The Power of Online Review Management
How to manage online reviews means systematically handling customer feedback across digital platforms by:
- Generating reviews by asking customers for feedback
- Monitoring reviews on sites like Google, Yelp, and Facebook
- Responding to all feedback
- Showcasing positive reviews to build trust and conversions
Nearly all consumers (98%) read online reviews, and 92% check them before considering a business. Ignoring reviews makes customers feel unheard and can cost you sales. For multi-location franchises, consistently managing reviews across locations is vital for cohesive brand perception and local visibility.
I’m Rusty Rich, President and founder of Latitude Park. For over a decade, I’ve helped businesses and growing franchises build strong online presences and drive measurable growth through effective strategies on how to manage online reviews.
Why Online Review Management is Non-Negotiable for Business Growth
Learning how to manage online reviews is essential. With 92% of people checking reviews before choosing a business and 85% avoiding companies with negative feedback, your review presence directly impacts growth. See more in Are Online Reviews Important? Yes, and Here’s Why.
The Impact of Reviews on Customer Trust and Conversions
Reviews are modern word-of-mouth: 79% of consumers trust them as much as personal recommendations. Positive feedback provides social proof that lifts conversions and reduces buyer hesitation. Consistently ask for reviews as part of your growth playbook: encourage user reviews.
How Reviews Influence SEO and Local Search Rankings
Review signals are a key ranking factor in search results. Google looks at quantity, velocity, diversity, and average star rating. Strong review management improves local visibility, including Map Pack placement, which drives the majority of local clicks. Learn more about why great ratings matter: why having great online business ratings will help your company succeed.
A Proactive Strategy to Generate More Positive Reviews
A remarkable 68% of customers will leave a review if you simply ask. The key to effective review generation is a proactive, repeatable process that catches happy customers at the right time. See why a Proactive Online Review Strategy: Importance matters.
The Best Ways to Ask Customers for Feedback
- Text messaging: High open rates and minimal friction with direct links
- Email campaigns: Clear CTA and direct review links still work well
- In-office prompts: QR codes on receipts or signage for quick access
- Personalization: Reference the service or product to increase response
Phrases that work:
- “We hope you enjoyed your experience! Would you mind taking a moment to leave us a review?”
- “Your feedback helps others find us. Please share your thoughts on Google.”
- “Loved our service? Please consider leaving us a review—it really helps!”
Encouraging Staff Participation in Review Generation
- Train teams to ask at the right moment
- Set team/location goals (great for franchises)
- Celebrate positive mentions of staff
- Build a customer-centric culture seen in the Top 5 Businesses That Thrive Off of Great Client Reviews
How to Manage Online Reviews: Responding to All Types of Feedback
Responding builds trust: 89% of consumers are highly or fairly likely to use a business that responds to reviews. Timeliness matters too—53% expect a response to a negative review within a week. Keep responses professional and authentic.
Best Practices for Responding to Positive Reviews
- Thank the reviewer and personalize the reply
- Reference specifics they mentioned
- Keep it concise and invite them back
- Share great reviews on social and your site (see 6 Keys to Positive Online Presence & Reputation)
A Step-by-Step Guide on How to Manage Online Reviews That Are Negative
- Pause before replying
- Acknowledge and apologize genuinely
- Show empathy and address specifics
- Avoid defensiveness—focus on solutions
- Take it offline with direct contact info
More guidance: Essential Steps to Handle Negative Reviews.
How to Handle Fake or Illegitimate Reviews
- Spot red flags: vague claims, aggressive language, or no account history
- Know policies (e.g., Google’s prohibited content)
- Report through official channels (e.g., flag in Google Business Profile)
- Avoid public back-and-forth with obvious fakes while you report
Leveraging Reviews and Tools for Maximum Impact
Online reviews are marketing gold. Use them as testimonials on your website, social media, and landing pages to boost conversions. They also provide insights that improve operations and customer experience.
How to manage online reviews with the right tools
Manually juggling Google, Yelp, Facebook, and more is tough—especially for franchises. Review management software centralizes and streamlines the work, saving time and ensuring nothing slips through the cracks. See 11 Reasons to Hire Review Management Services for Your Business and fundamentals in Small Business Online Reputation Management.
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Centralized Dashboard | View all reviews from every platform in one place. |
| Automated Review Requests | Send follow-up messages automatically after purchases or services. |
| Sentiment Analysis | Quickly identify which reviews need immediate attention. |
| Reporting and Analytics | Track your progress and see trends over time. |
| Multi-location Support | Perfect for franchises managing reviews across multiple locations. |
Review Management vs. Reputation Management: What’s the Difference?
- Review management: generate, monitor, and respond on platforms like Google/Yelp
- Reputation management: the broader brand picture across PR, social sentiment, messaging, and crisis response
Explore how they work together: Reviews & Reputation.
Leveraging Reviews and Tools for Maximum Impact
Use positive reviews as high-converting testimonials across your website, ads, and social posts. Authentic social proof reduces friction and speeds up decisions—especially for first-time buyers and new franchise market entrants.
How to manage online reviews with the right tools
For multi-location businesses, review software consolidates monitoring and responses, automates requests, and highlights issues via sentiment analysis. The time savings are real—and so are the insights. See 11 Reasons to Hire Review Management Services for Your Business and Small Business Online Reputation Management.
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Centralized Dashboard | View all reviews from multiple platforms in one place |
| Automated Review Requests | Send follow-up messages automatically after service completion |
| Sentiment Analysis | Quickly identify positive, negative, and neutral feedback |
| Reporting and Analytics | Track trends, performance metrics, and improvement over time |
| Multi-location Support | Manage reviews across multiple franchise locations |
Review Management vs. Reputation Management: What’s the Difference?
- Review management = reviews only (generation, responses, showcase)
- Reputation management = the full brand story (PR, social, messaging, crisis)
Learn more: Reviews & Reputation.
Leveraging Reviews and Tools for Maximum Impact
Turn your reviews into an always-on conversion engine: add them to landing pages, sales decks, and retargeting ads to reinforce trust. For franchise brands, consistent review quality across locations protects the master brand.
How to manage online reviews with the right tools
The right software centralizes reviews, automates outreach, and surfaces insights. It’s essential for seeing trends across locations while empowering local managers to act. For when to bring in experts, see 11 Reasons to Hire Review Management Services for Your Business. Deeper fundamentals: Small Business Online Reputation Management.
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Centralized Dashboard | View all reviews from multiple platforms in one place |
| Automated Review Requests | Send timely follow-up messages to customers |
| Sentiment Analysis | Quickly identify positive, negative, and neutral feedback |
| Reporting and Analytics | Track trends, ratings, and performance over time |
| Multi-location Support | Manage reviews across multiple business locations |
Review Management vs. Reputation Management: What’s the Difference?
Review management is the tactical day-to-day; reputation management is the strategic, brand-wide discipline that also includes PR and social sentiment. See how they fit: Reviews & Reputation.
The Power of Online Review Management
How to manage online reviews involves:
- Generating reviews by asking customers
- Monitoring platforms for new feedback
- Responding to all reviews
- Showcasing positive feedback to build trust
With 98% of consumers reading reviews and 92% checking them before considering a business, reviews are your most visible word-of-mouth channel. This guide—by Rusty Rich, President and founder of Latitude Park—shows how franchises and local businesses can turn reviews into growth.
Why Online Review Management is Non-Negotiable for Business Growth
Ignoring reviews risks lost trust, conversions, and local visibility. Since 92% of people consult reviews and 85% avoid businesses with negative feedback, a disciplined approach is mandatory. More context: Are Online Reviews Important? Yes, and Here’s Why.
The Impact of Reviews on Customer Trust and Conversions
79% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. That social proof often decides who wins the sale. See: Why You Should Always Encourage User Reviews.
How Reviews Influence SEO and Local Search Rankings
Reviews are a key ranking factor in search results. Quantity, velocity, diversity, and ratings affect Map Pack visibility. More on building and managing brand reputation: Effective Strategies: Building & Managing Brand Online Reputation and Why Having Great Online Business Ratings Will Help Your Company Succeed.
A Proactive Strategy to Generate More Positive Reviews
If you want more reviews, ask—68% of consumers will leave one when prompted.
The Best Ways to Ask Customers for Feedback
- Direct requests after positive interactions
- Automated follow-ups after service or purchase
- Using Text Messages: 70% say texting is the fastest way to reach them; include a direct review link
- Using Email: Clear CTA plus direct links still work
- In-office materials: QR codes, cards, or tablets (see Tripadvisor’s library of items)
- Website integration: Add review links or widgets
- Personalization: Reference the service or product
Sample phrases:
- “We hope you enjoyed your experience with us! Would you mind taking a moment to leave us a review?”
- “Your feedback helps us improve. Please share your thoughts on Google.”
- “Loved our service? Please consider leaving us a review—it really helps!”
- “We strive for 5-star service. If you had a great experience, please let us know with a review!”
Why proactivity matters: Proactive Online Review Strategy: Importance. For medical practices, see Patient Reviews: The Marketing Secret for Medical Practices.
Encouraging Staff Participation in Review Generation
Train staff, set team/location goals, celebrate positive mentions, and build a customer-first culture. More examples: Top 5 Businesses That Thrive Off of Great Client Reviews.
How to Manage Online Reviews: Responding to All Types of Feedback
Responding is a brand moment: 89% are more likely to use businesses that reply, and 53% expect a response to negative reviews within a week. Keep it timely, sincere, and on-brand.
Best Practices for Responding to Positive Reviews
- Thank them, personalize, and highlight specifics
- Keep it brief and invite them back
- Share standout reviews across channels for social proof (see 6 Keys to Positive Online Presence & Reputation)
A Step-by-Step Guide on How to Manage Online Reviews That Are Negative
- Breathe—no emotional replies (see Google Business Support)
- Acknowledge and apologize
- Show empathy and address specifics
- Avoid defensiveness; offer a path to resolution
- Move offline with direct contact
- Follow up and, if resolved, politely ask for an updated review
Helpful resources: SBA, How to effectively respond to Google reviews, OutboundEngine, and Quora guidance.
How to Handle Fake or Illegitimate Reviews
- Identify: vague claims, aggressive tone, multiple similar reviews
- Check policies: Google’s contribution policy
- Report through platforms (e.g., Google Business Profile, see how to read & reply to reviews)
- Avoid public confrontation; focus on reporting first
- For defamatory content, consider legal advice. Removal is rare—see Google’s guidance on get it taken down and this guide: How to Manage Negative Google Reviews: Remove, Respond, Recover
Leveraging Reviews and Tools for Maximum Impact
Reviews are free testimonials, insights, and conversion lifts rolled into one. Showcase them on your website, social channels, and ad landing pages, and use feedback trends to guide training and operations.
How to manage online reviews with the right tools
Use software to centralize reviews, automate requests, and spot issues via sentiment analysis—especially important for franchises. Consider professional help: 11 Reasons to Hire Review Management Services for Your Business.
Review Management vs. Reputation Management: What’s the Difference?
- Review management: asking for, monitoring, and responding to reviews on specific platforms
- Reputation management: the larger strategy including PR, social sentiment, consistent brand messaging, and crisis communication
Understand the relationship: Reviews & Reputation.
The bottom line: don’t just collect reviews—leverage them strategically to grow, protect, and differentiate your brand.
