How to Respond to Online Reviews

As 85% of consumers say they trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations, learning how to respond to online Google reviews can be very important for your business. When thinking about online reviews, good or bad, your business will want to be diligent about mitigating and maximizing your online reputation. Ninety-seven percent of consumers read the businesses’ responses to online reviews. Responding to customer feedback allows you to interact with your clientele, learn from your mistakes as a business owner, and overall improve your customers’ experience.

How to Access and Respond to Google Reviews:

If you’re concerned about how you can physically access and respond to reviews online, we’ve got you covered. All you need to do is:

• Sign in to Google My Business by navigating to business.google.com. Sign in to Google My Business by navigating to business.google.com.
• Click the three horizontal bars in the top left-hand corner to choose your listing.
• Click “Reviews” in the left side bar. Here you’ll be able to see all the reviews written on Google. 
• Click “Haven’t replied.” Once you find a review you want to engage with, click “Reply” to type out a response and click “Post reply” when you’re ready!

Then you’re all set to begin interacting with your customers online!

Want to know more about how you should respond to online reviews? We’ve included both positive and negative examples of how you can use reviews to benefit and grow your business.

Positive Feedback

Responding to positive online reviews is a much easier feat than dealing with upset customers. However, many businesses tend to focus their attention solely on damage control instead of showing appreciation to their happy customers. Because of this, you may be missing out on new opportunities and business growth by ignoring these positive remarks about your business! 

Continue providing a great customer experience by responding to even the positive online reviews.

How to Respond to Positive Reviews:

1. Respond quickly
2. Acknowledge the customer by name
3. Express gratitude
4. Encourage the customer to return and bring new business leads

For example:

Hey {first name}, 

Thanks for the positive review! We love hearing from our customers – especially when our {product/service} is able to make a positive difference to them. 

I know {person/department/team responsible for positive review} put a lot of work into that {product/service name}, so I’ll be sure to pass your kind words off to {him/her/them}. 

Thanks again, and we hope to {see you/hear from you} again soon!

{your name}

By responding to positive online reviews effectively, you can reinforce the delight of your customers. A kind, well-thought-out acknowledgment shows that you’re invested in customer feedback and are grateful for their review, which in return builds trust and credibility for your business. Similarly, you may be able to start a live conversation with the customer and obtain even more feedback about your business. Responding to positive reviews can provide you with valuable information, and potentially yield more positive feedback for your business. Remember that encouraging positive feedback and sharing reviews with your business following is a great marketing tool for customer acquisition.

Negative Feedback

Negative feedback about your business can be difficult to hear, but it can also be incredibly valuable if you’re willing to take action and make improvements. 

When it comes to negative reviews, many business owners fear responding to these as they do not wish to spark an internet debate. However, responding to bad reviews can actually improve your brand and customer service as 45% of customers reported they would be more likely to visit a business if the company responds to negative reviews. 

Crafting a response that’s professional and appreciative of constructive feedback is key to maintaining a good relationship with your customers.

How to Respond to Negative Reviews:

1. Assess and evaluate the damage internally before taking any action.
2. Ensure that your business is being transparent about any company mistakes.
3. Ask any questions you have about the situation.
4. Empathize with your customers and offer solutions.
5. Request an update from the negative reviewer. 

For example:

Hello {first name}, 

First off, thanks for sharing your feedback. I’m really sorry that {negative aspect} didn’t meet your expectations. Clearly, we fell short, and I apologize.

In the future, I’ll make sure that {steps you’ll take to ensure the situation doesn’t happen again}. The last thing we want to do is let our customers down, and moving forward, we’re going to do everything in our power to hold ourselves to that standard. 

Again, we’re sorry we dropped the ball this time, but we hope you’ll consider giving us another chance. Feel free to reach out to me personally at {your email address} and I’ll see to it that you get what you need this time. 

Have a great day,
{your name}

Be sure to take the time to review how you’ll reply, as your immediate response could come across as defensive and unappreciative. It’s all about how your business responds to these mistakes that determine how customers perceive your brand, as 9 out of 10 say they will stop purchasing from companies that lack transparency. It’s important to remember that customer reviews, good or bad, are the start of a larger conversation that your business will want to continue to build a loyal and engaged customer base. 

Building Lasting Customer Relationships

A customer’s perception of your brand is something that can change as they continue to interact with your company, so be sure to stay on top of both positive and negative reviews. Remember that once you have sent your initial response to any review, you will want to be prepared to have an in-depth conversation with the customer. Building relationships with your customers online via reviews can help with your digital strategy and grow your business!

Are you looking for ways to improve your digital strategy? Pyxl can help! We’ll work with you to improve your digital marketing strategy and brand messaging to help achieve your marketing goals. Or if you’re looking for a little more information, check out our guide: 7 Reasons Why You Need a Digital Strategy.

Updated: Apr 13, 2022