Has your business received a bad review? How about 25? The feeling that a negative online review causes you to feel is nothing short of anxiety because other potential customers may read it and be turned away from your business. Wanting to delete bad online reviews is a natural response to a negative review because you care about your online reputation. That’s why brainer exists— to help you take back control of your online reputation.
How Negative Reviews Impact Your Business
Negative online reviews can be crushing to a business, especially if you rely on the online marketplace to generate all of your leads and sales. According to ‘Inc.,’ 91 percent of online users read business reviews. That means that when a bad customer reviews your business, you stand to lose a lot of income as a result. Needless to say that bad online reviews should be handled with tact and professionalism.
So How Do You Delete a Bad Online Review?
Deleting an online review is a lot harder than you may think. Many online reviews are near untouchable because businesses that own the websites where customers leave reviews: Google My Business, Angie’s List, Facebook, Yelp, and so on— aren’t liable for what users post on their websites.
Your main options are to flag the post as incorrect or to petition the website and ask them to take it down. In either case, it’s a lot of work for no guarantee that your bad review gets deleted. So what should you do?
Well… your best bet is to leave the online review up and make your next moves with a little bit of strategy. Here are 3 steps to take back control of your online reputation.
1. Respond to the Negative Review
Respond to a negative review? Why would I do that?
Because you want other online users to see that you are a business owner that takes care of your customers, even when they have something negative to say about you. Responding to a negative review can be tricky because getting defensive is a natural reaction. But don’t do that!
Respond to a negative review by being professional, cordial, and accommodating. A simple, “we’re sorry to hear that you had a negative experience with our company. Please private message us so that we can help rectify the situation” will make all the difference.
2. Move On
Once you send a professional response, you’ll want to put the negative review behind you. Don’t get caught up obsessing over a bad review. It’s out there, you’ve done your part to respond, don’t stress about it.
3. Encourage Good Reviews to Offset the Bad
Once you’ve responded positively, you’ll want to encourage all of your customers and clients to share their good experiences. Positive reviews will ultimately tip the scales in your favor. 15 good reviews and one bad review is overwhelmingly positive!
Taking Back Control of Your Online Reputation with Brainer
How do you see when you have a new review online? With Brainer, you can see all of your online reviews in one place so that you can see what your customers are saying about your business, respond to reviews right away, and take back control of your online reviews! So what are you waiting for?