The NALA Helps Small and Medium-Sized Businesses Control Their Reviews

VENTURA, Calif., June 12, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The NALA, a nationwide marketing agency, offers best practices for reputation management through monitoring, requesting and responding to both positive and negative business reviews.

In today's business arena, the majority of consumers make purchasing decisions based on a business' online reviews. In fact, 92% of consumers read online reviews prior to doing business with an organization. This makes reputation management crucial for any business, and a business' online reviews need to be stellar.

Sometimes, though, the price of doing business is negative reviews. Fortunately, there are ways to positively deal with negative reviews, such as responding to reviews, creating and distributing content via social media, websites and blogs, interacting on industry forums under one's business name, and generating third-party validation with earned media via press releases.

"Additionally, it is perfectly acceptable to request reviews from your clientele," said Eric Adams, Vice President - Production at the NALA. "However, refrain from sending too many requests at the same time, as it could affect your business negatively in search engines. Too many reviews all at once, could send out a red flag. One new review per week is enough.

Added Tiffani Tendell, Vice President - Communications and Business Development at the NALA, "Did you know that 85% of people disregard reviews over three months old? Although you may feel you have enough reviews already, it doesn't mean you should stop requesting on a regular basis."  

One of the most effective ways to request reviews is to use a drip campaign, which reminds people of your request over a suitable amount of time. "When requesting reviews, it is imperative you be specific with the sites you want to see your review(s) on, such as Google and/or Facebook," noted Adams.

As for responding to reviews, businesses should reply to all of them. Bad review damage control includes promptly, yet politely, responding to a review in order to show customers that the business values their opinion. "Reviews are a primary Google ranking factor, so it is crucial that you always respond to negative, as well as positive, reviews," stated Tendell. "Keep in mind that 84% of people trust online reviews as much as they trust friends."

"In addition to Google and Facebook, and depending on your business, you should also monitor and request reviews on industry sites such as OpenTable, if you own a restaurant; Zillow, if you're Realtor; Angie's List, for a home contractor, etc.," advised Adams.

In order to keep track of reviews, it is advisable to enlist a reputable company where you can house them in one place and one that will notify you when your business receives a review.  If you are looking for a one-stop shop for review management, check out The NALA's Reputation & Directory Management (RDM) platform.

Finally, businesses should open a Google My Business account. This allows a business to update their Google Maps and Search listings and manage and reply to their Google reviews. "With Google My Business, you can also direct your customers to leave positive reviews for your business," concluded Tendell. "Never forget that businesses that respond to reviews are more trustworthy than businesses that do not."

For more reputation management tips, read the NALA's blog, "Best Practices for Small and Mid-sized Business Review Management," at https://thenala.com/blog/article/best-practices-for-small-and-mid-sized-business-review-management.

About the NALA™
The NALA offers small and medium-sized businesses effective ways to reach customers through new media. As a single-agency source, the NALA helps businesses flourish in their local community using a variety of services, including press releases and a reputation and directory management program. The NALA's mission is to promote a business' relevant and newsworthy events and achievements, both online and through traditional media. For more information or media inquiries, please call 805.650.6121, ext. 361.

SOURCE The NALA

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