If a picture is worth a thousand words, an inappropriate photo posted to your online business listing would be equivalent to a long, scathing negative review. A cockroach sitting in the corner of the room. An underwhelming plate of food. Regardless of whether or not these photos were actually taken at your business, so long as they appear on your online review site, they have the power to drive potential customers away in an instant. […]
Review Generation vs Online Reputation Management: Discover the Difference and Learn the Playbook that will Protect Your Brand Over the past decade, businesses of all sizes have become more and more aware of the real impact online customer reviews can have on their overall brand, and ultimately their bottom line. A recent study showed that 86% of consumers read reviews for local businesses before making a purchase. The power of word-of-mouth is greater than […]
It’s no secret— negative online reviews can hurt your business and tarnish your brand identity. Research shows that 86% of consumers read reviews for local businesses before making a purchase. Reputation management has become a necessity for business owners in order to grow, let alone survive in a competitive market. The real secret is that the negative reviews that contain fake or illegitimate content actually have a higher percentage of being removed from your online […]
Word of Mouth is a powerful thing— it’s what gets you to buy a ticket to that summer blockbuster, or into that new Italian Restaurant with the meatballs that will change your life. The more you hear about that movie, or those world famous meatballs, the greater the likelihood that you’ll actually get up off the couch and out into the world to find out what all the buzz is about. Such is the purchasing […]
Facebook announced an overhaul of its main mobile app that puts more emphasis on two of its most critical features: events and groups. The company says it’s placing groups front and center as a cornerstone of how it wants users to think of the main Facebook app, while their events feature is getting a fresh coat of paint as one of the most-used parts of the app that keeps users coming back day in and […]
If done correctly, Local SEO can be a gift for your business that keeps on giving. Think of it as a garden. You tend to the soil, water it, provide plenty of sunshine, and with a little patience, you’ll enjoy the fruits of your labor. The moment you slack off, your crops will die. Quite frankly, so will your business if you don’t implement a strategy to stay relevant in local search results. Before you […]
“If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say nothing at all.” If only we can instill those wise words from the film Bambi into the minds of the masses of people on the internet. Unfortunately, the real world is not a Disney cartoon, and no business is safe from public criticism online. According to a survey conducted by BrightLocal, 85% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. On the bright side, people […]
What to do about negative reviews— it’s the ugly side of running a business, but one that can’t be ignored. A decrease in your overall rating on business review sites like Yelp or Google Maps becomes a drop in your overall revenue. The new year brings a new opportunity to polish your online reputation. Make it your resolution to have a better star rating by the end of the year, and if you’re already happy […]
Back in April, Google’s Review Policy update surprised business owners and marketing companies alike. Google included a new line item, “Don’t discourage or prohibit negative reviews or selectively solicit positive reviews from customers”. Also known as Review Gating, Google no longer allows businesses to only direct customers with a positive experience to leave a review while directing customers who had a negative experience to an in-house survey or review site. So what do you do? […]
How are those New Year’s Resolutions coming? Statistically, by now, chances are not good. Research shows that only 8% of people actually stick to their goals. The problem most people have is setting the bar too high. There’s nothing wrong with being ambitious, but if your goals are unrealistic, you’re setting yourself up for failure. Fortunately, there’s no rule stating that your resolutions had to begin at the stroke of midnight New Year’s Day. It’s […]