We all know the importance of asking people to provide an online review. But that leaves us with the possibility of receiving negative feedback – that's not good, or is it in fact an opportunity? In most cases, you should expect negative reviews, as you simply can’t please everyone. Don’t shy away from any of them. Consider them an opportunity to improve.

However, when a negative review does come in, there are a few important steps that you’ll want to take. So, what needs to be done?

First, you need to pay attention to what is being said in the customer review.

Examine the review objectively – put aside your feelings, for the moment, and see if there is anything within the online review that is actually truthful. This, of course, can be a hard thing to do, but it is something that you must do if you want long term success as a business owner.

A negative review might highlight some issues that you need to address within your offering or business. Should you fail to acknowledge what is being mentioned in the negative review, there’s a chance that you could end up racking up a number of negative reviews that are all saying the same thing.

And thus, if you don’t deal with the problems highlighted in negative reviews, your efforts to collect more online reviews will simply result in you collecting more negative reviews. Which can be detrimental for business, especially if your target audience frequently visits a 3rd party review site before making a decision.

Secondly, you’ll want to let the person who left the negative review know that you’ve acknowledged their comments and that you’re doing something about it.

When doing this, make sure not to argue with your customer, even if you disagree with their comments. This may only fuel the fire, and could lead to an embarrassment that gets out of your hands. Its important to show the reviewer that you acknowledge their concerns, and that you are solving the issues they have raised. Possibly, even extend an olive branch to show them they are a valued customer, with valued criticisms, if relevant.

To find out more about managing your online reputation, click here.