By Mike Zammuto

For business owners, there are few occurrences more unwelcome than the proliferation of negative online reviews.

Bad online reviews are damaging to any business owner’s ego, but they are hardly just matters of vanity.

Because so many consumers use online review sites to inform their purchasing decisions, companies beset with bad reviews can face dire consequences.

These include drop-offs in sales, increases in refund requests, and ultimately a plummeting bottom line.

The good news is, there are ways in which companies can respond to negative reviews, we well as engage in damage control.

Minimizing the effect of a nasty online review requires companies to know how — and when — to respond to feedback. (more…)