What's Marketing Without Customer Reviews?

We've all been exposed to them. Some of you may even have left them after using a product or making a purchase from Amazon.com. Online customer reviews are a part of any business today. Unfortunately, I'm usually called in once a company has experienced a number of bad reviews that tarnish their products and reputation.

The question you might be asking yourself is how to avoid bad reviews or eliminate them all together. The difficulty is that once a bad review is posted online and indexed by search engines, it may begin appearing in search results. Once there, it could be difficult (but not impossible to remove).

Here are a few strategies you can use to manage reputation and improve the customer review process:

1. Set up a customer forum on your website. Inviting customer feedback is a great way to monitor feedback and it gives you excellent control. Don't shy away from feedback, invite it. By doing so you can recognize and address problems before they are distributed all over the internet.

2. Give your customers access to popular review sites. A bit risky you might be thinking? Not if you're selective with regard to which customers you invite to comment. Be sure that customer service representatives email a list of review sites and an invite to comment to those individuals with whom they've had a positive interaction.

3. Focus on improving the ranking of third party assets. Do you have a Squidoo lens? Article on EzineArticles? Profile on a social media site like Facebook? Use search engine optimization best practices to improve rankings of these assets to push down negative listings.

4. If a particular comment is slanderous, contact the web site on which it's posted. In some cases, particularly negative comments can be removed. However, most sites will only remove if they've broken the site posting rules. It never hurts to ask to have a listing removed however. Don't hesitate. Reach out to the site and explain why the listing should be removed and the negative impact it's having on your business.

5. Take advantage of universal search. Produce content across a number of different outlets. Generate news by submitting a press release or create instructional videos that show how to use your product. By submitting this content to various distribution sites (youtube, prweb, etc.) you can get them indexed and showing up on search results.

Don't wait until it's too late. Start managing your online reputation today. Begin by proactively soliciting feedback from your customers and asking those with positive experiences to leave comments on your forum, blog, or popular review sites. In addition, work to replace negative comments with positive online assets like social media profiles and more. Just apply basic optimization techniques and watch your reputation sore.

Internet Marketing For Free: Are You Kidding Me?

This past week I met up with a good friend of mine who owns his own Internet marketing business.  We started talking about our client list and he told me a story about a particular client that we getting Internet marketing for free.  When I asked him exactly what he meant by that, he told me that the kind of marketing he was getting was all local and driving a significant amount of traffic to his Web site and retail store.

How was he generating traffic at no cost?  The answer was simple.  Google Places.  If you don't have your business listed on Google Places, you're missing out.  Not only is Google Places appropriate for local retailers, but anyone doing business today.  Even if you are an online business, by identifying your location and getting a listing in Google Places, you can benefit from improved search engine rankings and additional exposure when prospects are searching for your services.

The best way to get started with Google Places is by visiting http://www.google.com/localadd/businessCenter

and "Add New Business".  What's great about the submission process is that Google makes it easy.  Simply follow the steps for entering your business and be sure to optimize your business description.  I suggest taking the time to complete the time to thoroughly complete all of the information provided including hours of operation, regardless of business type.

Once you've submitted your listing, Google will send you (in the mail) a letter with a special code that is used to confirm your listing.  After you revisit your online account and complete the confirmation process with your special code, your listing will appear within a few days.  In addition to information regarding your actual location, Google takes other factors into consideration before posting appropriate search results for those in a given area.  The next step is getting your customers to submit online reviews.

One of the best methods for obtaining reviews, which can improve your listing and search rankings, is by asking.  That's right... you need to ask if you want reviews.  I know many companies are reluctant to ask for reviews but in my mind, reviews are only positive.  If the review itself has a negative tone, then you know who you need to reach out to, how your service can be improved, and how to enhance your overall business.

If your company or web site is not taking advantage of Google Places, then get started today.  It takes just a few minutes and can pay huge dividends.  Just like my friend told me, a number of businesses who take the time to leverage Google Places are getting business for free.  Their web site and company name come up again and again, building brand awareness and generating qualified leads.

Marketing Tip: Go the Extra Mile

It never ceases to amaze me how a customer's experience is often less than ideal. You hear stories all the time about rude customer service agents or front line employees checking people through the register while simultaneously talking on their cell phones... HELLO!!!

Today's quick marketing tip is about going the extra mile. As a Napolean Hill follower and someone who has benefited tremendously from understanding where to focus my energy, it's always on going the extra mile. The good news is that the concept, as simply as it may be, carry's great value.

I recently had a very good experience with this when visiting a local retailer. I asked someone if they had any more items of a particular kind in the back of the store. After waiting a few minutes, the clerk came back and said 'no'. But she didn't stop there. She said, "let me call another store to see if they have any in stock." After calling the store and discovering that they were out of stock as well, she called a competitor to see if they had the item - which they did.

She was focused on making me happy. And because she went the extra mile, I will be back to her store many times over. The lesson to be learned here is to treat each and every customer with dignity and respect. And, most importantly, to go the extra mile. This pays dividends time and again.
When you are putting together your marketing program, work diligently to ask the question, "how can I go the extra mile?" Collaborate with people on your team, your customer service group, and even your customers. By baking additional value into the marketing and purchase process, you'll build everlasting loyalty among your customers!