To Google or Not to Google

How often do you "Google" your name or business? How about your competition? If not, you should. The internet continues to evolve and change the way consumers view business and often times serves as the first contact they have with your business. In my consulting business, we often suggest to business owners to do an internet search of their business to see if the results match their expectations.

My last blog focused on what to do if you see negative reviews of your business; that blog was probably a premature publication. In reality, I should have started this series with the suggestion to do the internet search. Most doctors and business owners or managers rarely do a search, but most will find that the search results are not what they expect. In most cases, the search results include a listing of consumer reviews of the business from sites like Google Reviews, ratemds.com, healthgrades.com, etc. Granted, the reviews are from patients, not medical professionals, but patients can tap into the internet media and write their review of your business.

• The first step in managing your internet presence is to do the search, and, do this search regularly.

• Second, don't take any negative reviews personal. I tend to look at negative critique as a gift - information letting me know what to improve upon.

• Thirdly, get your practice involved in social medial channels. All doctors tell me that word of mouth advertising is the best advertising, and, I agree. As such, give your patients a site they can use to spread their story about your practice.

So take this opportunity to learn about what is being said, or not said, about your practice. You might find that social media represents the most budget friendly marketing and advertising you could ever do!

Managing Poor Internet Reviews

The internet and, in particular, social networking sites and other Web 2.0 technologies, provide ample opportunity for your customers and client to post reviews, good or bad, about your business. I once had a client tell me he let his web site expire because of fear that customer might say something bad about his practice. Other clients object to employing social network sites as legitimate marketing and advertising channels for similar fears. In both cases, these clients fail to understand that customers can post poor reviews whether or not the client is involved with these internet technologies.

There is not question that the internet in some ways is still the wild, wild west and nearly anything goes. So, how do you as a responsible business owner manage poor reviews?

• First, we must recognize that internet review sites are here to stay and customers are using them as never before. If you are not using social network sites as part of your marketing/advertising/communication efforts, you should be.
• Make internet searches for poor reviews part of you routine business management. In other words, you cannot manage what you do not know.
• Don't over react. There is no better offense than a good defense. If you encounter one bad review compared to 10 good ones, your customers can and will recognize the context.
• Just as you ask satisfied clients to refer friends and family to your practice, invite these same clients to post a review about your practice.
• If a review is clearly an exaggeration, or simply not true, contact the review sites administrator. Most review sites are very interested in providing honest and accurate reviews.
• I'll mention once again - get involved!

For more information on how to get started with social networking as part of your marketing and advertising campaign, click here.