How to Manage Your Biz Online Reviews

Although anyone can write reviews about any business, it is the wright or the business owners to manage the online reviews, regain control and take appropriate action. Statistics show that about only 4% of the negative reviews are responded to.

You have to develop your own strategy to handle online reviews, therefore, I will list some tips here and hope they are helpful for anyone keeping a close eye on their business.

1. Monitoring. As you get familiar with most popular review sites, it is highly recommended to open an account and be able to manage reviews of your business on those sites; that will give you the opportunity to monitor/track new reviews.

Sign up for e-mail alerts to be notified when someone post a review online on your business. Making sure your business is listed on these sites and you have an updated profile including pictures videos and the right description are up-to-date and accurate.

2. Responding. As a courtesy to your customers you might want to take a few minutes to respond to the latest reviews,  and I know it can get hectic and overwhelming and you might loose track of this particular task,  however, it is showing some commitment to listen to your customers and acting on your guest feedback.

Respond to all negative reviews first and then still make time to answer to everyone else. If you suspect that one review might be fraudulent, contact the review site, - not the reviewer, - and dispute it, - hopefully they will act on it to have it removed immediately.

In responding to the positive reviews you should start by thanking your customers for the post and try to reinforce your business strength and encourage they become your repeat customers and to refer your business. When responding to the negative reviews, apologize for their experience and inform them that you are taking action to correct the issue and you can follow up with them to present the resolution to the fact and how you resolved the problem.

3. Analyze and improve. User reviews exposed the truth of  your business;  you are challenged to maintain high standards and meet the expectations of your customers who had research alike business before they decided to use your services. Reviews could be a starting point for your business for improvements, recovery  and find ways to increase satisfaction and loyalty of your patrons.

Set goals that are measurable provide surveys as to find out what customers expect from a business like yours encourage more of your customers to post reviews and analyze the percentage on who is inclined more to post the satisfied or non satisfied customers. Fewer reviews imply less popularity of the business.

More and more people read reviews before committing to a service or booking a room or a flight, and those businesses that embrace online reviews and take action can increase their business. Also, online review can help you connect with your customers, learn what they really expect from you and promote your business. This will lead to higher levels of service and confidence in your brand.

See also link

http://webupon.com/web-talk/sign-up-with-tripadvisor/

Comments (3)

donata said:

	... Excellent tips for managing a biz online review. I'm sure these tips will be of value to many. Thanks for sharing. 5*****
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January 29, 2010
Votes: +2

ccdursina said:

	... Thank you Donata for stopping by; yes, you have to be the one on the outlook for yourself.
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January 31, 2010
Votes: +1

jjmyles said:

	... Very good article.We do have to take responsibility to respond to reviews to insure our clients that we are interested in what they think and are concerned with their experience on our site.
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February 04, 2010
Votes: +1