Manage your on line reputation

Here is a good little article on On-line reputation mgmt. Adapted from an article from the American Assn. of Cosmetology Schools... I tweaked it to apply to any business...
Have a look and a learn... Good stuff. More good things on their web site here.

3 Steps to Online Reputation Management
Small business owners know that word of mouth is an important part of the referral generating process. However, in today’s digital world, “word of mouse” may be even more important. Do you monitor your business'’ online reputation to see what others are saying about you in the cyber-sphere?
Online reputation management is particularly important today when many individuals turn to search engines first when they begin to consider a purchase. Ensuring your name comes up early in the search engine optimization process is important. Often, however, the first listings to appear following a search are online referral sites such as Yelp!, GoogleMap and CitySearch. A negative comment on one of these sites may deter a prospective customer.
Following are some tips that can assist with managing your businesses’ online reputation.
1. Check out your businesses’ reputation on the “centers of influence” in your local market. You don’t need to check every site; just the large ones. For example, visit Yelp.com, enter your city and business name, and you’ll be able to see what people are saying about their experience with your business. You may also want to check out the online conversation on Twitter, which makes it easy to search by business name.
2. Respond to negative inquiries, but in a polite and offline manner if possible. If the criticism appears legitimate (i.e. not a disgruntled former customer simply trying to cause trouble), it is acceptable to respond online, apologizing and explaining how the situation should have been handled in accordance with your procedures. Ask for an opportunity to serve the party again. Always refrain from getting into disputing the complaint or defending your actions. Once something enters the online world, it can literally reside there forever.
3. Consider ways to get raving fans to applaud your business. Admittedly, it may be harder to get those without an axe to grind to write about your business. Also, caution is important. Some businesses have been caught trying to buy positive referrals. This smacks of dishonesty and should be avoided at all costs. Ask your favorite customers who are avid social media users if they’d mind posting a reference about your business, or consider some point-of-sale signage. For example, signs at the register could say, “Were you delighted with your service today? Share the word on Yelp!”
Monitor the conversation, respond appropriately and personally, and engage your happy customers in the dialogue. Follow these three steps and you’ll be on your way to enhancing your business’ online reputation.

and the yelp! web site referenced above...