Digital marketing is about more than building awareness of your brand. It’s also about fostering trust with potential customers and positioning your business as a local authority within your industry. One of the most important components of building trust with your digital audience is showcasing online reviews from your previous customers. Unfortunately, not all reviews are going to be positive ones. All businesses have off days or grumpy customers, but when those result in 1- or 2-star reviews, your other digital marketing efforts may suffer. Here’s why:

If a potential customer comes upon your website and is considering picking up the phone to book an appointment, they’ll probably take a moment to check out your reviews on sites like Google and Yelp first. Modern consumers trust online reviews as much or maybe even more than personal recommendations. If the first thing they see is negative or lukewarm reviews, they’re likely to think twice about making that call for an appointment.

Even just one or two bad reviews can be bad news for your business if you don’t have many reviews overall. If your business is plagued by negative reviews driving down your star rating, you may find that your digital marketing strategies are less effective than you’d hoped.

While you can’t erase bad reviews that are already out there, you can counteract them with the right reputation management tactics. Responding to negative reviews quickly and with a friendly, helpful response can show customers that you are willing to make things right. Additionally, increasing your total number of reviews can lessen the impact of a few bad reviews.

You’ve worked hard to build your business and try to do right by your customers. If those efforts are not reflected in your online reviews, Plumfun Media is here to help. Contact us today to learn how our reputation management services can help your business thrive.