Using Online Review Sites to Garner Positive Feedback

One of the hallmarks of the modern web is the ability for users from every walk of life to review just about anything, from products to services to contractors. Consumers are becoming increasingly dependent on these services as their first stop when looking at buying a new product, going to a new restaurant, or hiring an independent consultant. One of the most productive things you can do for your personal brand is to build a reservoir of positive feedback on these sites, as they have high search relevance and are trusted by consumers.

At first it can be difficult for people to accept the idea of opening themselves up to critique from anyone who wants to leave a review – after all, if someone is capable of giving you positive feedback, they’re also capable of giving you negative feedback. The thing is, just because you don’t actively pursue these review sites doesn’t mean you won’t appear on them, it just means you will have much less influence in who is reviewing you. Anyone can create a profile for you to review your service, whether you want them to or not. By taking a proactive stance you stand a much better chance of generating positive feedback, as well as managing negative feedback when it does inevitably crop up.

Make It Easy for your Customers to Post Positive Reviews

Once you have a profile on the major review sites, make it as easy as possible for your customers to post positive reviews for you. Try to avoid actively soliciting their reviews, though, as this will generally not work, and may frustrate clients. Just do your best to have very visible links from your sites to the most important review sites, and consider including a “Review me on Yelp!” or similar note on business cards or other bits of media.

Don't Take it Personal, Remember It's Easy to Complain

The main reason for this has to do with how much energy people are willing to expend for positive and negative reviews. The threshold of what people have to spend to make a positive review is quite low. Since they generally feel very little reward from it, if they have to look for more than a minute or two they will likely not review you positively. And many people don’t even think about posting a positive review of a service provider – unless you remind them. Negative reviewers, on the other hand, are willing to spend a great deal of energy badmouthing you and your business. They’ll go out of their way to post a negative review, since there is a very direct feedback – they are able to vent their frustration. Since this imbalance is fundamental, it’s up to you to try to displace negative reviews by creating positive reviews.

If and when you do get negative reviews, don’t panic. Most review sites have tools to contact negative reviewers privately, and you can approach them calmly and without being overly defensive, to see if you can resolve the situation. On the other hand if you find yourself unable to deal with the negative reviews by yourself, you might want to use one of LookupPage's reputation management profiles or professional services to improve your online reputation.