As the saying goes: “you never have a second chance to make a first impression”. Today, the first impression a lot of a pet business is what their pet parents see online. People read reviews, check out ratings, and go through the products and services on their website. If you have negative reviews and ratings, people may not have a positive impression of your pet business. So it’s time to take control of your digital identity! But, how can you do that? Hang tight, we will explain…

Claim Your Online Profiles

Step 1: claim your online profiles. You may already have your social media profiles, there are other online profiles that exist for your business. For example, you may have a profile on Yelp, TripAdvisor, or Google My Business. Typically, there is a spot on all of these platforms to claim your profile (DO IT). By claiming your profile, you can control the content posted on all of these profiles.

How To Handle Positive Reviews

You are going to have many happy customers, but, not all of them are actually going to take time out of their days to leave a positive review for your business. However, when someone does this, you need to acknowledge this act of kindness. Take a few minutes to thank them. Especially if they call out a staff member by name, let the staff member know that they received a positive review too! They will be grateful for the mention and will be more likely to continue to go the extra mile for your pet parents.

Handle Negative Reviews Quickly

We love reviews, however, no business is perfect. So no matter what, you may receive a negative review and you need to know how to handle this scenario. Do not try to hide or cover up negative reviews. Instead, try to be as transparent as possible. Make sure to respond to negative reviews as quickly as possible, to show you care and that you want to remedy the situation. You can even invite the customer to return to provide them with a better experience or offer them a personal discount.

Ask Customers for Feedback

While we’re on the topic of transparency, openly ask your customers for feedback. If they make a purchase, ask them to review the product or service after the first few days to see what they think! You can do this in an automated email. Place feedback cards at the front of the store for those who visit the physical store. If customers know you value and want to hear their opinion, they are more likely to come back!

Set Boundaries

While you monitor your online profiles, make sure there are no people are spamming your pages with unnecessary content. If someone is flooding your page with false statements, you have the power to block him or her. However, do not block people who post legitimate reviews – even if they are negative or constructive feedback. You want people to be able to read reviews, not the unnecessary comments of trolls who post unhelpful or irrelevant content.

Work with Trained Professionals at NextPaw

If you take these simple steps, you can take control of your digital identity. On the other hand, you may not have time to think about all of these factors on a daily basis. Instead, you should partner with the trained professionals at NextPaw, who have the experience to help you craft a strong online identity. NextPaw provides you with a modern set of tools that can make it easy for you to interact with customers, manage your reviews, and walk with your clients through their journeys. That way, you can optimize your online presence. Take a tour of NextPaw today!