Of course the first you may hear about a serious complaint is through an online customer review board or service-rating site, and then your reaction is understandable: Yikes! There’s no telling how much damage that’s going to do to your business, and you can hardly take an eraser to the Internet. Why didn’t this person address it with you or one of your managers personally? Here are some suggestions to counter negative online reviews.

Fix It

The first and obvious suggestion is if you are hearing a common complaint, stop defending it and fix it. Perception is people’s reality so regardless of the excuse, if you are receiving multiple complaints about the same thing, it’s going to hurt your reputation. Listen to the repetition. Sure, you’ll get a few people who are snarky and just have to spout off their opinions to the world because they think they have something clever to say. But if you keep hearing the same complaints about being overpriced, delivering poor quality goods or services, or having a complacent or rude person on staff, make those online review boards your best friend. Start by a) heeding the repetitive feedback b) correcting the problem c) publishing a response to the review that acknowledges the feedback, letting the world know you care and have addressed the problem.

Apologize

Many reviews have an online user ID they must associate with their comments. Reach out to your complainers and ask them how you can make it right. That doesn’t mean you need to give them something free, but rather, listen to them, take note, thank them for their feedback, and tell them you are interested in fixing the problem. Ask them to give you another try, and tell them to ask for you or a manager by name during their next service or buying experience.

Monkey Pile on Top of the Bad Ratings

Few companies will admit to doing so, but some will have their trusted friends and employees hit the ratings charts and brag up their company. You can usually spot those reviews when you see many reviews in a short window of time and the reviews don’t have any suggestions or even a slight comment of negativity. Even glowing reviewers tend to leave a short comment about a needed area of improvement.

Instead of falsely inflating the buzz about your company, run an in-house campaign so that when customers mention they’ve reviewed you online, they receive, for instance, a free spot remover kit with an in-home carpet cleaning.

You can turn Internet rating sites into your friend. They can be very useful if you open your mind to what is being said about your company. Are you ready to give it a try? Start by Googling common terms associated with your company plus the word “review” and see what others are saying about you.

• When will you opt to purchase the more expensive of two similar items?
• When do you drive out of your way for a particular service?
• What prompts you to spread the word about an experience you’ve had with a company?

The answers to all three questions are similar. Something sets the company apart as extraordinary.

We’d like to share Scott and Linda’s story. They wanted to freshen up the look of their kitchen without incurring a lot of expense. We think their story will aptly demonstrate how a buyer approaches Internet purchasing:

After seeing a segment about countertop refinishing on a morning show, Linda researched countertop refinishing kits on the Internet. Of course she came up with many search results, but like most people, stuck to the first two pages of the 159,000 links that appeared.

Linda quickly discovered that there were an abundance of companies that offered these kits. Now she had to educate herself about color selection, durability, application techniques, and price-point expectations.

She was led to YouTube where she watched several videos about product application. She read through people’s feedback and opinions, viewed samples, and selected the look she liked and the application method Scott would prefer (considering this would move to the top of his honey-do list!).

Now that Linda knew what she wanted, she refined her search to select the company from which to purchase the materials. The one that continually caught her eye during her search to purchase was also a website she’d frequented during her research phase. The company was very professional, clear and concise in its demonstration videos, had pages of customer-submitted before and after pictures, and listed scores of glowing reviews from their customers.

The spokesperson on the website even showed customers how they could create their own color and pattern variations if they did not like the standard ones available in the kits. This was a feature both Scott and Linda loved because they wanted to achieve a look that was a cross between what two kits offered.

None of these benefits closed the deal, however, until Linda came across negative reviews on the website. Customers who had complaints about the company’s product or service ultimately led Scott and Linda to decide to purchase from this company. Understanding why is where businesses like yours can overcome a marketing flaw that so many people make—removing negative feedback in an effort to save face.

This company left customers’ negative comments in their feedback section and then tacked on all of their correspondence regarding the matter. What this demonstrated to Scott and Linda was integrity and ownership. It proved that the company didn’t scrub their site (remove any negative remarks) in the name of making themselves look better. They addressed everything from product complaints when they switched suppliers, to shipping snafus when they were overwhelmed with orders after appearing on the morning show. Any potential customer could clearly see that if they encountered a problem, the company would take care of them promptly and to their satisfaction.

To Scott and Linda, this peace of mind was worth the extra 30% they wound up paying by ordering the kit from this company versus a less expensive competitor with kits that looked the same. The alternate company appeared to have the same type of product line, but had a minimal online presence that indicated that it would back its products if their customers encountered a problem. This example illustrates that what a company doesn’t say can be detrimental to their sales.

The lesson you can apply to your business marketing is this: Embrace opportunities to show your potential customers how they will benefit from doing business with you. Prove that customers should go the extra mile or pay a premium price for your product or service. Set yourself apart as extraordinary. Work your site and publically own and correct your mistakes, proving that while your company may not be infallible, it will make things right with the customer every time. This has turned out to be marketing genius for the companies who do it right. Will yours be one of those companies?

If you want to take your website to the next level, integrate your social media platforms, or set up a customer feedback or photo submission page, please contact one of our web design consultants to learn more.

Don’t Come up Empty-Handed

Say, “So long!” to the old days of no news is good news. Today, no news is a message to people that your company is irrelevant or non-existent. Think about how you use the Internet. You likely look up hotels and restaurants where you plan to vacation, and compare airline prices and rental deals to get you there. You may even search for local stores and service providers by typing “lawn service, Atlanta” or “dentist, Tucson” into your search bar. Once you come up with a few choices, you’ll likely research their reputation and ratings. You hardly have to stroke a key to do that anymore, because so many rating services are tacked onto search results these days that it’s there before you ask for it! If there’s NO buzz about your business, try to generate some. This leads us to our next point:

Invite People to Connect

Invite people to share their positive experiences about you on social media. You can do this by asking them to “Like” you on Facebook or suggesting they share their experience on your industry’s review sites. If they aren’t inclined to do this out of the kindness of their hearts, reward customers through a contest, a freebie, or a coupon—Facebook is the perfect place to run promos like these and generate buzz. Bonus? You’ll have a strong list of your customer base to send future promotions and news.

Use It or Lose It

There is no sense in a monitoring program if you don’t utilize the findings. Once you learn about your company on the Internet, work your findings. Use positive press to generate more press, and quash negative press by killing them with kindness, apologies, explanations, a “thank you” for the feedback, and a promise to do better—and then do so.

Monitor Your Competition

Learn not only what’s being said about your brand, but about the industry as a whole, so that you can proactively respond to positive or negative press. If there’s been a new development in your industry, take the opportunity to weigh in on what’s happening and how it will or won’t affect your business. If your competitor did something to garner negative press, consider staying on the high road by not adding to the negativity, but do combat any transfer of credibility issues if they exist.

Accept this New Groove

Social media is here to stay, much to the chagrin of traditionalists who miss their now defunct local newspaper and resist technological addiction unlike many of their younger counterparts. Instead of detesting media’s rapid evolution, embrace its possibilities. A good Internet solution provider can help you customize and focus your goals so you’ll soon be a leader in your market. Talk to your media expert or website designer about how to integrate and use a monitoring program to cultivate social media topics and stay in touch with your consumer base.

Much like considering medical options with your doctor, website marketing and design is built around professional opinion that stems from previous case studies and an educated point-person.

Take for instance, a person who has heart trouble. A doctor will assess that person’s health, explain their medical condition, and then make recommendations based on his or her findings. The recommendations could range from a change in diet and exercise, to incorporating stress reduction techniques, taking medication, or having surgery. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to health, just as there is no one-size-fits-all approach to website development and marketing. Both scenarios, whether it’s your personal health or your business posture, require a long-term commitment to goal-oriented, productive behaviors.

What kind of long-term commitment are we talking about when it comes to website design and marketing?

For one thing, contrary to popular belief, you can’t just build a website, hit the “launch” button, and forget about it. That was all good ten years ago when the Internet was still one-dimensional and less interactive. Websites that function well today require attention. This can come in the form of:

• • Fresh video content
• • Regularly scheduled blogs
• • Updated news feeds
• • Active social media links
• • Inviting and responding to guests’ comments
• • Posting helpful tips
• • Linking valuable and relevant sites
• • Rotating customer-centric promotions or sales
• • Featuring customers and testimonials
• • Games or contests
• • Live video webinars
• • Moving “ticker” updates and industry news trends

 
What are your impressions when you stop in a brick and mortar store and their parking lot is empty? Do you believe that the business is floundering? That’s how most people perceive stagnant websites. The number one key to business growth today is to keep your message in motion and appear “alive and responsive” through your online presence.

Your Design Online can train your internal team to keep your website rolling with fresh content, or we offer website maintenance in various packages designed to meet your ongoing web marketing goals. We even work with independent business owners to help them maximize their time, message, and presence while building their business.

What are your favorite websites, and why? How can you capture those elements and raise your website to the next level?

Let’s start the conversation. Meet us on Facebook or call one of our team at 1 (800) 698-5859 to learn more today.

If you don’t have either of these features associated with your business, it’s time you ask your development team, “What have you done for me lately?” and it’s time to integrate those features into your web-marketing plan.

What can the Like button and QR code do for your business? Certainly help you keep up with your competition and offer you a lot of credibility. How so? According to Entrepreneur magazine, Americans spent over $3.4 billion on mobile shopping last year. The same study indicates that spending on mobile phones is expected to reach $163 billion in the next four years.

How much of that should be your piece of the pie?

Additionally, consumers feel confident when spending with a company who has a strong likeability factor on Facebook. Peer approval places you eons higher than self-promotion and is truly priceless in the world of advertising.

Remember, when seeking a web developer to brand and promote your company, it’s important to look beyond brilliant designs and understand exactly how the company can work with you. Your presence on the Internet should keep up with the constant evolution of the web and the ways your customers use instant media to find your company and spend with you.

If your social media and web design firm hasn’t offered you these vital features, talk to them about it or start interviewing other Internet design companies. Your business cannot afford to be in the wrong hands!

We’re happy to answer any questions, any time. We can also help you link your Twitter account into your business so you can tweet breaking news, company specials, fun quips, announcements, and more. We can do the same with Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, and many more!

Many thanks for your readership!

~Your Atlanta web development professionals at Your Design Online

If you’re interested, here’s some information from Mike Ventura on how social media played a rolein raising $9 million for Haiti.
http://mikeventura.wordpress.com/2010/01/15/social-media-breakthrough-for-red-cross-and-haiti/

Text “HAITI to 90999″ campaign stuns Red Cross with effectiveness.