Online Reputation- Does It Matter?
Every company or brand has its online presence, particularly through social media. In a world where everything has digitalized, brands and companies communicate frequently through online platforms, especially social media. Despite social media’s attempt at effective communication to build a brand’s reputation, it can sometimes have adverse effects. If a service-providing company fails to keep up with a commitment or promise, people will spread the word by commenting on online platforms. Similar is the case for bigger brands as well. The bigger the brand the more trouble social media can create by hampering its online reputation.
The comments we are talking about here refer to as reviews put by a consumer probably on the official website or the official social media handles of a brand. These reviews alone can make or damage the reputation of any existing brand or service.
Any brand or company has its flaws but it is important to handle those flaws tactfully with the way they respond to the customers. Avoiding communicating with existing clients doesn’t help.
Role of Reviews in Online Reputation
Ensuring that a brand’s online presence is reputable has become excessively important. Reputation might take years of hard work to build but once damaged it might take longer to do away with the damage. Therefore, it is so much better to curb your reputation from being spoiled due to online comments or reviews given by customers.
When a consumer or client writes a positive review for your services, it is much easier to respond to that. But when the reviews are filled with complaints by angry customers it becomes challenging to answer them.
Many people out there tend to avoid responding to negative reviews. But what we forget is that those negative reviews probably consist of the genuine challenges or issues faced by your customer while using your product or service.
It is not just a duty on your part but also a smart move to respond to the negative reviews.
Online Reviews
- Online Reviews can help consumers broadly to understand the value and credibility of any product or service.
- People usually consult their friends and family or read reviews online even before they pay for a product or service.
- Approx. 95% of consumers look for online reviews before deciding to purchase a product, even if it is just a single review.
- Customers who prefer online reviews more than their family and friends’ suggestions equal 85 % of them.
- Monitoring reviews is essential and it is an intricate part of local SEO which helps to make your business more visible as per Google’s local search.
- Reviews are fairly impactful in SEO rankings as well.
- Online Reviews are a medium of instant feedback from consumers. They enable a brand or service provider to mend their ways for better assistance and an enhanced consumer experience.
Importance of Responding to Negative Reviews
- It is the best way to communicate to your customers that their perceptions and opinion matter to you.
- Responding to reviews, specifically the negative ones, give way to reducing any communication gap between you and your clients.
- You can also show your customers that you also care about their convenience and that you are dedicated to serving them unconditionally. This will reflect your brand’s human side.
- You might not be at fault and yet be attacked online with bad reviews. Responding to negative reviews will help you stand up for your brand and its credibility. This will be your chance to put your point across in favor of your brand.
Set your Record Straight Before your Potential Customers
- How you choose to respond to the reviews will reflect upon the kind of brand you are representing.
- It also gives potential clients a fair idea about your brand and what can be expected from it.
- All that seems too good to be true is usually devoid of any flaws. When your brand’s imperfections and qualities are seen through reviews by any consumer, your brand starts appearing more authentic.
- Next time you get a negative review, do assure the consumer that you will be taking the appropriate measures to make things right.
Best Ways to Respond to Negative Reviews
Negative reviews show you the path toward improving your business to meet the expectations of your consumers.
- Detailed Problem Analysis
- Accept and apologize in case of inconvenience caused
- Show empathy toward the reviewer
- Make the reviewer understand your point
- Avoid arguing with the reviewer
- Follow up with the reviewer offline
- Display the next step taken by you
- Request the reviewer to update the review
Detailed Problem Analysis
Getting angry might be the foremost reaction on your part but showing your anger will cause further retaliation from your customer. It is therefore recommended that you simply get more details related to the review by addressing the problem through your humble response.
Try to look at the problem or issue through their lens and understand what has caused the issue. Understanding the root cause will surely set things straight.
Accept and apologize in case of inconvenience caused
Apologizing to your customers can make them feel attended. It will show them that their reviews matter and that you value the time they have spent reviewing any issue. It can also help to curb their anger and they will be ready to understand your take on the entire problem.
Show empathy toward the reviewer
Remember the time you felt betrayed by a brand or business? Feel that experience and understand your client’s position because that’s precisely how they must be feeling right now. Empathizing with the reviewer will give you more insight into how to solve their problem.
Make the reviewer understand your point
Whenever you’re trying to figure out a problem for a consumer, you must understand and analyze the reason behind a certain failure. Understand why the specific problem occurred and what were the imminent factors responsible for the breakdown.
Make sure you can convince the consumer that the same mistake will not be repeated.
Avoid arguing with the reviewer
If you go by the rule of ensuring customer satisfaction, you won’t ever feel the need to argue with reviewers giving any negative feedback to you.
You can choose different ways to connect with the unsatisfied consumer including emails and calls, you can talk to them apart from continuing your conversation in the thread of reviews.
You don’t have to respond negatively because your conversation is public and can be seen by your other existing and potential customers. If you choose to humbly respond back to the reviewer it will give them a positive impression of your business or brand.
Follow with the reviewer offline
Do not try to quickly respond and get over with the reviewer’s complaint all at once. The maximum chance is that the reviewer will not get convinced straight away through your first response. So be it, give them the time you contact you offline. Give them better options like a complaint id where they can elaborate on the issue and also assure them that you are looking forward to their response as you believe in their satisfaction.
Display the next step taken by you
You can remain on par with your customers even if they have chosen not to contact you. You can simply respond to them in the review section thread that you would like to hear from them on the issue in detail. If you have already reached a solution then you can display your gratefulness for being able to converse with them and find a suitable solution for their problem.
Request the reviewer to update their review
Once you reach a perfect solution, you must utilize your customer’s happiness to your advantage by simply asking them to update the review. When customers are genuinely happy with your service or assistance, they willingly give a positive review.
Conclusion
Negative reviews can surely cause too many hiccups but then they are realistic and also affirm that your business is important to other people. You can convert this negative attention to a more positive one by creating a consumer-friendly approach.
Happy customers are a dream for any business or brand so why not accomplish this goal?
