Online Reputation Management Blog

How to Get a Positive Review Online

Reviews matter.  A 2011 online survey of 1,054 US adults by Cone revealed that 80% of respondents agreed with the statement: “Negative information I’ve read online has made me change my mind about purchasing a product or service recommended to me.” Besides knowing what’s being said about you online and responding, if appropriate, it’s also important to encourage your customers or clients to post positive reviews for you and your business.

Below you’ll find some tips on how to encourage positive reviews to boost your online reputation.

1. Ask happy customers. This might seem like a no-brainer, but it will also require more work on your part to ensure that you’re not broadcasting this information to those who are unhappy with you. Rather than posting a sign at your front desk or passing out fliers asking for online reviews, talk to your patients or customers individually. If you’re a medical professional, ask a patient with whom you’ve developed a great rapport over a series of visits, not someone who is visiting you for the first time. If you’re a business owner, ask a customer or client after they’ve told you what a great job you did. Thank them for the compliment, but tell them the best way to show their appreciation is to post a review.

2. Collect customer email addresses. If you’re still too shy to make the ask face-to-face, begin collecting the email addresses of your customers and clients. Just like in the previous example, keep track of who you’ve had a great experience with and ensure that they receive an email (and likewise, make sure that those who clearly were unhappy do not receive an email). Write a short email within a day or two of the last visit and be appreciative. Don’t send an email blast to your customer list at one time, review sites are skeptical about a sudden uptick in positive reviews and may refuse to publish reviews that look like they are part of a coordinated campaign.  For best results, send a couple of requests a day over a long period of time.

3. No pay to play. Providing incentives for a positive review are a no-no. Sites like TripAdvisor and Yelp.com have been known to delete comments when it’s clear the writer was given a financial incentive. Yelp.com also investigates when too many positive reviews are coming in from new users; this could end up being detrimental to your business since all of those great reviews will be deleted.

4. Show them where to go: Don’t make your customers do all the work. Easily direct them to the websites that you’d like them to use for their online review. This can be on a flier or in the email.

No matter what your business or profession, your clients and customers are familiar with online reviews (they may have even chosen you because of your online reviews) and how they impact your online reputation. If they are a happy customer, they will be more than willing to share their positive experience with others, all you have to do is ask!

How to Remove a Complaint from Scam.com

The Internet can be a rough neighborhood sometimes.  If someone has a negative experience with your company, product or service, they can hide behind the anonymity of the Internet to try and smear your company’s name and ruin your online reputation.  There are dozens of Web sites that allow individuals or rival competitors to post complaints about your business.  One of the most popular online complaint sites is Scam.com.

How does Scam.com work?

Scam.com is set up like a basic message board system, where users can register for free and post about companies, products and services that they believe are “scams”.  Scam.com touts the site as a place where “people can debate the merits from the consumer’s or business owner’s perspective.”  User interaction is encouraged, and users will often piggy-back on an original post to discuss their own experiences, either positive or negative, with the business in question.

How can I remove or amend a complaint on Scam.com?

Scam.com notes that they do not take any responsibility for the claims made by their members, and that the entities being discussed on the site may not necessarily be scammers.  There is no formal process on Scam.com to remove or amend a complaint.

Websites like Scam.com enjoy broad First Amendment protections that shield the site from liability for hosting defamatory messages or posts about your business or product.  Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act provides that “[no] provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider,” and that “[n]o cause of action may be brought and no liability may be imposed under any State or local law that is inconsistent with this section.”

How can I reply to a complaint on Scam.com?

Anyone can reply to a complaint on Scam.com.  All that you need to do is register for free on the site and respond to the original post.  The most important thing to remember before replying to a defamatory post on Scam.com is to think twice before typing and send a response.  It may be satisfying to tell someone how wrong they are about your company or product, but if you come off too harsh it can backfire on you.

The best course of action is usually to consult with an online reputation management firm.  In addition to utilizing search engine optimization (SEO) techniques to promote the positive things people are saying about you or your company online, a reputation management company can help you craft an effective response to negative feedback on Scam.com.