The Do’s and Don’ts of Business Reviews

You’re receiving reviews about your business but you’re not sure what to do with them now that you have them. Online review sites have boomed over the years and now everyone is reading these reviews to see where they should be spending their money and with which businesses. Sites like Facebook, Google, Yahoo, and Yelp all have platforms where consumers can leave their experiences online for the world to read. To small businesses this offers them a wider presence online and for consumers it allows for the opportunity to research and gain insight on a particular product or business. Here are some tips for you to make the most of your business reviews.

The Do’s:

1. First and foremost, review your reviews! Make sure you are looking at the reviews left for your business and make a habit of doing it on a consistent basis. This allows you to see what your customers are saying and lets you respond in a timely manner if needed.
2. Actively participate with your reviewers. If you are getting positive or negative reviews, reach out to the reviewers. You can do so by responding directly on the review site, sending a private message or even by phone.
3. Use your reviews. It’s more than okay to use your reviews on your website. Testimonials and reviews will attract your potential customer.
4. Ask for reviews from your customers. Make sure your customer has had a positive experience before asking them to do you such a favor.

The Don’ts:

1. Never respond to a negative review negatively. Even if you feel jolted, responding to a negative review with a defensive tone will not get you very far with other customers and you may lose more than you realize. Read the review and once you’ve had some time to mull it over, respond in a respectful manner. Users of the review site will respect you for reading the reviews and are engaged in your business. It shows you care.
2. Don’t write reviews about yourself. As tempting as it may be, writing fake reviews can result in negative blow back. The review site can usually detect a fake review and will take them down. Don’t waste your time or the time of your customers by writing a review of your own business.
3. Don’t offer free things for positive reviews. Discounts or freebies may seem like a good idea, but in reality, people see through this and will be turned off from your business altogether.

The Do’s and Don’ts are pretty straightforward and if adhered to can really help catapult your business on the review sites. You can even research the most common online review sites in your region and put their logo in your shop or website, encouraging users to leave reviews.