How To Manage Online Reviews, the Secret Weapon of Brand Reputation
Online reviews are a powerful tool to improve a brand’s reputation. However, not managing and responding to reviews can impact its reputation. Here, Damian Rollison, director of market insights, SOCi, discusses in detail how to effectively manage and respond to customer reviews.
Business executives may shudder when they encounter examples of brands that have fallen victim to a social media campaign that backfires or a post that goes viral for all the wrong reasons. One misstep online can cause serious harm to a brand’s reputation.
Less obvious to many, however, is the subtle but potentially just as the damaging impact of local reviews if they are not managed properly. Critical reviews of store locations, left on sites like Google and Yelp, create a negative brand reputation that will tend to drive consumers away from stores. Even positive reviews, left unresponded to by the business, can risk creating the impression that the brand doesn’t care about customer feedback. Review by review, reputation can erode.
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Online reviews define a brand’s reputation. For chains and franchises, this happens one store location at a time. According to SOCi research, 74% of consumers conduct local searches at least once a week, and 56% visit a business right after searching. But which business will they visit? According to Trustpilot, 89% of consumers read reviews before making a purchase decision. Meanwhile, McKinsey reports that the number of online consumer reviews is surging, nearly doubling during the pandemic.
Competition is fierce among local businesses to achieve top-ranked status. High average ratings and a large volume of reviews make it more likely that companies will appear in Google’s so-called 3-Pack, where only three businesses are showcased in the initial set of local search results. SOCi research finds that businesses receive 126% more traffic when they rank in the first three positions in search.
Positive online reviews influence Google rankings. Negative online reviews deter customers.
For multi-location brands, effectively handling the high volume of reviews can prove challenging. But a brand that ignores reviews risks falling short in three ways:
- Praise from fans and complaints from detractors are both met with silence. Consumers see this and assume you don’t care about feedback.
- Unanswered negative reviews influence other consumers, and the brand missed the opportunity to mitigate the harm.
- Brands miss constructive consumer feedback that helps improve the business.
Controlling your brand reputation starts with responding to consumer reviews. Here is how to do so effectively.
How to Prioritize Online Reviews
Your number one priority is addressing the reviewer’s feedback constructively. Number two is the impression you help create with every response regarding how your brand handles feedback of all kinds. Keep the following points in mind as you prioritize your efforts.
- A timely response is more valuable than a perfect one. Best practice calls for a response to all reviews within 24 hours. If the review is critical in nature, respond within a few hours. Yes, it is that important.
- You can skip text-free reviews. Reviews with a rating but no text don’t always need a response. True, the ratings contribute to brand perceptions and ratings, but how sincere will it seem if you paste “Thanks for the great rating!” over and over again? Responding constructively to a negative rating with no text is impossible. Better to move on.
- Take delicate conversations offline. Inflammatory language should be handled carefully. If someone rudely offers an opinion, respond professionally and offer to talk offline. For reviews that threaten legal action, contain abusive or racist language or attempt to create political controversy, reach out privately. If a review violates the terms and conditions of the website, request its removal.
Responding To Positive Reviews
Sincerity goes a long way. Demonstrate your appreciation by taking a moment to offer a personalized response.
- Thank the reviewer for their business.
- Use their name in your response.
- Reiterate the subject of what prompted the review.
- Invite the reviewer to return to your store or office.
- Do not overdo it, though, by responding to every point. Remain authentic.
Responding To Negative, Fake or Inflammatory Reviews
First and foremost, do not take the review personally, no matter how unfair you may believe it is. We have all experienced either sending or receiving an email or text in the heat of the moment. You want to avoid that emotional blast in a public response to an online review.
- Remain calm and professional. Assume the reviewer means well. Do not use your response to prove the reviewer wrong.
- Develop policies for common situations. Negative reviews often fall into specific categories, such as poor service, poor product quality, or circumstances outside your control. Develop a standard policy for each, which helps avoid pitfalls such as sounding defensive.
- Reinforce positive messaging. Note that your brand strives for outstanding service and, if appropriate, apologize when you fail to meet that standard.
- Use incentives with caution. Offering a discount can help placate a customer who has had a bad experience. But some insincere customers see the potential of receiving a discount as motivation to post a negative review in the first place. Better to take the conversation offline and then, if warranted, offer a discount or freebie by way of apology.
- Be wary of fake or inflammatory reviews. They can come from competitors or customers who want to harm your business and may contain hate speech, profanity or spam. Most sites will allow you to report reviews that violate their guidelines. If you cannot get the review removed immediately, a response can lessen the impact.
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It Is Good for Your Brand To Respond to the Good and the Bad
Properly responding to every review is challenging, but a thoughtful, comprehensive reputation management strategy is critical for successful multi-location brands. Online reviews are that influential. In fact, a Harvard Business Review study shows that review response boosts overall volume and average rating over time.
According to SOCi’s 2022 Localized Marketing Benchmark Report, the average multi-location brand responds to only 36% of its reviews on Google. This means it is relatively easy for brands to outpace the average competitor and implement a response strategy that will help your brand become a local favorite.
Both positive and negative reviews also offer valuable feedback. Negative reviews can be used as motivation for improvement, while positive reviews can provide opportunities to thank loyal customers and encourage repeat business. Develop strategies for prioritizing your responses to positive and negative reviews, and grow your brand based on what your fans and critics have to say.
How are you managing your customer reviews to improve your brand’s reputation? Let us know on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
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