Responding to Negative Reviews: Be Nice, Not Naughty

Handling Negative Reviews

Negative reviews hurt - no doubt about it. They impact your online marketing, your SEO (Search Engine Optimization), and the reputation of your brand, products, and services. Beyond that, they feel like a personal attack. But, what can you do?

How to Respond

• Promptly - Just like any good customer service response, you want to take action on a negative review as soon as possible and preferably within the first 24 to 48 hours following the review posting. 
• Sincerely - If your company blew it, take ownership of the mistake, apologize, and work to mend bridges. If it was a misunderstanding, gently clarify and offer to speak with the consumer in person or by phone to make things right.
• Generously - Assume some of the responsibility if you can, go out of your way to cut the consumer some slack, and assume the best in the client.
• Personally - The best place to hold the conversation is offline, so request the person call or visit you to work the issue through.
• Circumspectly - Remember that others considering your business are reading along, so you are posting for the general public. Be kind and calm in your response.

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After the Storm - Generating New Reviews

Hopefully, your efforts to mend bridges will result in the customer amending or removing his or her review, but if not, be sure you step up your efforts to generate new reviews from your happy clients.

Remember, Impressions Review Managing is here to help - contact our friendly team for more assistance.

Local Online Advertising Study: Reviews Can Tell the Future

Using Reviews for Local Online Advertising

Online reviews. You either love them or hate them, but there is no denying that they impact decisions on what products and services people purchase. Think about how many times you have looked at the star rating for a product or a business and chosen one over another because of the ratings and reviews others have written. I know I avoid hotels with low star ratings and I pick local restaurants based on what others have to say about the quality of service and food.

Research = Telling the Future

The University of Maryland's business researchers went further with using online reviews and have developed an algorithm that allowed them to use linguistic data from restaurant reviews to successfully predict which would go out of business. The Maryland study emphasizes what we already know - that businesses need to be paying attention to what their customers are saying.

Another study done by American Express, found that half of consumers who posted about a negative customer service experience, gave the business one week to respond before they gave up and went to a competitor instead.

Gaining New Reviews and Overcoming Negative Reviews

Websites that specialize in displaying online reviews like Google+, Yelp, Foursquare, Insiderpages, Angie's List, and many others, serve as a vast network of opinions and experiences that help consumers find the best fit for their service and product needs. Many of these websites allow the business owner to interact with client posts allowing businesses to solidify loyalty and to show their personality to prospective clients.

Paying attention to online reviews and responding to customer feedback is becoming more and more important to a business' local online advertising plan.

Remember, Impressions Review Managing is here to support you with technology to alert you of new reviews and experience to help you respond to your clients' needs to not only keep their business, but to attract other customers as well. Read our other blog articles or contact our friendly team today!

Social Media and Your Online Reputation

Which Social Media Site Should You Use to Market Your Business Online?

Social media is a great way to locally market your business online. You can interact with your current and potential clients over things of mutual interest, promote upcoming deals, offer special online savings, or even highlight your role in the community. 

There are MANY social media websites to choose from, but you do not have to be on all of them. Plan on choosing one or two that on which you feel you can remain active and focus on those. 

Different businesses will do better on different social media platforms - to help you choose, let's look at the characteristics of some of the major sites:

• Facebook - Using a Facebook page allows you to post comments or pictures, share articles of interest, promotional deals, and to show upcoming events or activities of your business or staff. If you choose to use a Facebook business page, plan on posting an average of twice each week and to read and respond to any comments you get from others viewing your page. You can expand your Facebook marketing by offering deals or having contests to get the most "likes" on a page or post. 
• Google+ - Similar to Facebook, Google+ is a place to connect with current clients, but it is also directly linked to your Google My Business listing which displays in search results anytime a potential client is looking for products or services related to what you offer. Having your Google My Business listing up to date is important whether or not you choose to be active on your Google+ page. People visiting your Google+ page will be able to see your posts and pictures, read reviews of your business, and even write a review of their own. 
• Twitter - Unlike Facebook and Google, Twitter is a faster paced social media site. Posts are required to be short (no more than 140 characters in length) and are meant to convey something currently taking place. People active on Twitter often post multiple times each day. If you decide to have both a Facebook and Twitter page, you can link your Facebook to automatically post on Twitter, but it is not recommended to have your Twitter feed post automatically to Facebook as there are usually too many Tweets which Facebook users tend to find annoying. 
• Pinterest - This social media website operates on a more visual level. Pinners post pictures they have found across the web with a link for more information. Your business can use a Pinterest account to post a picture from your website that may give tips or interesting information for people. The link to your website will drive traffic your direction while promoting your business' offerings. 

Obviously, there are many more social media websites to consider and you will want to find the ones that work best for you.

Remember, Impressions Review Managing is here to help!  Check more of our blog articles, our website, or contact our friendly team today!

SEO - Not Hide and Seek

Search Engine Optimization: "Dressing" Up Your Website

Have you ever dressed your child in a bright or wild color so you could find them on the playground? We do something similar when we develop your website - dress it up just right - so that the major search engines can find and display it to people looking for your business services and products. 

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is meant to help the major search engines, (Google, Yahoo, and Bing) to find and display your website when people are searching for the kind of information your site provides. After all, what good is a website if no-one can find it?

Back to our example... Think of the internet as a massive playground with trees, swings, climbing spaces, teeter totters, slides, and kids. Kids of every shape and size running, skipping, jumping, and playing everywhere. How do you go about finding your child?

• Physical appearance - You would likely start by looking for physical characteristics like size, shape, hair color, clothes... all of these are your way of optimizing your search. Search engine optimization looks at the physical appearance of your website too - how long are the pages (not too long, not too short), are there links on the pages, headings, pictures, navigation tools. 
• Searching - To find your child, you may have to crawl through the play equipment looking for your child's characteristics. Search engines crawl through your website looking for keywords and phrases that identify your written content, your business services, and your physical location. 
• Calling out - As you search for your child, you will probably call out and listen for their familiar voice in response knowing that, even if you can't see your child, you will be able to hone in on their location by their voice. The search engines call out and look for information on the backside of your website - page titles, meta tags, meta descriptions - that help them hone in on just the right results to provide to searching customers. 

As parents, we prepare for playground situations by paying attention to the way we dress our children. If you set up your website with SEO in mind, your business will be highly visible online and the search engines will find it easy to match you with prospective clients. 

Remember, Impressions Review Managing is here to help whether you need to build or rework your website or enhance your online reputation. Contact our friendly team today!

Writing Your Website Content: Marketing Tips for SEO

Website Content Written for SEO​

Writing content for websites seems like it should be a simple thing. Focus on local marketing, provide the best information for your clients, make it professional but inviting, and you should be good to go. 

There was a time when that was enough, but then the major search engines were developed. To help the masses of people wanting to use the internet, they had to find a way to sift through the content on websites to provide the best search results. Writing content to fit what the search engines want is part of what is commonly called, SEO or Search Engine Optimization.

Many articles can and have been written on SEO and there are many pieces to the search engine algorithms, but some of the most important to keep in mind as you write your web content include:

• Page Length - Search engines look for average length web pages to rank highest in their results. Typically between 250 to 500 words is the optimum length.
• Headings - Knowing that headings often give a good summary of content, take care to write your headings with common search words included. Don't sacrifice the quality or readability of the page though!
• Links - The quality of a website in the eyes of the search engines also includes where you link to and who is linking to you. Provide both internal and external links on your webpages to increase your search engine standing.
• Readability - With many people using smart phones and tablets to search the Web, content written in short chunks is much easier to navigate than long paragraphs. Break up your work and use bullet points to help people skim your pages. 

Search Engine Optimization takes a lot of attention to detail, but the payoff can be significant. Remember that IRM is here to help!

Creating Your Own Website: Things to Consider

Can you create your own website? Sure you can - there are lots of programs (many of them free) and with a little tech knowledge and lot of time, you can put together a website that will give people your basic information. However, if you are creating your website for a business, there are some critical elements that you want to be able to address:

1. SEO (Search Engine Optimization) - Having a great website won't do you any good if the search engines cannot find it. SEO is the technical description of how a website is designed to match what Google, Yahoo, and Bing are looking for when their systems "crawl" through your website. A lot of SEO rides on the actual writing of the website, but there are coding and behind-the-scenes issues to be considered as well. Thankfully, much information is available online to help you with SEO too including articles that come straight from the horses' mouths - that is, written by Google, Bing, and Yahoo experts. 
2. Web-friendly content - In order for search engines to be "happy" with your page, your content has to be written in a very specific way. Google prefers a certain number of words per page depending on the page type, the content should have specific keywords included, headings need to be of the right type and style, the writing should be at about an 8th grade reading level, your location should be included, links are necessary, and the list goes on. 
3. Pictures and graphics - Your website will be much more attractive if you include pictures - just make sure you have permission to use them! If you have taken the pictures yourself, you are just fine, but just because you found the picture online doesn't mean that you can use it on your website - many copyright suits are based on this mistake. 
4. Business listings - Each of the three major search engines and all of the major online review websites create a business listing page specific for your business. You will want to take control of your your listings and ensure all of the information is up to date and includes the link to your website. There are many ways to use reviews to market your business, so be sure to read up on Online Reputation Managing (ORM) too.

Depending on your level of comfort with technology, you may be able to put together your own website with minimal support, but if you need more guidance, IRM would be happy to help you either with your website, your SEO, or your ORM. 

Digital Marketing for Dentists: WDA Conference

November is fast approaching and dentists in the Midwest will be gathering at the Wisconsin Dental Association's InSession Conference. In addition to learning about all of the latest research, techniques, services and products available to cutting-edge dental practices, participants will have the opportunity to advance their digital marketing impact.

Bring your laptops as we will be taking time to discuss how to evaluate your practice's current online presence, respond to reviews, build your reputation, and get your business listing up on Google+ and other major search engines and review sites. 

www.impressionsrm.com

Negative Reviews: An Inherited Mess

Negative reviews are tough enough to swallow, but harder still when they weren't your reviews - they belong to the previous business owner!

Negative Reviews Compliments of the Previous Business Owner

You were bright-eyed and idealistic as you bought a business that was struggling and you were determined to turn it around. Unfortunately, the business also had a reputation that you have inherited and it's hurting your online reputation and impacting the number of new customers willing to come through your doors. 

What should you do?

• Claim all of your review website pages - You need to have control over what is being displayed on these sites so that you can direct the conversation and reveal the changes and improvements you've made.
• Post a note on every one of the review websites that the business is under new ownership.
• Reply to the existing negative reviews - Express that you are sorry they had the experience that they did and let them know that you have purchased the business with the intent of improving the service and products offered. Let them know you don't approve of the treatment they received either and that you hope they will give you a chance to show how different the business will be. 
• Read ALL of the negative comments and use that feedback to guide your plans for improvement. 
• Start building your new reputation - As you have new happy clients, ask them to write reviews for you so that, when people go online, they see new comments and evidence that the new owners have turned the place around. 
• Monitor your review websites daily - Be sure to publicly thank the people who leave positive notes for you and to address any comments that voice concerns by offering to speak with the customer offline. 

Grow Your Reputation

As time goes on, your reputation will stand on its own and the memory of the previous business owner will fade. You have the choice of growing a solid reputation both online and off, but as is true with anything worth doing, it will take diligence. 

Claim your business listings, monitor for new reviews, and interact with customers who take the time to write reviews for you. Listen to your customers and use their feedback to positively impact your local online advertising!

www.impressionsrm.com 

Fake Reviews: Fooling Only Yourself

Writing fake reviews is not only unethical and illegal, it also hurts your reputation even worse than simply ignoring your online reviews.

Writing Fake Reviews

I just had an interaction with one of the nastiest business owners with whom I have had the misfortune to meet. He has numerous negative reviews on the web and refuses to accept what is being said by his clients on social media sites which really are not that bad of comments and could give him the tools he needs to make business improvements and significantly impact his influx of new customers. He is rude to those he deems beneath him and it shows in the interactions I have experienced and it is echoed in his online reviews.

Instead of making changes and using the feedback he is receiving, it appears he is writing and having others write fake reviews for him. The more I work with reviews, the easier it becomes to spot the fakes and his simply scream FAKE.

Obviously it's unethical. It's also been the subject of court cases by Yelp - cases they have won and that have resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines.

Recognizing Fake Reviews

How can you tell if a review is fake? Sometimes you can't, but when you see multiple reviews using language that's not common to everyone, it's a pretty good sign that the reviews are being written by someone or a few people who have insider knowledge about the industry for which they are writing. 

For example, when you see several reviews all posted in close time frame of each other and every one of them mentions a specific service or product being offered by that business, you could be seeing fake reviews:

• I love that this place has flexible hours.
• Isn't it great that the hours are so flexible?
• Their hours are way more flexible than ABC Business.
• Their flexible hours make it easy for me to visit them!

Handling Fake Reviews

So, if you think a series of reviews are fake, what should you do? 

Several of the review websites like Google+ and Yelp allow you to "flag" a review. You can click a button that looks like a flag and then you will be given some options on why you are flagging the review. It doesn't necessarily mean that the reviews will be removed, but the website is more likely to take a look and investigate further. They are also pretty good about letting you know if they agree with you and will remove the reviews or if they think there is not enough evidence to warrant removal. 

What's a Small Business To Do?

It IS frustrating when negative reviews are posted on websites and social media about your business. You pour your life into this business and oftentimes the review is not entirely based in fact. Negative reviews have a huge impact on sales and the temptation is to cheat a bit. 

Just like your offline reputation though, your online reputation will be in jeopardy if you choose to try to cheat your way to the top. Instead, you can take control of your online reputation and build it ethically into a solid representation of your quality products and services. 

Don't sell yourself short. Take control and use online reviews to advertise your excellence. No amount of fake reviews will overcome a true strong online presence. 

Social Media Marketing Conference - Last Week to Register!

This is the last week to register for the 6th Annual Social Media Marketing Conference in Eau Claire, Wisconsin where I will be presenting, "Word of Mouth Gone Viral." The conference offers several excellent learning opportunities to maximize your online marketing efforts - hope to see you there!

www.impressionsrm.com 

Eau Claire Social Media Marketing Conference

Will you be in Eau Claire for the Social Media Marketing Conference? Be sure to attend our "Word of Mouth Gone Viral" workshop!

www.impressionsrm.com

Online Reviews: Candid Shots

Using Online Reviews to Promote Your Business

Promoting your business online in an affordable manner doesn't have to be difficult. You can use the online feedback your clients are using to let the world know that your products are excellent and your customer service is top of the line. 

Video Transcript:

What if we chose a random moment in time to take a picture of your reputation? I’m betting that most times we would get a nice picture of who you are as you go about your day as a business owner making sure your business runs smoothly, your customers are happy, your products and services do what they are supposed to be doing and then you head for home to lead a pretty average life.

But, what if I chose the wrong moment to take that candid shot? You know what I mean… the time you ran to get the phone and tripped over the cat, landing on the coffee table and breaking you favorite vase. You snatched up that phone and let the person on the other end hear your less-than-happy voice.

Online reviews are just like these snapshots.

Better than 75% of online reviews show the snapshots of your business as functioning smoothly with great customer service and quality products – just like you know it typically is!

But every once in a while, someone catches that trip-on-the-cat moment and the candid snapshot they see of your business is less than pretty.

No one likes it when candid and less than flattering pictures of their lives end up being seen by anyone and the same is true with negative reviews. It doesn’t tell the full story and you’d like a chance to show a better picture.

If you are paying attention, you can do just that! Online review websites like Google My Business, Yelp, Yahoo, and many others will allow you to respond to reviews that are posted about your business!

You don’t have to feel powerless and victimized by negative reviews – you can take control of your online reputation!  Apologize for your cat-tripping moments and show people the really excellent business you actually run. Impressions Review Managing can help – contact our friendly team today!  We grow your reputation. You grow your business. 

Promote Your Business: Online Review Snapshots

Candid Camera: Online Reviews

I was leading an online meeting yesterday to help a business owner improve their internet marketing through online reviews when I was hit with a horrible coughing attack. You know, the kind where you can't stop and tears are running down your face while you gasp and sputter and sound like you are dying?

I managed to squeak out that I had to grab a cough drop before I muted my microphone and darn near coughed up a lung. After a minute of desperately chewing up a cough drop and slamming glasses of water, I still had virtually no voice. Thankfully, the business owner was understanding and we made it through the remainder of the meeting, albeit I had to follow up with a lengthy email to clarify what I couldn't push through my vocal cords.

All of this got me to thinking. This was one snapshot of my life. If he had chosen to judge me on that instance, he would have had an incomplete picture at best and a rather unimpressive and downright embarrassing image of me and my abilities. Isn't that just like online reviews?

A review is written by someone who has only the smallest of pictures of your business. Most of those pictures show the quality and strengths of your business, but every once in awhile someone glimpses your coughing-attack moment. Thankfully, I will get another opportunity to show my client the quality services I provide, but you can bet I will be pushing hard to make his experience that much better and more impressive because of our first encounter!

Managing your online reviews gives you the second opportunity with clients who have seen you at less than your best. Internet marketing by paying attention and responding to your reviews will help you get past your coughing attack and promote your business as the quality enterprise you know it really is.

www.impressionsrm.com

Promote Your Business: Healthy Internet Marketing

Internet marketing doesn't have to be a mystery and it can serve to promote your business on many levels. On the review websites, it is all about taking control, responding to reviewers, and keeping the conversation alive.

Check out this infographic defining the difference between a healthy online reputation that is able to promote your business through online reviews compared to a business that does not manage its reputation and the web marketing and business health suffers as a result.

Take control of your online reputation today so that you are the one setting the tone of the conversation. Your internet marketing will improve and your clients will benefit as you grow your business!

www.impressionsrm.com 

Internet Marketing: Promote Your Small Business

As a consumer in the Chippewa Valley of Wisconsin, I regularly see the high quality products and services offered by our small businesses - they work hard and it shows! That's why I continue to push for businesses to promote their businesses by managing their internet marketing. This allows them to retain customers and attract new clients and everyone leaves happy.

Online Reviews as Internet Marketing

Taking control of your online reputation really is more than just internet marketing - it's reclaiming your say in how your business, products, services, and staff are portrayed online. It doesn't have to cost you anything and the benefits are manifold!

Managing your online reviews will allow you to direct the flow of conversation so your business attracts new clients and maintains a positive relationship with existing customers. Let free internet marketing promote your business!

www.impressionsrm.com

Promote Your Business: Online Marketing Infographic

Summer is starting to wind down, but as families look at sending kids back to school and the weather turns cooler, don't slow down on promoting your business through your online marketing!

Follow the Path to Excellent Online Marketing

Promote Your Business: Reply to Reviews

You can promote your business by knowing what people are looking for when they write and read online reviews about your products and services. After all, sites like Yelp, Foursquare, Google+, Trip Advisor, and the multitudes of other review websites wouldn't be popular if they weren't meeting the needs of consumers!

Why Online Review Sites?

When consumers visit online review websites, they are typically looking for information on a business' products and services to help them decide who to trust and what to buy. As a consumer, they look for:

• High star ratings - Better than 3 stars on a 5 star rating system and preferably 4 stars or higher is the goal. After all, why would anyone go to a 2 star business if the same services are offered by one with a 4 star rating?
• Current reviews - Businesses and products change over time with new owners, new employees, and different service offerings as well as product upgrades, so people look for recent reviews for the most current information about a business. 
• Quantity of reviews - When there are only 2-3 opinions on a business, that doesn't tell the consumer much about quality. Having upwards of 20 reviews is necessary to give a good picture of your business.
• Obvious quality - Reading reviews that talk about the quality product or customer service will go a long way to impressing the consumer, but even more so if that customer service is apparent because the business is interacting with the reviewers!

Replying to Reviews

Replying to reviews is not a difficult thing, but it requires you to be monitoring your reviews so you can respond promptly - preferably within 24-48 hours. 

• Replying to positive reviews shows that you have connection with your clients. Consumers are looking for businesses that care about their customers and studies have shown that 89% of people are willing to pay more for better customer service. 
• Replying to negative reviews may seem a bit more daunting, but this too can greatly improve your reputation on online review sites. Consumers want to see that you are willing to address issues of customer service and what better way to advertise your quality service than to directly respond where customers are researching you?

Online marketing is critical in today's market and you want the best information on the websites where your customers are researching. Promote your business by interacting with your client reviews and watch your ratings soar!

www.impressionsrm.com 

Online Reviews: Letting Customers Promote Your Business

The biggest reason business owners don't generate a lot of online reviews is that they don't ask. Your happy customers can be actively promoting your business through their online reviews, but you have to get comfortable approaching them and asking for the favor.

Ask for Online Reviews

If you have done your business with excellent customer service in mind, your clients will feel like they have been waited on by you and that you did them a favor by going above and beyond the call of duty. Most of them will be very happy to return the favor, so let's look at how to ask:

1. Think about how you usually wrap a sale or a visit from your customers. As you begin closing out your conversation, you likely ask something like, "Is there anything else I can do for you?" This can be the starting place for your request. Once your client says he or she has everything they needed, you can move into your lead in question...
2. Lead in question - Let your clients know you are gathering feedback from clients and would really like them to review your business. Ask something like, "Do you spend any time online?" This means, of course, that they could answer one of two ways...
3. If your clients respond that they do spend time online, you can easily respond with something like, "GREAT! Would you be willing to go to Yelp (or Google, or Trip Advisor, or wherever you are working to build your online reputation) and give us your feedback?" At this point, it would be a good idea to give the customer a business card or paper that has a link directly to your Yelp (or Google, or other review website) business page so that he or she has something to remind them when they go home.
4. Of course he or she could say "No." This is where some business owners get squeamish. No-one wants to feel awkward, so plan your route of escape ahead of time keeping in mind you also want to allow your customer to end the conversation gracefully. Something like, "I can completely understand that! I don't have a lot of time to be online either, but if you do find you are online in the future, it would be great to have your feedback on Yelp or Google - we want to make sure we always meet your needs."
5. No matter how the conversation ends, always end by thanking the customer for his/her visit and reminding them that you appreciate their honest feedback. 

Better than 75% of the online reviews that are posted are positive in nature and since you are speaking with a happy client, more often than not they will be happy to write you that review. Don't wait any longer - ask for those reviews and build your online presence so your customers can begin promoting your business!  

www.impressionsrm.com 

Preventing Negative Reviews and Promoting Your Business

If you have been reading my blog, you are already familiar with some strategies for handling negative reviews, but what are you doing to prevent those reviews in the first place?

Preventing Negative Reviews

When customers feel like they have no place else to vent, they will turn to social media and review websites to tell their story. Your best line of defense is to provide your clients with a way to tell you what they are experiencing before they even leave your business.

Some strategies:

• Think about the time your clients spend at your business - Who do they see right before they leave? Could that person be trained and equipped to ask the customer for their feedback and any thoughts for improvement before they leave? Could you assign one of your staff this specific purpose?
• Be proactive - If you notice that something is not exactly as it should be (a meal is served late or missing an item, an hotel room is not ready when it should be, etc.) and approach your customer before he/she has a chance to think to complain. Offer to make it right - a gift card, a reduction of their bill, etc.. 
• If your business has a closer relationship with clients, consider a phone call follow up after the person's visit. Ask if the service and/or product they purchased met their needs and ask if they found their visit acceptable or if there are ways you could better serve them.

People are impressed when a business shows its concern for the comfort and satisfaction of its customers. Think about your specific situation and ways you could head off negative reviews. You will find that your attention to detail will not only avert cranky reviews, it will also likely lead to some very happy clients willing to promote your business through positive online reviews!

www.impressionsrm.com 

Anonymous or Fake Negative Review Options

Promoting your business is hard enough without having to deal with negative reviews, but the serious impact bad online feedback can have on your revenue makes it all the more important.

Those of you who have read my blog know the basic steps I recommend for reaching out to a reviewer. Sometimes though, the person who wrote the review did not use his or her real name making it much harder to mend bridges.

Some options for handling anonymous or fake reviews:

• Private messages - Many of the review websites allow you to log into your business account and send a private message to the reviewer. Be careful what you send him or her - you want to be kind in everything you say, show that you care and that you want to make things right. 
• Public posts - Similarly, many of the review websites will allow you to post a public response if you have claimed your business page. Be DOUBLY careful what you post publicly. Your audience is not just the person who wrote the review, but all of the public and what you say will impact your impression on prospective clients. 
• Flag the review - Some of the review websites allow you to mark a review and send the website a comment on why you believe it violates the websites usage policies. For example, if the review is not about that person's specific experience (they are commenting about something they heard about someone else's experience), or if the review contains threatening or offensive language, you can explain this to the website and they will consider removal. The decision still remains with the website though and they will not sift through mountains of evidence to try and decide between a "he said, she said" situation. 
• If you are certain that the review is fake or if it contains libelous statements, recent court rulings may help you determine the person's identity or legally push the review website to remove the review. As Small Biz Trends explains, the ruling does not automatically remove reviews, but it does provide business owners who have authentic issues another option for proving their good standing. 

Negative reviews are often painful, but consistent attention and proactive measures can help you promote your business online and develop a solid reputation. 

www.impressionsrm.com 

Social Media & Marketing Conference

Online marketing can be confusing for businesses to grasp, so I try to do informational, hands-on workshops whenever possible.

I am pleased to say that I will be presenting at the 6th Annual Eau Claire Chamber of Commerce Social Media and Marketing Conference this fall! Attendees will choose three different breakout sessions to attend - mine will be from 11a.m. to noon and I will present on how to use online review websites to increase traffic to your website and attract new clients. Hope to see you there!

www.impressionsrm.com 

Reviews Promote Your Business Online

People are turning to online reviews in droves both to share their favorites and concerns as well as to research what others are saying about products and services. Promoting your business online begins with an excellent, web-friendly website for your business, but people won't get to your website and eventually to your business if your reviews and star-ratings are less than impressive.

Let's look at the statistics:

• Depending on the study, anywhere from 79% to 97% of people are turning to the internet to look up information on products and services before they make a purchase. 
• About 80% of consumers trust online reviews as much or more than personal recommendations. 
• Having reviews (as opposed to having none) can increase sales 40%.
• In a study on assisted-living facilities, inquiries went up 550% for sites with reviews compared to those without!
• An increase of one star rating on Yelp can lead to a 5% increase in revenue.
• 89% of consumers are willing to pay more for products or services in order to have better customer service. 

Why wait any longer? Take control of your online reputation by claiming your business' online review website pages, monitoring what is being said about your business, interacting with reviewers, and generating new client feedback. 

www.impressionsrm.com 

Higher Expectations for Small Businesses

Luxury brands need to maintain their online reputations as their faithful followers have high expectations, but what about the small business owners? Online reviews have shown that consumers are willing to pay more for higher levels of customer service.

Successful Small Businesses: Online Reviews

How does your business rate? It's a good idea to keep an eye on your reviews on the top review websites and to track your progress.

What does success look like?

• High star ratings - preferably 4 stars or higher.
• Numerous reviews - Having many reviews will allow your ratings to remain stable should you encounter a negative review. 
• Recent reviews - Consumers want to see that people have visited your business recently and found it up to snuff.
• Interaction with reviewers - Responding to both positive and negative reviews shows prospective clients that you have excellent customer service and connection with your customers.
• Representation on all top review websites - More consumers are researching businesses on multiple sites before deciding on a service or product. Having reviews on all of the major review websites for your business area ensures prospective clients will find quality information about you no matter where they look.

Don't wait for a negative review to begin addressing your online reputation. Reputations take time to develop and solidify whether online or off.

www.impressionsrm.com

Online Reviews: Ratings Impact Revenue

With the rise of smart phones, tourists looking for places to visit are not limited to the big name options. This can be a great advantage for the small business owner IF he or she is paying attention to online reviews.

Online Reviews Impact Revenue

While the focus is often on the impact of negative reviews, recent studies have shown that positive reviews have a huge impact on revenue. An increase in Yelp star ratings of just one star can increase revenue by 5%!

While driving through unfamiliar areas, consumers are apt to pull out their smart phones and look up exactly what they are looking for. If they can choose between a chain restaurant and a locally owned restaurant, they are likely to go where the star ratings are higher.

Your goal then is to gather the feedback of your customers and respond to their needs and concerns so that they will be inclined to leave you higher star-ratings.

Generating New Reviews

But how do you get your clients to write reviews for you?

• ASK! When you know you have a happy customer, ask him or her to leave feedback for you directly on one of the review websites. 
• Make it easy. Put links to your review websites on your business website, on promotional materials, and even on your receipts if you would like to cast a wider net of feedback from your clients.
• Respond to reviews. Whether the reviews are positive or negative, if you take the time to reply to what is being said, you will encourage your clients to interact with you and others reading along will feel welcomed to leave you feedback as well.

Your reviews and ratings are online and make up your web reputation whether or not you have done anything to establish it there - why not make online reviews work for you? 

www.impressionsrm.com

Online Review Bullies: Hen Pecking Harassment

I grew up on a hobby farm and my family liked to try raising different kinds of animals. Over the years we had horses, calves, turkeys, pigs, ducks, and one year, we had chickens. Which brings me to the topic of online bullies.

Ever heard the phrase, "hen pecked" or "pecking order?" I knew at the time that "hen pecked" meant someone who had a nagging wife that would complain about everything her husband did or said and would, in effect, beat him down in every way. The source of that phrase, became apparent as our batch of chicks grew.

As chicks grow, they seek out one chick and all of the flock peck at that individual keeping him or her away from the food, causing injury, and even killing it. Before the hen pecking, you would be hard pressed to know which of the chicks would fall prey - they all look to be in similar health and if you watch the group interactions, it is not apparent that any behavior sets off the group assault, but once it starts, the whole flock joins in. You can spot the poor recipient easily afterwards as he or she is missing feathers, looks bedraggled, and is likely weakened from the experience.

Online bullies behave similarly and leave behind similarly bedraggled business owners.

One individual decides that he or she doesn't like a business. Sometimes for a valid reason, but sometimes not and very often times the dislike is based on a minor error or something that was completely misunderstood.

The person posts his or her dissatisfaction on a review website like Yelp, Google, Foursquare, or any of a host of others, or maybe a social media site like Facebook or Reddit. Other reviewers or the person's family, friends, co-workers, or long-lost relatives decide to take a stand and go on the attack.

I have seen businesses with solid online review ratings - 4-5 stars on Yelp and Google - fall to 1.5 star ratings overnight because a host of people not directly involved and with no background with the business go to the websites and start posting one-star reviews while ranting about the situation their friend, relative, or complete stranger may or may not have been treated. It gets ugly fast.

Internet review websites like Yelp, Google+, Foursquare and a host of others have given consumers a voice and another way to seek out better customer service. This is all great news for the consumer and oftentimes works to the benefit of the business too as they have a new source of feedback and, if they are monitoring their client posts, they can offer a higher level of service resulting in a loyal and growing customer base.

But what should you do if you run into an online bully? Every situation is unique and it is often a good idea to seek outside help. Some very general guidelines:

• DON'T respond in kind. Whether or not you carry any of the blame, do not attack the person's character or respond with any anger or defensiveness. This will just fuel the fire.
• If the incident involves just one individual or a handful of people, try to reach out to the person(s) involved by phone to resolve matters. If you do not have contact information, post a public response apologizing for the situation and requesting he or she call you to discuss things further. Emphasize that you want to mend bridges and work towards a resolution.
• If your situation threatens to go viral, DO reach out to a public relations specialist in your area. The ideal person will have the training and experience in crisis management as well as experience in your business field. 
• Again, if your situation threatens to go viral, consider carefully whether or not to shut down your social media sites. This can come across as appearance of guilt, but it may also be necessary until you can compose an appropriate response. If you do shut the sites down, do so for as short a time as possible and put up your carefully worded response as soon as you re-open the site.
• Work to generate new positive reviews from your happy clients. New reviews will help to push the older negative reviews off of the front page of your review sites and it will help to stabilize your ratings. 

As online reviews become more popular, we are learning that regulation of reviews needs to take place to keep the ratings valid and helpful to everyone. Negative reviews can be helpful when constructive criticism leads to improved business practices, but hen picking and online bullying helps no-one. 

www.impressionsrm.com 

Negative Reviews Create Business Growth Potential

Negative reviews can be painful, but if you use them correctly, they can give you the information you need to make changes, meet customer needs, and provide exactly what you need to grow your business!

The Power of Negative Reviews

Negative reviews:

• Provide customer feedback
• Alert you to issues needing addressing
• Give you an opportunity to mend bridges
• Give you clues to the changing needs of your customers
• Give you a chance to show the quality of your customer service

Of course this doesn't mean that getting a negative review is fun or should be sought, but they are also not without value. 

Handling a Negative Review

Steps to take:

1. Respond to the reviewer preferably within 24 hours of the post expressing your concern and desire to mend bridges and resolve complaints. 
2. Look for any patterns or similar reviews - for example, if you see three reviews about the cranky service technician you have on staff, it's time to do some re-training of your employees to make sure they are serving with a smile. 
3. Take action - make any necessary changes to your business or practices.
4. Monitor your reviews for any new feedback.
5. Ask your happy clients to write reviews to solidify your online reputation.

Negative reviews smart, but you can be smart about them by paying attention, responding, and making any necessary changes to help your business grow. 

Negative Reviews? Turn Them Around!

Negative online reviews are frustrating to the business owner and harmful to local advertising. Sometimes the reviews just make you mad and you'd like to take legal action, but that's not usually going to produce the results you want.

Creative Responses to Negative Reviews

One creative restaurant owner responded to a negative and offensive review that suggested his waitresses "show more skin" by saying that is restaurant would be offering a potato skin special with 100% of the proceeds going to a local rape-prevention organization. His response went viral and his point is well-taken - when negative reviews strike, it's not time to respond with anger even though that may be exactly what we are feeling!

Turn Negative Reviews Around

Thoughts to keep in mind when you are responding to a negative review:

• Respond and do so as soon as you can - A recent study found that 79% of consumers who shared their bad customer service experience online were ignored and that consumers give a brand one week to respond to a question and then 50% of them will leave and go to a competitor. 
• Calm down before you write your response - negative feelings come through easily. Go for a walk, play with the dog, do whatever you need to do to shake it off before you compose your response.
• Be nice - When you respond online, you are not only posting to the person who reviewed you. You are also posting for everyone considering your business who may be reading along. 
• Show that you care about the person and his/her experience with you. If you made a mistake, own up to it, apologize, and work to make it right.
• Ask for feedback on your planned post - ask a trusted friend or co-worker to look over what you plan to post before you put it out for all the world to see. Choose someone who will be willing to let you know if your response sounds angry or defensive and who will help you tweak your writing so you put your best foot forward.
• Generate new reviews - It's important that people reading your reviews see a balanced view of your business. Ask your customers to write reviews for you - you will gain their feedback and provide prospective clients with information on your services, products, and quality.

 Negative reviews are frustrating, but you can turn them around and build a strong online reputation.

Online Reviews - When It's Not Your Fault

Negative online reviews are tough to swallow, but especially when you know it is not your fault.

Negative Reviews for No Reason

One New York restaurant wanted to know why they were getting negative reviews that claimed they were slow in service even though they had hired plenty of people and did excellent training for their staff. They found, from examining video tapes of their waiters and clients spanning the last 10 years, that average times people spent at the restaurant almost doubled, but it wasn't because of anything the restaurant did or could do. It was because their customers were playing on their smart phones!

The data was clear - no doubt about it! It is not their fault.

How should you handle negative reviews?

You might be in a similar situation. You might have all the proof in the world to show that you are right and the reviewers are wrong. What should you do about it?

Start interacting with your online reviewers. One study on negative review posts showed that 1/3 of reviewers who posted a negative review went back and posted a positive review when they received a response from the business. The study also found that more than 1/3 of that group removed the original negative post!

Take control of your online reputation by paying attention to reviewers and responding to both their positive and negative reviews.

Negative Reviews: Issues of Customer No-Service

Unfortunately, there are many examples of how to get your customers to write bad reviews for you and Comcast just hit on one of them - arguing with a customer who wants to end service.




There surely will be employee training for this individual and Comcast is planning a formal apology for their behavior, but it actually hits on many different issues we as business owners have to be constantly considering.

How to Handle Negative Reviews

• Listening to the customer - Sometimes the business is simply not a good fit for the customer and the business needs to gracefully end service. If you want to amplify your reputation, help the customer find what he or she needs.
• Set the tone - As the leaders in our businesses, we have to set the tone for our employees. Yes, we need to make sales. Yes, we need to be mindful of upselling and retaining customers. Yes, we need feedback when a customer intends to leave us, but NO, we do not argue with customers. Service is the key word in customer service.
• Staff development training - All employees need to be aware of the serious power of online reviews. Consumers have a loud voice in social media and on online review websites. When poor customer service is captured and goes viral, business owners need to know how to respond and do so quickly, but far better to not get into that mess in the first place. 
• Long-term impact - Online reviews impact revenue and changes in review ratings can increase or decrease your ROI.

Building a solid online reputation takes time and focused effort. Don't wait for a crisis to address yours. 

Local Online Advertising - Be Happy!

Local Online Advertising with Positive Reviews

I love TED Talks. As I laughed my way through this one, I realized that the information Shawn Achor shares is the perfect starting place for growing local online advertising through positive customer reviews:

• Happy business owners are productive business owners who lead by example and set the tone for their employees. 
• Happy, productive employees result in satisfied customers.
• Satisfied customers leads to positive reviews.

Enjoy Achor's humor and consider how you can incorporate his research into your business to improve your reviews and strengthen your local online advertising.

Local Online Advertising - Reviews and ROI

If you've read much of my blogging, you know I advocate for local online advertising through online reviews. But does it give you a return on your investment?

Reviews and Return on Investment (ROI)

In this Business to Community article, Martin Misiowiec explains that it's important to remain diversified in your internet marketing and he expounds on the very positive impact reviews have on your ROI - according to a recent study, they have the potential to increase your revenue by 40%!!

Yes, you definitely need a quality website, but to get prospective customers to your website, you need to have:

• strong star-ratings on the search engines and review websites
• quality reviews providing information about your services, products, and customer relations
• a presence on social media sites
• optional email advertising campaigns

In addition to a strong impact on your revenue, monitoring what is being said about your business online, responding to reviews, and generating new reviews keeps the online conversation about your business alive and gives you the feedback you need to make data-driven decisions for your business.

Get started on those review websites today!

www.impressionsrm.com

Internet Marketing - Are You Missing Something?

Internet marketing is still relatively new and many businesses are only partially taking advantage of the full power of the internet. There are four main pieces of online marketing that you want to make sure you have in place for your business: your website, search engine optimization (SEO), social media, and online reputation management (ORM).

All four components overlap and affect whether people are finding you when they run a search for your products or services.

Your Website:

• Web-friendly content - Your content should be written at about an 8th grade reading level, should be pertinent to what your clients are looking for, and should contain key search words as well as links to related outside websites. 
• Photos - Any photos should be your own or should be free from copyright issues.
• Navigation - Your site should be easy to locate information and it should be of a responsive design meaning it will re-size depending on the viewer's device and viewing screen size. 

Search Engine Optimization (SEO):

• The coveted spot in search engine results is at or near the top of the list of businesses. 
• Your business website should come up when people search for the type of product or service you provide.
• Your business website should come up at the top of the list when a person conducts a search for your brand name.

Social Media Marketing:

• Your business should have a page on the social media sites common for your customers to use.
• You should be posting news and public interest posts regularly.
• You should be monitoring your social media sites for interaction and/or reviews from your clients.

Online Reputation Management (ORM):

• Your business should have reviews on all of the major review websites including Google+, Yahoo, Yelp, Foursquare, Citysearch, Merchant Circle, Super Pages, Insider Pages, and Angie's List as well as any industry specific review sites such as Wellness or Trip Advisor. 
• You should claim and update each of your pages on the review websites.
• You should monitor for new review postings and respond to each review.
• Your business should implement strategies to generate new customer reviews - keep that word-of-mouth advertising going strong!

Online marketing obviously has a huge impact on generating new business - use the power of the internet, marketing your products and services so everyone will know your business is awesome!

www.impressionsrm.com

Online Marketing - Social Media Blow Ups

Small incidents can become online marketing boons or busts with the relatively new power consumers have through social media and review websites. Take the example below.

A friend who is passionate about breast-feeding shared this story on her Facebook page as did many others and no doubt this particular Starbucks is enjoying an increase in business and the online word-of-mouth advertising is priceless!

Photo Credit: Julia Wykes

Starbucks customer complains about breastfeeding, gets owned by teen barista

We've all seen examples of poor customer service situations that get posted on social media or review sites and then it goes viral and severely damages the business. 

Paying attention to what your customers have to say can not only keep your business safe from one of these negative blasts, it can also give you the feedback you need to meet the needs of your clients and promote your business to new consumers!

#onlinemarketing #impressionsreviewmanaging

www.impressionsrm.com 

Promoting Your Business Online - Play Nice!

Part of promoting your business online is understanding how to respond to negative reviews. Today's consumer uses review websites not only to see what others are saying about you, but also to see how you respond to and interact with your clients.

• Are your responses friendly?
• Can the reader sense your connection with your clients?
• Do you make changes to your business based on client posts?
• Are negative posts handled with excellent customer service?
• Can the reader see that you are trying to work with difficult situations?
• Do you come across as enjoying your work and concerned about the quality of your products and services?

If there is one rule in responding to reviews, whether they are positive or negative, it's BE NICE. This is easy when your client raves about how amazing you are, that you walk on water and glow in the dark, but the challenge comes when Cranky Cruella hits the web.

You work hard and pour your life into your business, so your likely first reaction to a negative review is one of hurt and anger. Don't reply to a post when you are feeling this way! Even if you try to be nice, that anger is likely to come through in your response. Here are some tips on bringing yourself into the right frame of mind and composing a reply that is professional and holds the best chance of mending bridges and showing off your excellent customer service:

• Shake it off. Go for a walk, play with the dog, get away from work and ignore the computer for a little while. Know that negative reviews happen to everyone and it is just your turn.
• Cut the reviewer some slack. When people are under stress, they can react emotionally and you don't know what else is going on in his/her life that added to the situation. 
• Look at the situation critically. Is there something that needs fixing in your business? Is there a way you could avoid similar situations in the future? Can you make some changes?
• Talk to a trusted friend. Choose someone who will help you determine if you need to make changes or if it was a misunderstanding or just a perfect storm of mishaps. 
• Plan out your response and give it to someone else to evaluate it before you post it publicly. Ask the person to let you know if it sounds at all defensive or angry and rewrite until you get it right.

It's not easy and it does hurt, but when you address negative posts by being nice, you can address difficult issues, make quality business decisions, and improve your services while retaining and attracting customers. Your quality customer service and passion for excellence will greatly serve to promote your business.

http://www.impresionsrm.com
#promoteyourbusiness #onlinemarketing

Promote Your Business - Listen Up!

#promoteyourbusiness #internetmarketing #onlinereviews

You used to be able to promote your business with billboards and fliers and ads of all kinds. Now, if you want to promote your business in the digital realm, you need to be listening and responding to your clients.

Step One: Listen up! Your clients are giving you feedback on websites like Yelp, Yahoo Local, and Google+ among many others. Take the time to read the reviews they have left and use their feedback to make business improvements.

Step Two: Join the conversation! Nothing speaks to business-client relationship better than seeing that a business is responding to a client review. If it's a positive review, say "thank you" and let them know how much you appreciate their kind words. If it's a negative review, ask the person to contact you so you can work towards mending bridges. You will solidify your client loyalty and others researching you will see that you really seek to serve your customers.

Step Three: Ask for more! Approach your regular clients and ask them to leave review on the major review websites. You will get more information you can use to make your business even stronger and the reviews will serve to strengthen your ratings and promote your business through online word-of-mouth advertising.

Your clients have come to you looking for a quality experience. Show them that you are listening to their needs, concerns, and to what they value, so that you can provide the best possible services and products for them. Online reviews are powerful. Promote your business with them today!

Ann Pearson, CEO
Impressions Review Managing, LLC

Promoting Your Business with Online Conversations

#onlinemarketing #onlinereviews

The nature of online marketing makes it possible for you to be promoting your business by participating in online conversations with your current and prospective customers. Doing just a little digging you will find great examples of relationship building and customer service on all of the review websites. Take a look at these examples of business replies:

You can see that these businesses know how to interact with their clients online whether the feedback is positive or negative. Prospective clients researching these places are sure to gain a sense of the commitment to excellence and determination of these owners!

Join the conversation and start showing your prospective customers that you are hearing their voices and care about their input. It's a great way to be promoting your business online!