Internet marketing can be tough. You would need to have an effective strategy in place depending on what stage your business is in. The competition is fierce as everyone vies to take the top spot on search engine results.

There is a saying that bad publicity is still publicity and this is one line in marketing that reputable businesses should never cross. Take the case of the DecorMyEyes scandal. In a gist, the owner of this online eye wear business uses negative customer reviews to be on the top echelon in Google search.

It is a well-known fact that to be in the coveted top spot on search engines, you would need to have high page rank sites link to your site. The precedent is, the more people talk about your site, the higher your rank would be. This would increase your site’s visibility and there is a higher chance for sales as more people are likely to click on the first link their search generated. But is this enough reason for a person to conduct business that screams unethical?

Anybody can be an online marketer but it takes grit, guts and an unfailing dedication to be effective. The use of negative reviews can land you to the top spot on search engine results but it undoubtedly has repercussions on the business itself. No respectable business owner would want to be known as the person who scammed everybody. Marketing is about building reputation.

In DecorMyEyes’ case, it’s about leveraging their already established bad reputation. This is only good if you are operating a fly-by-night business because there can be no long-term success for a company which is dependent on the negative feedback of customers.

It is true that nobody can please everyone. Most businesses in fact have had some bad reviews by customers who were not fully satisfied with the products and services. The trick is to convert those negative comments into something positive.

3 Ways to Improve Your Online Reputation:

• If you were accused that your ad campaigns are misleading, it’s about time to update your site. You need to ensure that what you have advertised can be found by customers.
• Read what your customers have to say. The negative feedback you have received should be used to help you in looking for ways to improve your products and services.
• Apologize and engage. Sometimes, all it takes is a little apology to help ease the situation. If your customers felt that they have been given the short end of the stick in dealing with your company, don’t be combative. It’s not about the customer being right all the time; it’s about empathizing with what your customer feels. Put yourself in their shoes and act accordingly.
• Follow through. After apologizing, make sure that it would not happen again and extend an offer to make it right. Depending on what happened, you can make arrangements with your customers for the satisfaction of both parties.

Trust is important in business. It’s not just about looking for ways to be more visible, it is all about conducting your business affairs for long-term success. Bad reviews are inevitable but it does not have to ruin your reputation or your business. At the end of the day, it’s all controlled by your actions and what you can do to prevent it from happening again.