No business owner likes to receive a negative review – no matter how much we might regard business matters as being different to personal ones. The truth is that business is personal, and if you see criticism of your business online, it’ll probably always feel like a kick in the teeth.
Well, actually, that’s not necessarily completely true.
The truth is that it’s possible to adopt a rather more positive attitude to online reviews, or at least soften some of the anger that you feel about them.
How? Here are some of the things about bad reviews that should make you feel thankful.
They’re a free source of feedback
Forget all of those email surveys and user experience tests – sometimes, attracting useful customer feedback can be as simple as claiming your business profile on a reviews platform such as Google My Business or Yelp, and then just watching the reviews roll in.
After all, the customers who do provide negative feedback in the form of an online review are those that genuinely care about your business. They were motivated enough to leave a review in the first place, so their concerns are likely to be very real.
So, take the time to read carefully and use those concerns to improve your business offerings.
A bad review is better than no reviews at all
Not only can you learn something from a bad review, but so will prospective customers reading that review – and what they learn won’t necessarily be all bad.
The presence of a few bad reviews helps to give your business’ overall review profile a sense of legitimacy – we’re sure that more than a few times in the past, you’ve wondered whether a given company or product with nothing except gleaming five-star ratings was actually for real.
Past studies have actually indicated that people trust and use businesses with one-star reviews more than those with no reviews at all.
Plus, a bad review presents you with a great opportunity to show off your customer service by directly responding to the disgruntled customer. Who knows – they may even respond in turn by changing their previous negative review to a positive one.
So, about that snotty review…
In truth, for all of the gloom that a bad review may bring to your day as soon as you see one, it can also be great for your business – if you want it to be.
The effective management of online review profiles is just one more part of the most effective Internet marketing for SMEs.
When you get in touch with our team here at PENNInk Productions, you can manage your own company’s online image more effectively – however many good or bad reviews you may receive.
Edward Solomon has over 30 years’ experience in project management, technical education, computer networking, web design and development and is a Digital Business Consultant for PENNInk Productions Ltd.
