Online reviews are important for any local business. They have become essential in local search strategies. Having positive reviews and ratings will help drive traffic, both to your Website as well as your local business. Should you respond to positive reviews? And what about the negatives? Here, I'm going to give you a lot of tips on how to respond to your business's online reviews.

Importance of online reviews

For customers, online reviews are essential. All of us check reviews before booking a holiday home in the south of France. Online reviews are also important for your SEO. There is general consensus among SEO experts on reviews being a ranking factor for local search.

Why should you react to criticism?

Reviews tell you what other people, your customers, think about your product. If you respond to reviews, you show your (potential) customers that you care about their opinion. And it's something your customers will appreciate. Other than that, responding to reviews will make your business stand out from other businesses as many of them don't make an effort to respond to their reviews.

If you write a response to a review, you won't be writing just to the person who wrote the review. Your answer will be there for all potential customers. Dealing with reviews with grace, gratitude, and a little wit can have a huge impact on how people view your brand.

Which critics should you answer?

Responding to criticism seems like the right thing to do. That doesn't mean you should respond to all comments. In my opinion, you should respond to negative reviews. Responding to negative reviews will show potential customers how you handle issues and resolve dissatisfied customers with solutions.

I would also respond to very positive reviews, especially if the response was elaborate and detailed. Responding to positive reviews will give you the opportunity to promote your brand and show your passion for your business. Responding to positive reviews is not that difficult to do. It's the negatives that need a strategy.

How to respond to negative opinions?

How do you respond to these negative reviews? What should you do and what pitfalls should you avoid? I'm going to share seven tips on how to deal with these negative reviews!

1. keep calm

It is never easy to take a negative opinion. In some cases, this may seem unfair. Perhaps the tone of the criticism is harsh, personal, or condescending. Your first reaction will most likely be emotional. You may be angry or very frustrated. In such a case, it is wise to take a moment before writing your response.

2. Have a plan

Negative comments and reviews will always come in at some point. It's a good thing to prepare yourself for it. You might have standard answers ready. Make sure you never use the same answer more than once. Always adapt a response to the specifics of the situation. Having a few well-written sentences ready can help you frame the answer in the heat of the moment.

3. Own the problem

A negative response means that someone has had a negative experience with your business. Maybe they didn't like the food you served in your restaurant. Of course, this could be due to their lack of taste, but such an answer will not be satisfactory for your potential audience. In most cases, apologize for their negative experience first, even if it is not (entirely) your fault. You are sorry they had a negative experience. You're sorry the food didn't taste great.

If something went wrong because of an error on your site, let people know and apologize. If someone hasn't had their dessert and is upset about it, look into the details of the situation. Did you, in fact, forget their dessert? Admit your mistake, apologize, and try to resolve the issue. In that case, invite them again for dessert.

Everyone makes mistakes and people really forgive if you're willing to show your human side. Live up to your mistakes, apologize, and try to find a solution.

4. Let someone proofread your answer.

You are never an objective author when responding to reviews. You are involved; What may seem reasonable to you, may sound crazy aggressive to someone else. If you're not sure what your answer is, letting someone else read it first (someone objective) may be a good idea.

5. Short and sweet

Don't write answers that are too long. Keep your answers short and sweet. No one wants to read a thirteen paragraph answer. Even if someone insults you personally in a review, you should never be personally concerned. Try to be professional and polite at all times.

6. Do not be trapped in a long discussion

Never get caught up in long discussions. Respond once, maybe twice if necessary, but stop answering after that. No one wants to read a full discussion between a dissatisfied customer and a business. Or maybe some people like to read such a thing, but it doesn't reflect your business well.

7. Put the discussion offline

Has anyone had a bad experience with your business and can you fix it? Try to contact them outside of the review chain. Ask them to contact your sales department or invite them to your restaurant. Haven't people had their dessert? Invite them to your restaurant. People can't get in touch with your support department? Help them have a connection.

After the answer?

If you've had negative responses, you'll probably want to bury them under a bunch of positives. Perhaps you will meet clients who have positive experiences. By all means, invite them to leave a comment.

If you can resolve the issue with an unhappy customer, you can also ask if they can edit or remove their review. You should only do this if the air is clear between the customer and your business.