If you’re a business owner, then you know the answer. It’s in our human nature to want people to be happy, customers to love us and our services. And in this day and age, online reviews are how customers tell us how they really feel. It’s hard not to take a bad review personally but aside from how it makes you feel, it’s more important to understand how it affects your business.

There are steps you can take to increase the amount of reviews you get and encourage positive ones. It’s called online reputation management. No, this isn’t a parlor trick on how to magically get great reviews. You can’t trick Google or Yelp. But you can check out our tips on managing reviews and learn how to improve your reputation online – legally and ethically.

Make it Easy for People to Review You

How? We create a review landing page on your website with links to your review sites – Google, Yelp, TripAdvisor, Facebook. People don’t have to search for the “write a review” button if you give them the direct link. Online reputation management becomes a lot easier with this simple step.

Encourage Reviews with Emails or Texts

We’ve all gotten those messages after purchasing a product or experiencing a service. And receiving a direct email or text makes it easy, from our phone, to simply click a link and leave our review. Best part, we’re already logged in on all our accounts on our device. So, no login required to leave that 5-star rating. Easy. There are many online reputation platforms that do just this and we help you find the one that fits your business.

Encourage Direct Messages for Bad Experiences

In that email or text that you send your customer, make sure to say something like “Not happy with your product/service? Contact us directly to let us know how we can improve.” Or something like that. The point is to encourage unhappy customers to come to you and not to Google. In the end, it’s more effective to improve your product or service by customers telling you directly and not through a review that can get lost in the sea of the Internet. But tread lightly – there are many regulations when it comes to Google reviews, Yelp reviews, etc. For a complete understanding of online reputation management, contact WSI.

For the Love of all That is Good, Don’t Bribe your Customers for Reviews

Please don’t do this. This is how you get blacklisted. Tempting customers for a 5-star rating with discounts and deals is a big no-no. Don’t damage your relationships with review platforms by participating in virtual bribery.

Easier said than done? Maybe. That’s where we come in. Our digital marketing agency can guide you through proper online reputation management, fostering relationships with your customers and growing your business.

ob at WSI, but it’s our passion. Our creative team has worked tirelessly to creating beautiful digital experiences for customers and we’re excited to be recognized for our hard work. Check out our awards this year: