Do you remember how bullies use to terrorize the entire playground by pushing around other kids, calling them names, and even stealing their lunch money?Unfortunately, some bullies still remain though instead of terrorizing people on the playground, they do it online.

Online bullies aka cyber bullies are a threat to your business. Their primary motive is to attack or harass individuals and online businesses. They can hijack pages, write bad reviews, and generally cause a lot of trouble. Negative reviews can harm your brand’s image, which can impact your sales and overall reputation. There is hope, here are some helpful tips to overcome and prevail:

1. Pay Attention

Online bullies often go completely unnoticed, especially by small business owners who may not pay too much attention to their online reviews. If you want to overcome negative online reviews, you have to keep a constant tab on the reviews, monitoring each one and respond to them when you see fit.

2. If You See A Negative Online Review, Relax!

When you see a negative online review, your first reaction may be to let the whole world know why the reviewer is wrong. But try not to panic. Instead, take a moment to think it over. Determine whether your critic has a legitimate complaint, or are they just another online bully?

If the client’s concerns are genuine, respond to them right away. Take responsibility if you are wrong and offer a sincere apology. By accepting your mistake and correcting the problem you are building trust among your clients.

3. Do Your Homework

Before crafting a response to the online review, search your records and speak with your colleagues about what occurred. This will allow you the ability to address specifics and make it easier to reach a mutually beneficial decision.

4. Respond To The Reviews ASAP

Negative reviews have to be handled as quickly as possible. The longer they go unaddressed, the more of a negative impact it could have on your business. Not responding or dodging your customers’ complaints can damage your business reputation to a very large extent harming your brand image. Face your unhappy customers in a timely manner showing that you care about them and there to solve their grievances. If it’s not a legitimate complaint you can address that as well so others know it is false.

Final words

Unfortunately we live in a world where some people are just plain mean. You may not be able to control what they do, but you have power over how you react to them. Responding to all reviews is the first step toward overcoming online bullies and reclaiming your brand identity and the type of experience you want your customers to have. Good luck!

Also Read: How to drive more Traffic to a Distributor Website