As the online community grows, forums, blogs and social networking are becoming the best places to find reviews of services and products. But what happens if you come across negative reviews online about your organisation – threatening to leave the your reputation in tatters?

The answer is simple – learn how to turn a negative into a positive.

There are numerous strategies for tackling negative articles appearing on search engines through online PR reputation management. The most important fact for all organisations to remember is that a negative review is not the end of the transaction – far from it – this is an opportunity to show impeccable customer service.

Where possible the best course of action is to contact the unsatisfied consumer directly, this may involve going beyond the usual service provided and spending more time than the product or service may have cost, but this is essential to halt the negative opinion in it’s tracks.

Once resolved, it is imperative that the consumer is asked to update their review – showing their positive experience. It must be made clear to all readers of reviews that the organisation has resolved the issue, and attempts to resolve all dissatisfied consumers issues whether posted online or not.

Thanks to the rapid growth of both online retailing and blogging, consumers can detail their experiences, good and bad, to the world. High ranking in search engines, potentially higher than many organisations, popular blogs and forums can create problems for businesses.

This is where online reputation management can help. A professional PR consultant can boost positive coverage and reviews of an organisation through online optimisation. It’s a time consuming process, which will need ongoing maintenance to keep positive reviews and articles high ranking. Further improvements to an organisation’s optimisation can be done through showcasing positive reviews on the organisation’s website.

It’s always wise to remember that all consumers have the potential to be an online reviewer, so treat all equally with the best customer service possible.