Your Business Presence Online

Making your business presence noticed online isn’t easy but even through the advertising and blurbs from an array of other businesses, it can be done. While Facebook and Twitter do have their merits, focusing on review and answer sites can boost sales. Some of the answer and review sites which can help are Yelp. There is also Yahoo Answers and the site Mahalo. These sites permit you to directly interact with customers which helps with customer service. By answering questions online and also responding to complaints, you can bring back repeat customers and acquire new ones.

Using Online Reviews and Answer Sites

Answering questions about your business can generate sales, raise brand awareness, and build up the strength of your SEO (Search Engine Optimization). Also, by giving well-thought-out responses, you can show customers you take them seriously. By keeping the tone personal and not businesslike, you will appear more customer friendly. Remember: the answers you post can be read not only by the person who posted the question, but also by anyone who searches for the same interests or answers. Another way to give your company more visibility is to set up a detailed profile including pictures and a working link to your website. You can also offer discounts or promotions in exchange for a review from customers. By adding your customer service statement, you can show what a customer can expect when buying your product.

Dealing with Bad Reviews

When you get a bad review, don’t become defensive. The customer had a bad experience and you need to deal with it to the best of your ability. A swift response is important. Apologize and immediately take proactive steps to address the problem. Also, you can contact the customer privately to discuss the matter and come to a mutual satisfactory conclusion. If the customer is satisfied with the solution, most of them will update the negative review into a positive one. Even after providing a quick and satisfactory response, you may still have some unsatisfied customers. Still, the more positive reviews you can gain, the smaller the negative reviews will seem. 

Dealing with False Information

What can you do about false information being passed around about your company? Request a retraction if you know the source of the false accusation. If a retraction is not forthcoming, there are several steps you can take. Begin by making your SEO more visible. More visible SEO will push the false information down the search results page. Then keep other ancillary blogs or domains which will help control what shows up first in a search engine. Keep those filled with key products or upcoming events to keep the pages moving.

Customers take online reviews and having their questions answered seriously, and so should you. Online reviews and comments, like those found on Epinions, can be an extremely effective way to track public opinion of your company, and the sites that have them can help you to better meet customer demands. Keeping tabs on public opinion can help you provide satisfaction for your customers, and it can help your customers make better informed purchases both online and off, which in turn will benefit you. The most important benefit is that it raises your online presence, which will lead you to greater success.

How do review and question sites help your business?