Around 90% of consumers read online reviews to decide on a product’s purchase, and often to determine a business’s credibility.
Unhappy customers are inevitable but, if you’re not careful, they can cost you valuable leads. Perhaps you’ve noticed your online reputation is suffering because of negative comments, and you want to know how to fix it.
Sounds like you? Don’t worry, you’ve come to the right place. Here is how to suppress a negative online reputation.
Respond to Every Review
The key to online reputation management is being the type of business you would want to buy from. This means you regularly check for reviews so you can see what customers are saying.
Part of this process is dealing with negative reviews. Although it’s tempting to ignore them, the only way you can fix your online reputation is by reaching out to the client and asking how you can help.
Customers will appreciate you reaching out and will likely forgive you, especially if you replace the item or give them a discount.
Regularly Check Your Google Page
To prevent yourself from getting a negative online reputation, it’s important to be proactive on your Google page. This is where customers get a first impression of your business so make sure there are no negative comments.
If you don’t have time to constantly monitor it, activate Google alerts so you can handle any poor reviews immediately.
Ask Customers to Leave Positive Reviews
A simple way of online reputation repair is asking customers to leave glowing reviews. You can either do this if they’re shopping in your brick-and-mortar store or online.
For instance, offer a follow-up email after a customer has made a purchase from your store and offer them a discount if they leave a review.
Contact Review Sites to Remove Fake Comments
Whether you want to learn how to remove newspaper articles from internet or troubling comments, contact a third-party review site directly.
For instance, sites like Yelp will remove any false reviews. This is a lifesaver if someone is using fake accounts to post negative comments because they have a personal reason to be spiteful.
Post More SEO-Driven Content
Instead of spending a fortune hiring online reputation services, fight fire with fire. To do this, regularly post SEO-driven content so that it drowns out any negative comments about your business.
You should also work with charities or within your community as it shows you care about your customers and want to give back. And if you ever make a mistake, upload a YouTube video or write a blog post where you take accountability and sincerely apologize for the issue.
Improve Your Online Reputation Today
Hopefully, you now know how to improve your online reputation.
Make it a priority to respond to every review, regularly track your Google page, and encourage customers to leave positive comments. You should also post SEO-driven content so that it boosts your online reputation. Good luck!
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