Today, anything we contemplate trying or buying can be researched online first so that we don’t make any poor purchasing decisions. That can be both good and bad for business owners. Positive online reviews can help retain current customers, as well as encourage new business. Conversely, anything negative that is written about your product or company – whether it is true or not – is definitely not a good thing. It can even be detrimental to your business.
Say you run a bed and breakfast and someone says they saw a mouse in your house. It’s easy as pie to just pick another vacation place in this day and age, so I can guarantee you that anyone who has a mouse phobia will not be making reservations with you anytime soon.
None of us want our sterling reputation affected by a few words, so what are business owners to do if they receive a negative online review? Once something appears online, it is hard to get rid of, but here are some things you can do that may help…
The more positive reviews you have, the more you can drown out the negative reviews. Reviews with the most interaction are listed first, so the best thing you can do is to increase interaction with positive posts.
You can also reach out to the person who gave you the negative review to see if there is some way you can rectify the situation. The hope is that you may be able to satisfy them enough that you can turn that negative review into a positive one. Just be careful. If you don’t feel that you can turn a bad situation around, don’t call more attention to it by addressing it directly.
Specific to Facebook, you can click “I don’t like this review” on the dropdown menu in the upper right corner of the review post. Additionally, if the review appears to be spam, Facebook may remove it.
Also keep in mind that if you would like help managing your online presence, Hosting NSB is always here to help!