Everyone knows that reputation is important – but how do you actually get a good reputation? Or – even more important – how do you save a bad reputation? We’ve all heard the used car lot commercials where someone yells about how bad credit or no credit is NO PROBLEM. Well, that’s pretty much our attitude towards reputation here at Increase Your Profits. Bad rep? No rep? NO PROBLEM!
Follow our top tips to improve your online reputation, and you’re sure to see improvements across the board.
Tip: Always Ask For Reviews
If you have a happy client, ask them for a review as soon as possible. If you’re seeing them in person, show them how they can quickly and easily post a review from their phone or computer. If you have an unhappy client, or one that you’re not sure of, take a moment to ask how you can better serve them. Sometimes a timely inquiry from the front desk can resolve the problem before the customer turns to online review sites. This also gives you a chance to hear about what happened, and offer immediate solutions to improve their experience.
Tip: Claim Your Pages
Make sure you have a Yelp, Google+, and Facebook page set up for your business. These are the natural places a person will turn to when looking to leave an unsolicited review. We also suggest having a Twitter account. People tend towards posting brief, emotionally charged updates there. You want to see all the feedback, good and bad, so be sure to have notifications set up. Google notifications aren’t always reliable, but you can learn a lot from a quick search for your brand name on the most popular social networks.
Tip: Don’t Delete (Most) Bad Reviews!
We know, it’s really tempting to flag those negative reviews for removal, or delete them altogether. But this actually makes you appear less trustworthy, so it’s not worth it. You should always respond honestly and politely, because this kind of transparency breeds trust. There’s one important thing to consider about this, though…
Tip: Delete/Flag Inappropriate Reviews
There are cases when you should remove a review. This is especially true if the review is inaccurate (take the time to do your research if need be), a secondhand account, or using inappropriate language. You can and should take steps to remove reviews that attack a specific person and/or their personal life, instead of the business, products, or services provided.
Tip: Take It All With a Grain of Salt
The absolute worst thing anyone can do with a bad review is respond with a similar bad attitude. Your responses should always take the high road and be both accurate and courteous. If you made a mistake, apologize – sincerely. The last thing you want is to become an example of poor social media, and have your angry responses shared across networks for shock or entertainment value.
Bonus Tip: If you do respond poorly, and it snowballs, do NOT try to say you’ve been hacked. No one will believe you, and you will look even less credible than you did from the bad review. Need proof? Read up on Amy’s Baking Company for repeated examples of what not to do…
Online reputation management can be a lot of work, and it usually takes an experienced team to deliver the best results. If you’re overwhelmed with doing it yourself, or just looking to take your reputation to the next level, schedule a discovery call with us! We can walk you through our package options and determine the best way to boost your reviews and rankings.