Online reviews remain an important ranking factor for local businesses, so it's not a bad idea to invest some time each month managing them. Here are 3 tips for managing them:
1. Never ignore negative reviews. Some negative reviews can be totally unreasonable, even a bit wacky. You may not even recall the bad experience that the reviewer is describing. In the case of review response, you need to keep in mind the golden rule of business: the customer is always right. That means your response should incorporate in some way a polite apology, before professionally addressing individual grievances. This type of response gives others a chance to see you in a different light and not judge you so critically. One star reviews unaccompanied by owner responses leads potential new customers to think one thing: guilty as charged!
2. Contest Yelp reviews that you believe are unfair. Yelp provides a channel for owners to contest reviews. Yelp will move the review to the "not recommend" page (where it does not contribute to your overall ranking) if you can prove that the review violates one of its Content Guidelines. Foul language used? Easy dismissal. To do this, log-in to your Yelp business account and click on the "Flag this Review" button found underneath and the review. You'll select from a list of reasons and a chance to present your argument (see below). Good luck!
1. Never ignore negative reviews. Some negative reviews can be totally unreasonable, even a bit wacky. You may not even recall the bad experience that the reviewer is describing. In the case of review response, you need to keep in mind the golden rule of business: the customer is always right. That means your response should incorporate in some way a polite apology, before professionally addressing individual grievances. This type of response gives others a chance to see you in a different light and not judge you so critically. One star reviews unaccompanied by owner responses leads potential new customers to think one thing: guilty as charged!
2. Contest Yelp reviews that you believe are unfair. Yelp provides a channel for owners to contest reviews. Yelp will move the review to the "not recommend" page (where it does not contribute to your overall ranking) if you can prove that the review violates one of its Content Guidelines. Foul language used? Easy dismissal. To do this, log-in to your Yelp business account and click on the "Flag this Review" button found underneath and the review. You'll select from a list of reasons and a chance to present your argument (see below). Good luck!
3. Encourage customers to write reviews. Your best customers with whom you've established a good rapport will naturally want to help and be motivated to take the time to write a review. For this group, don't be afraid to ask directly. For others, send ongoing reminders in emails, invoices and other communication.
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