Mastering Review Management: 6 Steps to Elevating Your Online Presence

First impressions matter, and for many businesses around the world, that first impression isn’t their store, their product, or their service — it’s a review someone leaves online about their company.

According to Yelp, around 70% of people who say they look at reviews will look at an online review before even going to a new business. So, if you’re not putting time into your online reviews, you may be losing customers before you’ve even had a chance to sell them on the benefits of your product.

That’s why it’s more important than ever that all businesses, even smaller ones, invest in review management.

Review management is a strategic approach to building trust, increasing visibility, and growing your business through online reviews. By optimizing your profiles and handling reviews effectively, you ensure your business gets the opportunity to shine.

What is Review Management?

Review management is a practice where companies monitor, encourage, and act on the reviews left for them by customers on online platforms like Google, Yelp, or Bing.

For small businesses, review management often involves:

• Claiming and optimizing your online business profiles
• Thanking customers for their positive reviews
• Looking to make things right for customers who leave negative feedback
• Encouraging happy customers to leave reviews about your product
• Learning from the reviews customers leave to improve your product or service
• Making it easier to automate the review process

A well-executed review management strategy helps businesses amplify positive reviews and address concerns, turning customers’ negative experiences into opportunities for growth and customer retention​.

Why Should Companies Invest in Review Management?

Review management is so much more than just making sure you have a lot of good reviews. Anyone could post fake 5-star reviews, but it likely wouldn’t do them any good.

Customers are savvier than that and often look for high-quality written reviews that share the real experiences customers had when interacting with your business.

However, that doesn’t mean you just need to sit back and let nature take its course. Investing in review management systems will help you encourage more positive reviews, build your brand online (even when you get a bad review), and learn from customer feedback to give people what they’re truly looking for.

When you do all that, you get more than a great first impression. You also get:

• Trust and credibility: Customers trust businesses with detailed, positive reviews that truly show off all of what your business offers.

• Improve customer experience: By analyzing reviews, businesses can gain insight into what’s working and what needs improvement, allowing them to address pain points and continuously enhance their products or services.

• Boost local search engine visibility: Positive reviews are a local SEO ranking factor on Google, meaning that frequent, high-quality reviews can result in more internet traffic for your business.

• Influence purchase decisions: Businesses with better ratings can see better sales numbers, as potential customers are more likely to purchase from a brand they think is trustworthy and customer-centric.

• Take the sting out of negative feedback: Every business gets negative reviews. What matters is how you handle them. By responding thoughtfully and offering solutions, companies can turn dissatisfied customers into loyal ones. It also shows potential customers that your business is responsive and dedicated to resolving issues.

How to Implement a Review Management Strategy

Whether you’re not happy with your current review management strategy or are starting fresh, this 6-step plan will get you from zero to hero in no time at all.

1. Claim and Optimize Your Business Profiles for SEO

The first step in any review management strategy is to ensure your business is represented on all relevant online directories. Platforms like Google Business Profile, Yelp, and Facebook will be helpful to nearly any business.

However, don’t stop there — there are tons of other directories that might be more helpful depending on your niche, whether it’s travel (TripAdvisor), food (OpenTable), or healthcare (WebMD). To find the best directories for your business, check out our ultimate guide to the best online directories today.

If you’re unsure how to get started with claiming and verifying profiles, we’ve got you covered. Here are guides to verifying your Google Business Profile and claiming your local listing on the top directories around the web.

Once you’ve claimed and verified your profile, you need to optimize it so that it’s an asset for your business.

Here are some tips for making sure your listings are completely optimized:

• Get your NAPWCHD accurate: Make sure your Business Name, Address, Phone Number, Website URL, Listing Categories, Business Hours, and Listing Description are accurate and consistent on every business listing you’ve claimed.
• Start with the most important listings: Fully optimize your listings, starting with the ones that get the most reviews. For most businesses, this will be your Google Business Profile.
• Fill it all in: Fill in every question or piece of information that the directory asks you for, even the ones that don’t feel useful.
• Add keywords: Insert relevant keywords into your business description. These words or phrases should reflect what your customers are looking for online that might lead them to your business.
• Use high-quality images: Upload high-quality images of your storefront, products, or services. Visual content not only enhances your profile’s professionalism but also engages potential customers.

2. Set a Goal for Your Online Review Management Strategy

Once you’re present on all of the most important online directories, it’s time to think a little more about your long-term goals and strategies. Having clearly defined objectives will guide your review management efforts and ensure that your strategy is helping you meet your review management goals, whatever they may be.

Start by identifying one top-level goal that aligns with your business needs. For instance, if you run a chain restaurant, your goal may be to increase sales by 10% this holiday season.

When choosing a goal, make sure to:

• Choose one goal: When you say leads, sales, review numbers, and customer satisfaction are all your goals, you split your focus and end up not achieving any of them.
• Be specific: Use concrete goals that you can actually achieve. Instead of saying “increase customer satisfaction,” make your goal to increase the average CSAT score to 80% by the end of the year.
• Use benchmarks: Find an industry benchmark or analyze your local competitors to help you set realistic goals. For example, if the average rating of restaurants in your area is 4.3 stars, aim to raise your rating from 4.1 to 4.3 within the next quarter. Even if you don’t hit it, you’ll have a better understanding of where your business stands in the local market.

Review management is an ongoing process, and your goals may shift over time as your business grows or as you receive feedback. Be open to refining your strategy. For example, if you achieve your goal of increasing review volume, you may want to focus on improving the quality of reviews or building out a faster response system as your next goal.

3. Ask for Reviews Strategically

The best way to get more reviews is to ask for them.

However, just because asking is the best way to get more reviews doesn’t mean there isn’t a right or wrong way to go about it. Here are a couple of tips you can follow so you maximize your chances of getting more natural, positive reviews from your customers.

Work On Your Timing

Perfecting your review request timing is both an art and a science. To get it right, you want to give your customers enough time to enjoy your product or service but not so much time that they’ve forgotten about it altogether.

According to research done by Harvard Business Review, your best bet is to find the average time it takes for customers to leave a review and then send a reminder slightly after that to them. So, if your average is five days, then send an email reminder on the sixth day for anyone who has yet to write a review.

Another tip is to not be too pushy. Many customers like to leave reviews but feel that too many reminders can make the review process feel inauthentic. This feeling might lead them to give you a worse review or no review at all.

For this reason, only send one reminder, and if they don’t respond, it’s best to move on to the next customer.

Make It Easy

Your customers are busy, so the simpler the review process, the better.

When asking for a review, always include a link that clearly takes customers directly to your Google Business Profile or the review platform of choice. Tools like QR codes on receipts, automated email prompts, or SMS messages are all effective ways to make leaving a review as quick and painless as possible.

Personalize Your Request

A generic, one-size-fits-all message won’t stand out. Personalizing your review requests — by using the customer’s name, referencing their specific experience, or expressing gratitude for their business — can go a long way in making the request feel more authentic and meaningful.

For example, in your request, you might say: “Dear [Customer Name], We’re so glad you enjoyed your dinner with us! Would you mind taking a minute to share your experience with a Facebook review? Your feedback helps us grow and continue serving our customers better.”

Not only will this feel more authentic since it includes their name, but you also gently explain why you’re asking for the review, which can improve the chances they’ll take a moment to leave that review.

Offer Guidance Without Being Pushy

It’s helpful to guide your customers on what to focus on in their reviews without sounding forceful.

Asking open-ended questions like, “What did you like best about your experience?” or “How did we meet your expectations?” can encourage more detailed, helpful reviews that resonate with other potential customers.

However, be sure to avoid directly asking for positive reviews, as this can come across as disingenuous.

For more advice on crafting the perfect review request, check out our blog posts How to Ask for a Review and How to Get More Google Reviews for deeper dives into practical strategies and examples for encouraging your customers to share their experiences of your business.

4. Create a Plan for Responding to Customer Reviews

Responding to customer reviews is oftentimes more important than collecting them. Creating a plan for handling reviews ensures your responses are consistent, professional, and effective in driving customer engagement, regardless of whether the reviews left are positive or negative.

Respond Constructively to Negative Reviews

Handling negative reviews is never easy — it requires care and tact, as your response can either win back a dissatisfied customer or reinforce their negative perception.

A thoughtful, timely response to negative feedback demonstrates your commitment to customer service and can even turn a negative experience into a positive one.

Here’s what you need to remember when handling negative reviews:

• Acknowledge the issue and apologize: When responding to a bad review, acknowledge the customer’s experience and apologize, even if you disagree with the content of the review. For example: “We’re sorry to hear our service times did not meet your expectations today, and we truly appreciate your feedback.”
• Take the conversation offline: If a situation requires more detailed attention or resolution, invite the customer to discuss the issue privately. For example: “We’d love to learn more about what happened and see how we can make it right. Please feel free to reach out to us directly at [contact info].”
• Offer a resolution or next steps: If possible, provide a solution or outline the steps your business is taking to address the issue. This helps show that you’re proactive in resolving customer concerns.

Responding to negative reviews quickly and professionally doesn’t just help win back a dissatisfied customer; it also signals to potential customers that your business is responsive and committed to customer satisfaction. A well-handled negative review can even build trust with future customers.

For examples, tips, and templates for responding to negative reviews, take a look at our guide on How to Respond to Negative Customer Reviews.

One caveat to the above advice is for patently false reviews. If someone leaves a review that you don’t just disagree with but is untrue, you can flag it to have it removed. For instance, if a customer leaves a 1-star review of your restaurant, but it’s actually meant for the place next door, you can ask Google (or the directory it’s listed on) to remove it.

Flagging false reviews can often be done through the review platform’s reporting system, but be prepared to provide evidence that supports your claim. To learn more about this process, read our guide to flagging and removing Google reviews.

Build on Positive Reviews

While responding to negative feedback often gets more attention, acknowledging positive reviews is equally important.

A simple “thank you” can go a long way in showing customers that you value their time and appreciate their feedback. Plus, responding to positive reviews helps foster stronger customer relationships and encourages repeat business.

Here’s how you should respond to positive reviews:

• Show genuine appreciation: Acknowledge the customer’s effort in leaving a review and thank them for their positive words. For example, instead of a generic “Thanks for your review,” try saying something more personalized: “Thank you so much, [Customer Name]! We’re thrilled to hear you enjoyed your experience with us. We can’t wait to welcome you back!”
• Reference specifics: If a customer mentioned a particular product or service they enjoyed, reference it in your response. This personal touch shows you’ve read their review carefully and appreciate the details they shared.
• Encourage future interactions: End your response by inviting the customer to return or engage with your business again. For example: “We hope to see you again soon!” This keeps the conversation open and encourages continued loyalty.

For more in-depth advice on responding to positive reviews, check out our guide on How to Respond to Positive Reviews.

5. Analyze Reviews and Take Action on Feedback

While reviews give you direct access to how customers feel about your brand, acting on this feedback is what truly sets your business up for continuous improvement. Here’s how to make the most of the reviews you collect.

Leverage the Voice of the Customer (VoC)

At the heart of review analysis is the Voice of the Customer (VoC) — a comprehensive approach to capturing and understanding customer opinions. Reviews provide raw, unfiltered feedback from real customers, making them a vital source for VoC analysis. By analyzing this feedback, you can pinpoint areas of strength and opportunities for improvement.

To effectively leverage VoC analytics, start by categorizing reviews into key themes, such as product quality, customer service, or delivery times. This helps you identify patterns and trends across multiple reviews. For example, if you notice frequent mentions of slow service, it might be time to re-evaluate your processes and find solutions to speed things up. The ultimate goal is to use customer feedback to continuously evolve and improve your business.

While VoC helps you categorize common themes, dedicated tools can streamline this process further. Chatmeter’s AI-powered Signals tool pulls data from your reviews, social media interactions, and more, allowing you to essentially ask “your customers” whatever you want to know about your business.