The gastronomy industry has recently been facing a huge crisis. This particularly applies to stationary restaurants. There are fewer customers. Those who use this type of service usually check restaurant reviews before deciding to visit. On one hand, this is a difficulty. On the other hand, websites and online profiles are currently experiencing a real siege. And this is a good opportunity to effectively promote yourself.

What do you think about before making another online purchase? The price? I think customer reviews about the company, the service you need, also catch your attention. This is confirmed by the report from 3D Cart, which says that customers are 71% more comfortable buying a product after reading reviews. Why not use this information and influence the buyer's decision so that they make a purchase in your online store and choose you over the competition.  

Every company should care about customer reviews, regardless of seniority and company size. However, just creating profiles on review sites is definitely not enough. Your customers are as busy as you are, so the chance that they will provide feedback on their own is not very high. Unless they are really satisfied or really disappointed. That’s why it is up to you to take the initiative and simply ask for feedback. Once you receive it, don’t forget to respond.

A company without a negative opinion is like a soldier without a rifle. No matter how hard you try, a negative opinion will eventually appear on your Google My Business card or social media profile. Do you know what to do to save your reputation and prevent a crisis? The answer is the right response to customer comments. Furthermore, with the proper response, you can win potential customers. So, find out how to respond to negative comments and turn them to your advantage.

Every brand has a reputation, whether it's positive or negative. The reputation of your brand is what people are saying about your brand, and it can impact your business significantly. Having a positive brand reputation means having a positive perception of your brand, which can increase brand loyalty, drive sales, and attract new customers. On the other hand, a bad reputation can damage your brand's image, lose customers, and impact your bottom line. In this guide to brand reputation management, we'll explore the importance of reputation management for your business, ways to measure your brand reputation, and effective strategies, tools, and tips to manage, build, and protect a great brand reputation. 

Managing reviews is important for many reasons. First of all, it helps to increase the rating, which is a measure of your credibility for buyers. 5-star companies are considered trustworthy from the start. On the other hand, a rating below 4 stars can raise concerns among potential buyers. It is easy to see that this creates a mechanism that feeds itself. The more satisfied your customers are, the more people will come to you. You can use this effect even more effectively when you start managing reviews consciously. Are you afraid of customer reviews? Why are negative reviews important? If negative reviews keep you up at night, we have good news for you. First of all, your competition faces the same difficulties. Secondly, there is a solution to every problem. At least in the world of marketing. Do you want to increase your rating? Befriend people who criticize your services or products. Okay, they may evoke mixed feelings in you. However, treat critics as a valuable source of information. Unsatisfied customers point out important issues in your company. It may be about poor service quality. Ugly decor? Malfunctioning website? Delivery problems? A nice person will inform you about it privately. A less nice person's dissatisfaction will lead to a boiling point. Such a customer will go straight to Google Maps and leave a juicy comment that will provoke you to take action. Effective management of customer reviews does not involve deleting them In the world of marketing, there are three known strategies for dealing with negative reviews. The first one is burying your head in the sand. You ignore the criticism. After all, your company is the best in the world and you know it. The customer probably had a bad day and needed to vent. The product is paid for, the transaction is closed. No problem. That's a mistake. The problem exists, and you will only see its scale after some time. When you don't react, you show everyone who views your profile something very important. You prove to them that they will be left alone in case of difficulties. And that discourages buyers. Since the "ostrich" technique doesn't work, maybe you can try open confrontation? That's definitely a step in the right direction. However, no one made a fortune by taking on the role of a victim or aggressor. As long as you prove that the customer is wrong, you are only right halfway. Someone is wrong. Nevertheless, that someone is you. The customer is always right. Even when they're not. And public arguments will have a negative impact on your business image. Instead, it is worth behaving professionally. What do you do when someone gives you valuable knowledge? You say "thank you". You should do the same with dissatisfied customers. Thank them for their feedback. Understand the problem. Offer a solution. Customers appreciate a balanced approach. By doing so, you give a signal that you can be relied upon. Can you avoid the Google rating system? When is it worth creating a new company profile? Many people consider disabling reviews. This is tempting, especially when there are many negative comments under your Google My Business profile. However, the American company does not provide such an option. The only way is to create a new company profile. However, it is not as simple as it seems. If the system detects the same company address, old reviews will automatically be assigned to the new profile. Do you think providing a different address is enough? Remember that the new account will require verification. This often happens by mail. Additionally, there is a risk that your customers will not be able to find you. You can also change the company name. However, each of these methods also means losing positive reviews. Start using reviews today and tailor your offer to customer needs Is it worth removing negative reviews? Not necessarily. Especially since by taking care of customer satisfaction, you can improve your ratings. Therefore, enable notifications about new reviews today. On Android phones, the notifications tab is located in the settings. You can access them by clicking on your profile picture. In Apple products, you can set notifications separately for each application in the device settings. On any computer, you need to select the dropdown menu marked with three horizontal lines. You are only a few steps away from professional reputation management. Effective review management with Rating Captain Utilize the potential of reviews to increase sales and, above all, customer satisfaction. How does it work? After making a purchase in your store or using your services, your customer will receive an email asking them to leave a review. This way, you will not only collect valuable reviews and maintain a good average rating, but also build a relationship with your audience. Do you want to learn more about your customers? The Rating Captain app will analyze each review in terms of satisfaction, allowing you to easily identify issues reported by customers and understand their real needs. Don't forget to respond to reviews, especially negative ones. Potential customers want to know if they can count on feedback and assistance in case of problems. Consumers often decide not to make a purchase from a particular company because they are concerned that they will not receive help and will only be able to share their frustration on Google or social media. And remember - don't be afraid of negative reviews, every company gets them and they only confirm that the business is authentic.

Almost 90% of consumers trust online reviews similarly to personal recommendations from their family and friends. The fact proves that taking care of a positive online image has a crucial role not only in online reputation management (ORM) but also in sales in general.