How do I respond to Negative / Positive Company Reviews Online?

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Responding to page reviews online is arguably the most important aspect of engagement, solely because of the way reviews are used as a tool for company research. When the modern consumer knows that they need a product or service, the first thing they do is research different brands to find the best option to suit their needs (comparison shopping).

Some consumers care more about a bang for their buck, other consumers care more about the quality of the product, but all consumers care about being cared about. Responding to reviews does just that by showing researches (those reading the reviews on your page) that you actually take the time to read customer feedback, are thankful for their patronage, and would be willing to resolve an issue if one were to arise.

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BEFORE YOU START: To respond to a page review for the whole world to see, consider the following:

• Would you describe your culture as fun or formal? This changes the tone of your response drastically. “Hey There! vs Good afternoon, <name>”. Generally the more trust your customer places in you, and your professional ability the more formal your tone should be. For example you wouldn’t want to see your prospective dentist respond to a negative review with “Opps, my bad.”
• Do you have a loyalty program new customers should be aware of? Positive reviews are a great opportunity to introduce social media fans your loyalty program or fan club. “Hey, we are glad you like our product! Join our fan club for special offers, and savings www.signuplandingpage.com.”
• Do you have a return, refund, or discount policy? These are a lifesaver when responding to negative reviews about your product or service. “Hi, @name we are sad to hear you don’t like this product, if you still have your receipt and it has been less than 90 days please return it and we will find one that is right for you! www.customerservicesupport.com”

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Step 1: Respond to Negative Reviews.

Before you respond to a negative listing review, consider its validity. If you are a small to medium sized business, odds are there is some truth behind the reviewer’s statement, no matter how exaggerated. Remember not to take negative reviews personally, and when responding be sure to:    

• Reply in a timely manner.
• Responses should be brief and professional.
• Show compassion for their viewpoint, and offer a resolution if the negative review is valid.
• Try to continue the conversation offline.
  • Review: This product is awful, I am allergic to its ingredients! @companyname is the worst.
  • Response: Hi Reviewer, we are so sorry to hear you cannot enjoy our product. We have been working hard on an allergen free version. Please reach out to @companyemail, we would love to make it up to you! – Company Team.   

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Step 2: Respond to Positive Reviews.

This is your chance to have fun, and turn some happy customers into brand ambassadors. When responding to a positive review, remember:

• Always be grateful for their praise
• Emphasize the positive message
• Continue the conversation by asking a question
  • Review: I love this product, feature 1 is a lifesaver! 10/10 would recommend.
  • Response: Thanks Reviewer, we love that you love our product! The team will be happy to hear their hard work on feature 1 is paying off  Is there anything else that could make our product even better for you? Let us know @companyemail – Thanks again.

Negative Effects of Not Having an Internet Presence for Your Small Business

Small businesses should value the need for online marketing and building their online presence. It’s important to note that online presence is not only established in the way you promote and sell your products online. There are definitely negative effects for not having a proper internet presence for your small business. With proper internet presence, you can establish the story behind your brand to your audience. If you own a local bakery or coffee shop, people want to see the behind the scenes in visuals, through photos and video. Sharing your story humanizes your brand, it gives it warmth and makes it all the more desirable to potential customers. 

Of course, being a business owner you may not always have the time to regularly update your blog or manage social media. Which is why there are services available like Airi Business to provide who will work to build your internet presence for you.  It’s no longer a “do it later” option, it’s a must now or you risk falling behind competition. Here’s why having no internet presence is a bad idea:

Lack of confidence if your brand

Having no internet presence is like being stuck in a primitive era, there’s no simpler way to say it.  Today, everyone from buyers to suppliers, and even your grandparents are online making purchases, browsing new products, or researching new services.  If you’re not online, how do you expect people to know about your brand.

Less exposure of your product or service

Again, how will you extend your reach to more people, more neighbourhoods, more prospective customers if you are not online?  Sure, you may attract the people who walk by your business or by word of mouth but, why limit yourself?

Poor reach

As you can see, all of the reasons why not having internet presence are related.  It all comes  down to getting your brand, your business more exposure.  Getting the word out there on a larger scale.  Meeting your customers expectations by appearing online through photos, testimonials, videos, etc.  These are what people need in this day and age to inspire trust in a business.  It’s all about the image and story that’s online for the world to see.

Lack of control over your brand’s image

If you’re not online telling people about your brand, someone else will.  The power of the internet is inevitable.  Visitors at your coffee shop are probably posting photos of their lattes and scones at this very moment.  

• Learn what people are saying about your business on Yelp
• Claim your business on Google
• Manage your reputation by managing your reviews

Get advice and helpful tips on building your small business internet presence with Airi Business tools today.  An Airi Business membership will get you everything you need to build and protect the virtual side of your business, with access to professionals who will do the work for you so you can spend more hands-on time building the business you love.

How do I get a Profile Canada Business Listing?

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BEFORE YOU START: Profile Canada is free to list your business but not to respond to reviews. Go to profilecanada.com/grow-your-business for more info. 

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Add a Business to Profile Canada: 

• Go to www.profilecanada.com.
• What is your relationship to this company? Select: 
  • I’m the owner of this company.
  • I work for this company.
  • I don’t work here, but I’m acting on behalf of this company.
  • I’m a user of Profile Canada improving the business listing.
• Add Key Business Info:
  • Name.
  • City.
  • Address.
  • Postal Code.
  • Business Phone.
  • Website.
  • Business Description:
  • Toll Free Number.
  • Fax Number.
  • Email.
• Search and Select your Business Category.
• Answer Survey Q’s:
  • What is your top online marketing challenge?
  • Are you currently working with an SEO provider?
• Create your Profile Canada Account:
  • First Name.
  • Last Name.
  • City.
  • Email.
  • Password / Confirm Password
  • Enter CAPTCHA text.
• Click Submit Info and Create Account.
• Confirm Profile Canada’s Verification Email (check all email categories).

After confirming your email, your account will remain pending until reviewed by website moderators. Once reviewed and approved, your listing will be published by Profile Canada.

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Fix an Error on your Profile Canada Listing: 

Follow the same steps as above. Moderators will review your Profile Canada Listing Update, and apply it to the existing listing.  

How do I implement Search Engine Optimization on my Websites?

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Before You Start: Make sure the keywords you are planning to use are ideal for your business! Optimizing your webpages around bad keywords can be a huge waste of efforts. For help determining your optimal keywords, See Optimal Keyword Detection.

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Step 1: Find the webpage best suited to start SEO Optimization.

• Search: ( site:website.com “target keyword” ) to find which webpage is best suited to be optimized for that “target keyword”.  
• Doing this is extremely helpful when your website has a lot of pages. If your website has only a few pages, you should already know which one to optimize.

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Step 2: Optimize the Page Title Tag (meta tag).

The Page Title Tag is what appears first in search engine results, and also what appears in your browser’s title bar. Search Engines do have some ranking weight on page title tags, so remember when optimizing your page title tag to do the following:

• Be Mindful of Page Title Length: (50-60 characters)
• Place Important Keywords Close to the Front of the Title Tag: (city / product / service)
• Leverage Branding: (if more notable than company name)
• Consider Readability and Emotional Impact: (Convey most positive message possible)

i.e “(City) (Brand) (Product) (Service Offering) | (Company Name) or (Toronto) (A-Brand) (Furnace) (Cleaning for $X) | (Airi.io)” 

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Step 3: Optimize Meta Description.

Your webpage’s meta description is a brief snippet or preview to the information / content that is on the page. You want this description to be as concise and compelling as possible. Note: meta descriptions will not directly impact your search engine ranking, but if used correctly can improve user click through’s, which in turn can improve your search engine ranking.

• Recommended Length: between 150 and 160 characters.
• Only use alphanumeric characters.
• Avoid Similar or Duplicate Descriptions Tags.
• Let the searcher know exactly what content is on this page.

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Step 4: Optimize Header Tag.

Header Tags (H1) are not to be confused with Page Title Tags. They are similar, but have different purposes. Your webpage Title Tag is a keyword focused description of the content that shows up in search engine results, your webpage header tag is a keyword focused introduction to the content on the webpage itself, to improve user readability.

• Title Tag: How Surround Uses Personal Blogs in Digital Marketing – Surround
• Header Tag: When Digital Marketing meets Personal Blogging, games change!

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STEP 5: Implement Image Alt Text & Title.

Image alt text (alternate text) helps explain to search engines what the image is. Use Alt text to describe all aspects of the image, using as many accurate descriptors as possible. You can also add an additional attribute “image title”, to help further describe the image to search engines. The more images on the page with alt text and titles, the better. 

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Step 6: Implement Internal Site Linking.

Internal linking is a hyperlink on a webpage that directs traffic to another one of your webpages. What this does is make it easier for your visitors to navigate throughout the content on your website, which will improve your “user experience” in the eyes of search engines. 

How do I get my business listed on MapQuest?

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BEFORE YOU START: If you are an American looking to create a MapQuest business listing, go to https://listings.mapquest.com, and complete the submission form. Input fields on MapQuest.com’s listings page doesn’t have province or postal code options for Canadian business owners. 

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Step 1: Add your Business to MapQuest

• Go to https://help.mapquest.com.
• Enter your company email (gmail) account and create a password.
• Create a subject for the message (i.e new business listing).
• Enter Your Name.
• Select the reason for this report: “Add New Business.”
• How does the business currently appear on MapQuest: It does not.
• Description – (full description of issue).
  • Business Name:
  • Address: City, State / Province, Zip.           
  • Business Phone:
  • Owner’s Name:
  • Business Email:
  • Number of Locations:
  • Website:
  • Featured Message:
  • Business category:
  • About Us:
• Upload Attachment: Company Logo

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Step 2: Fix an Error on your MapQuest Listing. 

1. Go to  Mapquest Help.
2. Select the most appropriate issue:
   • Feedback/ Questions on new www.mapquest.com  
   • Business Listings on MapQuest.
   • Residential Map / Address Errors.
   • Problems Creating a Route or Getting Directions.
   • Help with Mapquest Mobile Apps.
   • Help with the New Route Planner
   • My Account.
   • Help with MapQuest Bookings Reservations.
   • Help with Classic.MapQuest.com
   • send feedback about mapquest business city pages
   • Report abuse
   • Help with Travel Blogs
   • All other questions or issues
3. Enter Your company email:
4. Create a message Subject:
5. Enter Your Name:
6. Additional Description:
7. File upload (optional):

*If you selected the issue “Business Listings on MapQuest”

1. Select the reason for this report:
   • Incorrect Business Information
   • Add a new business
   • For an update or removal request- How does the business currently appear on MapQuest
   • Place has permanently closed.
2. For an update or removal request- How does the business currently appear on MapQuest
   • Name,
   • Address,
   • Phone Number.