As a small business owner your reputation is everything. Online reviews can destroy your credibility and brand. However, they can also help you grow your business too. Below are tips on designing your online review system, things to think about when evaluating a review, and three benefits of online reviews.

Designing Your Online System:

1. Setup Google Alerts based on key words. This will deliver to your email inbox daily alerts when your Buy Trustpilot USA Reviews ‘ name, personal name, and key words are used online.

2. Ask for reviews. Solicit reviews when you send out your newsletter. You can use the footer of your document to ask for reviews on contracts and invoices. Social media posts are another place to ask for reviews. Follow up with your customers and ask for reviews.

3. Place a link on your website and social media accounts. Post the links to the reviews on your website and social media accounts. When your customers are reading the reviews they may be inspired to leave one too.

4. Respond – quickly, politely, and personably. Respond to good and bad reviews quickly, politely, and in a very personal tone. Offer a solution if the person is not happy. Do not argue or be confrontational when responding to a negative review. Do not get into a fight online.

5. Make adjustments. Reviews allow you to see what is working and not working in your business. Take prompt corrective action within your business.

Things to think about:

1. What is your overall score? If you have a high score do not worry needlessly about one negative comment.

2. When was your last review? If you have no current reviews, start asking for them. Be relevant.

3. How many reviews do you have and what is the ratio of good to bad? Again, if it is a great ratio don’t worry about one bad one.

4. What is the Terms of Service for that particular site and can bad reviews be removed? People do like to see negative or bad reviews. This allows them to get a balanced view of the business. They will make their own judgment call on whether the review was unwarranted or not. They will also be looking at your overall score. If the reviews were crushing and unwarranted and the host site allows for their removal, then by all means ask to have it removed.