With a proven track record of securing high-profile placements in top-tier outlets such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, CNN and USA Today, he excels at crafting compelling narratives that resonate across print, broadcast and digital platforms.
Mike Touhill is vice president at Cookerly Public Relations, where he helps lead traditional, social and digital media programs for B2B and B2C clients in packaging, telecommunications and technology, among other industries. As a communication leader, he develops and executes public relations strategy, provides proactive and reactive counsel to C-level executives and secures earned media coverage for client initiatives and product.
Andrew Agan is a vice president at Cookerly Public Relations, overseeing the agency’s internship program and leading media relations, content strategy and social media initiatives. He provides counsel and executes campaigns for clients across various sectors, including finance, healthcare, hospitality, technology, automotive and many others. Andrew excels at crafting compelling stories and building media relationships, resulting in clients being featured in notable outlets such as CNBC, Associated Press, Business Insider, Fox Business, HBO, Inc. Magazine, Sirius XM, The Wall Street Journal and USA Today, among others.
As vice president of Cookerly, Sheryl Sellaway uses her extensive corporate communications background to lead consumer PR efforts, deliver strategy for marketing programs and share expertise about community initiatives.