ReputationChanger.com Responds to "Review Response" Advice, Offers Guidance to Business Owners

WEST CHESTER, PA, June 28, 2012

The continued evolution of mobile technology means that the Internet is always at the consumer's fingertips. Regardless of where an individual is--at home, in the car, or out running errands--a smart device makes it easy to quickly look up information and reviews on products and local businesses, ultimately informing purchase decisions and shaping consumer behavior in significant ways. This may be a boon to the consumer, because it allows for informed decision-making, but for business owners, it can often prove disadvantageous, in some cases even catastrophic. Consumers are constantly gaining better access to online reviews, via sites such as Yelp.com, and a single bad review can sink a small business. USA Today recently ran an article offering advice to business owners seeking to constructively respond to bad online reviews--and its advice has caught the attention of the professional reputation management firm, ReputationChanger.com.

According to USA Today, online review sites are increasingly potent in their impact to small, local businesses. "In our increasingly mobile and social world, reviews posted to Yelp, TripAdvisor and other sites can have a tremendous impact on local businesses," the article says. What is more, the article makes clear that, while some of these reviews are legitimate, bad reviews can happen to any company, and for any reason. "When you're the victim of poor service or a bad product, it's all too easy to fire up the Web browser and start pounding the keyboard in a fit of rage," notes USA Today.

ReputationChanger.com has responded to the article with a press statement of its own. In the statement, company CEO Cliff Stein says that the article's assessment of online reviews and their impact to small businesses is absolutely correct. "The article is accurate in its description of online review sites, like Yelp and TripAdvisor, as highly relevant to small business owners," Stein confirms. "The article is also right to state that a bad review can happen for any reason--even something that is outside the small business owner's control. Whether the review is fair or not is beside the point, however; if a negative review is out there, it's bad news for the business, period."

When it comes to responding to bad reviews, Stein says business owners must exercise discernment. "Hopefully, small business owners will receive some positive reviews, and it's always a great idea to promptly respond to these, with gratitude and sincerity," he says. "The same is true even of constructive feedback. Showing customers that you care what they have to say can go a long way toward shoring up online credibility."

Not all reviews are constructive, Stein says. "Many negative reviews are simply unreasonable. They come from a client who simply cannot be pleased, or perhaps they single out something that is beyond the small business owner's control," Stein explains. He notes that his company, ReputationChanger.com, has previously worked with hotels that received bad reviews on the basis of external street noise, or roadside construction. "Sometimes, these negative reviews are simply absurd, but they can still do damage," Stein says.

Responding to these negative reviews is not always prudent, Stein continues. "Responding to a negative, unreasonable review ultimately lends it traction in Google's rankings--which means more people will see it," notes Stein. "That's the very last thing a small business owner wants."

Rather than respond to a bad review, Stein says small business owners can seek to suppress it. "That's where a company like ReputationChanger.com comes into play," concludes Stein. "Review suppression is what we do at ReputationChanger.com, all day every day. We can help small business owners bury negative reviews under an avalanche of positive content, and ultimately establish the small business as a brand of choice among consumers."

ABOUT:

www.ReputationChanger.com was established in 2009 by a team of online marketing, search engine optimization, and sales experts. Among the leading providers of online reputation management, ReputationChanger.com is widely regarded as a pioneering company, known for its innovation in the field of reputation repair and defense. The agency works 24/7 to provide extensive reputation repair strategies to its clients, which have included politicians, Fortune 500 companies, small businesses, and more. ReputationChanger.com is zealous for providing clients with the resources they need to take back control of their online reputation.

Firm that assists clients with their online reputation management.