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Before a customer steps through the door, your reputation may be at stake. Here's "how" and "why" you need to respond to online reviews. Positive Reviews If a good customer leaves a glowing five-star review, it can't get any better than that, right? Actually, it can. Here's why you should always respond to a positive review: It's the polite thing to do. If the customer gave you a compliment in person, you would say thank you. It's only polite. And with an online review, the compliment is public. So be extra nice. Everyone is looking. Over 90% of consumers now read online reviews. The public, including potential future customers of the business, may read this review. Replying to the review is a chance to speak to these people, too, and do some subtle marketing. It affects search rankings. By replying properly, you can improve the SEO ranking of the review, and help the review show up in search results for a business. 5 Steps to Responding to a Positive Review Step 1: Thank the customer for the positive review and be specific. Ensure the reviewer knows a real person is behind your reply by thanking them for something specific they said "Thanks for leaving a review and mentioning our barista Marisa. You're right, she is always smiling!” Step 2: Use the business name and keywords in your review response to the good review. Using the business name, category and location in your response will help the positive review appear in search results. "The team here at [business name] is thrilled to hear such good feedback, and we're proud to be one of the coziest [coffee shops] in [city name]." Step 3: Add a little marketing to your review response. Your reply is public and will be read by others, including future customers, so throw in some marketing. Mention a behind-the-scenes reason they had a great experience, or a new feature or promotion. "Did you know we just started a free coffee card?” Step 4: Invite customer to do something in your response. Ask the customer to return, to use an additional service or simply spread the word. "Next time you're here, you should try the [insert product here]! We hope to see you again soon...and bring a friend!" Step 5: Share the review on social media. Share the review on Facebook, Twitter, or social media platform you received it on. You can even acknowledge the person who left the review by tagging them when you thank them. "Hi there [reviewer name tag], thank you so much! We are so happy to hear that you enjoyed your experience with us. The pulled pork nachos are a house favorite. When you come back, you should try the BBQ beef brisket!" Here's an example of a reply to a positive review: