It happened. You have gotten negative reviews of your business online, and it is deteriorating your reputation. For small businesses especially, this is a big deal. Having a good reputation is how you get people to take notice of and pay for your business, so it can seem a little like the end of the world. But bad reviews happen, and you’ll find a way to fix your reputation. Here are some ideas to get you started.
Generate Positive Feedback
The best way to drown out negativity is to replace it with positivity. This includes when your reputation has been damaged. Instead of just focusing on how to get rid of the bad reviews, generate positive feedback. Often people won’t leave reviews for a business unless something goes wrong, and that leads to bad reviews. But you can generate positive reviews by asking your customers to give you positive reviews, you’re on the road to having a better reputation.
Manage Negative Reviews
Just because you are looking for positive reviews, doesn’t mean you should ignore the negative reviews that you have received. Negative reviews, though sometimes poorly and rudely written or hard to stomach, can have valuable feedback for your business and could help your business improve.
It is important to respond to all reviews that you receive. You can make the best of a negative review by responding positively and alleviating the concerns of the reviewer. Alleviating these concerns can be simply explaining what went wrong, explaining how the problem will be fixed, and thanking them for their feedback. Remember to be polite and positive, even if the reviewer is not.
Seek Feedback Regularly
You don’t have to wait for something to go wrong before you find ways to improve your business. Seeking feedback from customers, friends, family, or other business owners who have done what you are trying to do can help you know how to best improve your business. This may seem like a no brainer, but act quickly as you receive feedback to improve your business. The effort you put into making your company better will be apparent.
There is always a way to improve and climb above bad reviews. Your business is worth it. Bad reviews can be a positive way to show how you have improved as a business, show how much you care about and wish to help your customers, and show the integrity of your business. Stay positive—things will get better as you work to build your online reputation.
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