Restaurants are at the mercy of online reviews and they can cause all sorts of issues for them. Being knowledgeable in managing these reviews and the review sites associated with them can make things a lot easier and this is where reputation management comes to the fore.
What Is Reputation Management?
If you are in the restaurant business, you are already aware of the importance of online reputation. Simply put, reputation management involves use of various processes including reviews management and search engine optimization to fix your online reputation. Managing their online reputation is extremely important for any restaurant as it can be the difference between an empty restaurant or a busy one with lines around the block.
The importance of online reputation management should be clear from the fact that 90% of consumers research online before going into a restaurant. Online reputation management is much more crucial to the restaurant industry as compared to other businesses. In many cases, most customers discover new restaurants through online review websites such as OpenTable and Yelp. Also, online reputation management can lead to a boost in the organic search rankings which can also help you get more customers.
Harvard Business School has done a study where they discovered that just a one star increase in reviews can help a restaurant increase their revenue from 5 to 9%. In numbers, it means that a restaurant has the potential to get $50,000 – 90,000 of additional revenue if they are already doing a million dollars in a year.
Restaurant Reputation Management – Social Media
When it comes to franchise restaurants, 56% of owners of these franchises believe that reviews are extremely important when it comes to getting traffic which means reviews are more valuable as compared to traditional advertising. Simply put, the traditional way of advertising a restaurant does not cut it any longer as social media has taken over
People habitually post pictures as well as reviews of almost every restaurant they patronize on their Twitter, Facebook as well as Instagram handles. People enjoy it and it also helps others who are searching for a good restaurant.
Also, peer reviewers are much more important than critic reviews as 77% of consumers consider peer reviews to be more important. It is natural for people to put their trust in reviews by everyday people. It is also due to the increased mistrust people have in mainstream media which means they do not really pay attention to critics.
Managing Restaurant Reviews
1/3 of potential diners are unlikely to visit a restaurant with fewer than 4 stars on review websites. These review websites include Google, TripAdvisor and Yelp among others. People like to leave reviews on social media as well as review websites. For instance, Yelp is pretty popular when it comes to restaurant reviews but Google is also important as people typically use Google to discover a restaurant.
Online restaurant reviews provide a lot of important information covering wait times, food quality, cleanliness as well as service. You should know that 75% of potential guests are unlikely to visit a restaurant with negative cleanliness reviews. Also, consumers typically do not like to eat at a restaurant where reviews by everyday people say that food does not taste good.
Tips for Responding to Yelp Reviews
Yelp allows restaurant owners to claim their business page. After claiming the page and verifying your identity, you are in complete control of your listing.
The biggest worry for owners on Yelp is negative reviews. Business owners do not have the authority to pick and choose reviews that are shown on these review websites as it goes against the very purpose of these websites. However, it is possible to remove a review in certain situations where copyright infringement, online defamation or other legal situations are involved. Here is a good in depth guide on how to remove bad yelp reviews.
The right way to respond to negative Yelp reviews is to simply respond. When you respond publicly to a user review, it creates an impression that you care about your customers. It also gives you an opportunity to offer coupons and discounts to customers who are upset. So, next time you come across a negative review, keep this in mind in order to manage your online reputation.
You need to log into your business account to respond to a Yelp review.
Removal of Bad Reviews on Google
First and foremost, you should know that it is extremely difficult to remove any kind of content from search results in Google but if you have a legitimate reason, it is still possible. You need to follow a process. Keep in mind that nobody is going to remove a negative review only because it is bad for your business. However, a website might remove a negative review in case the review crosses the line when it comes to their privacy policy, community guidelines, or when there is a court order from a judge.
There is a legal help page on Google and you can use that to find how to go about removing certain content from Google search results. You might have to consult a lawyer to figure out the right way to get rid of a bad review but it will depend on that particular situation.
If you know that a review is fake, and you are able to prove it in court, it is possible for you to get a judgment for online defamation. Online defamation happens when someone uses false statement to damage a business’s reputation by claiming those statements to be facts. In case someone’s false claims noticeably affect your business, you have the legal right to sue that person or to get their content removed from the Internet.
Conclusion
Companies that offer online reputation management can be of great help when it comes to improving your online reputation. These companies work with businesses as well as individuals, and help them by suppressing various online negative reviews. These reputation management services make use of search engine optimization to boost the rankings of positive reviews in search results.
When customers have a positive experience at your restaurant, there is a 43% chance that they will leave a review. However, there is a 46.7% likelihood of customers leaving a review in case they have a bad experience at the restaurant. Therefore, the best way for you to ensure positive online customer reviews is to make your guests happy.
You cannot control what the customer is going to write online once they leave but providing good service in your restaurant is in your hands, and your efforts will pay dividends in terms of positive online reputation.
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