When managing online reviews, respond to negative ones with an open-minded, positive outlook, and spend your energy making sure that your positive reviews are the center of attention.

Thanks to the internet, we’re able to post anything we want about anyone—lies and truth, good and bad.

“She helped me sell my home in a flash—BEST. AGENT. EVER.”

“He was SO unprofessional. Would not recommend working with him to my worst enemy!”

The long and short of it is that no matter what you do, people can positively or negatively review your product, business, or service, and share this information with millions online. For better or worse, our access to information is immediate, and this has forever changed repeat-and-referral-based businesses.

You can do everything in your power to convince someone to take down a scathing review, but it’s far easier to address negative reviews with an open-minded, positive outlook, and spend your energy making sure your positive reviews are the center of attention.

Listen to Josh and Luke and discover strategies for responding to negative reviews and haters.

First and foremost, you should ask every customer who has had a pleasant experience with you for a review. Even if just half of this group takes the time to leave you a positive review, their contributions can hopefully outweigh any negative reviews you have online and, in turn, boost your rating.

It’s also imperative to respond to as many reviews as you can, both positive and negative. Sometimes the person leaving a negative review is just looking for feedback from the business and an ear to voice their grievances. Be that ear. Many times, a customer initially ticked off will come back to leave another, more positive comment once they’ve been appeased or the problem rectified. But if your response isn’t enough to clear the air, it might at least prevent a future customer from turning away. And, after you respond, you can feel free to remove the harsh comments.

Part of responding to your reviews is staying on top of them, which you can do by frequently checking sites like Facebook, Yelp, and the like. Make it a point to check for reviews on these sites at least a few times a week—response time is key. No one expects you to respond to their review within minutes, but within a few hours (or at least within a day) is ideal. You could also hire an internet reputation management to do it for you, but the cost can be high.

It’s important to remember that, even though it might not seem like a crucial part of your business, online reviews and social marketing are one of the most important gateways to success for a modern business. Nearly 87% of people routinely read online reviews when deciding on a product or service—a percentage that is only increasing.

Don’t underestimate the power of this tool. Instead, use it to your advantage and take control of what people are saying about your business.