ONLINE REVIEWS BUSINESS
HOW TO HANDLE
NEGATIVE ONLINE REVIEWS Susan Hallam, managing director of digital marketing agency Hallam Internet, offers expert advice on handling negativity posted online, and turning criticism into a positive customer experience
B
ad reviews can be unfair, misleading, and just plain inaccurate. They are an important introduction to your business for potential customers, but they also contribute to your local SEO and help to improve your local ranking, your conversion rates, and your site’s appearance in search engine results pages. If your business does receive a bad review, bear these 10 things in mind: 1 Take time to cool off. Sleep on it before you reply – but don’t wait too long! 2 See if friendly customers jump to your defence. Their independent rebuttal will be much more valuable than your own. 3 Reread the comment. Triple-check – sometimes comments can look harsh or abrupt when they’re written in haste. 4 Create an action plan. Put together a plan you can use that addresses and resolves any genuine criticisms. 5 Understand the customer’s point of view. Put yourself in their shoes. 6 Identify yourself. When you reply, identify who you are and how you’re related to the business. 7 Say you’re sorry. But only if you’re wrong!
www.gardencentreretail.com
8 Clarify the situation. If the review is inaccurate, explain the situation. 9 Stop with the sarcasm. It never looks good. 10 Monitor the situation. Ensure you’re aware of where and when these bad reviews stem from. Identify bad reviews In order to effectively deal with negative reviews, you need to understand where your customers are talking about your business. From social channels to review sites, there’s an array of monitoring techniques that can help you to identify the online extent of your customer reviews. Audit your review process The first step is to do an audit of your current reviews and the platforms they’re on. A “[brand name] + reviews” search will help you here. Next, identify the most important sites for your brand – search Google for: “[industry keyword] reviews”. Pick your platforms To give your review strategy direction, you’ll need to decide which platforms to focus on, depending on your findings from the above. These could be Google Reviews, Facebook,
third party sites such as Trust Pilot, TripAdvisor and Yell, or sites specific to your niche or location. Use this checklist to make a decision: 1 What are the rules of engagement for each review platform? Some sites, such as Yelp, have specific rules about how and where you can ask for reviews. Google, on the other hand, is happy for you
reviews – they want to know your product or service’s shortcomings. If someone takes the time to point out flaws in your product or service, it’s a good indicator that they’ve genuinely used it. We need to know what our customers think, and your response is important: a professional, friendly and quick reply shows you’re proactive in finding a solution.
It may seem counterintuitive, but bad reviews can be a valuable part of your marketing strategy
2 3
to approach customers. How easy is it to leave a review? Do customers need to create an account? You want to avoid creating additional barriers. Is it free? If not, how much does it cost, and what do you get for your money?
Show your best face It may seem counterintuitive, but bad reviews can be a valuable part of your marketing strategy. Remember, customers are looking for negative
Over to you If handled correctly, negative reviews can give businesses an opportunity to build trust and credibility. However, it’s important that you formulate a strategy so that you can act successfully on negative reviews. w CONTACT
Hallam Internet is a provider of digital marketing services, founded in 1999. www.hallaminternet.com
Garden Centre Retail Independent Business Supplement March 2018 15