Because of the internet, more people scour business reviews now than ever. When it comes to the art of good reviews, five important elements to keep in mind are:

• What
• Why
• Who
• Where/How
• When

Be sure to read our other articles and stay tuned for the next ones coming out in our series! This one will be focusing on: what.

More than Opinions

A better word for online reviews are “experiences.” A review is a customer (consumers and clients included) sharing their personal experience with a business (organizations included). That review is normally posted on the web so others, who may be interested in that business’ services, can see it.

The purpose of reviews is to help potential customers decide whether or not they want to invest their time and money into a business. This can be both scary and beneficial for businesses.

Take it Seriously, but Don’t Obsess

35% of individuals who believe they had bad customer experience will report it on Yelp versus 23% of people who had a good experience. So, if you’re getting more bad reviews than good, you shouldn’t immediately panic.

That being said, if your business has a lot of bad reviews, you need to take action. It’s easy to defend yourself against a defamatory review, but businesses shouldn’t assume all bad reviews are exaggerations or lies. Ask yourself:

• Is there a reoccurring issue popping up in bad reviews?
• Has the reviewer posted other bad reviews publicly?
• Did the employee the customer had a bad experience with talk to you before this review came out to give you their side?
• Did you try to resolve this before the review was posted?

Reviews should be monitored periodically at work, not read at home every night before you go to bed. It’s easy to take them personally rather than use them to perfect your business.

How are your reviews? Contact us to learn more about our Reputation Monitoring services.