Turning Negative Reviews into Positive Experiences: A Guide for Retail Businesses

Retail marketing is a challenging landscape, but one that’s ripe with opportunities. Today’s consumer has a wealth of information at their fingertips and more power than ever before. 

As a retailer, your brand’s reputation is constantly under scrutiny, and online reviews have become the digital age’s word-of-mouth advertising. 

Glowing reviews can be a boon for your business, drawing in new customers and reinforcing the loyalty of existing ones. But, what happens when the reviews are not so glowing? How can you turn a negative review into a positive experience? 

Let’s explore together.

The significance of negative reviews in retail marketing

When navigating the retail marketing arena, the impact of negative reviews can seem rather daunting. Indeed, a harsh critique can affect your online reputation and may deter potential customers. 

However, these negative reviews present more than just a challenge — they’re a chance to shine. Businesses that effectively respond to negative reviews can actually improve their overall ratings and encourage more customer feedback.

Imagine you’re the proud owner of a local bookshop. You wake up one morning to discover a scathing review on your website. The customer expresses frustration about the lack of organization in your store, making it difficult for them to find the books they were interested in. 

Your heart sinks. The reputation you’ve painstakingly built seems to be under threat.

But let’s flip the script here. This critique is not a setback — it’s a golden ticket. This unhappy customer has just provided you with a unique insight into an area of your business you might have overlooked. 

By utilizing this feedback, you can reorganize your store, enhancing the shopping experience for all future customers.

Transforming the negative into the positive: A step-by-step guide

So, how exactly can you turn these potentially damaging reviews into positive experiences for your customers and your business? 

We’ve broken it down into three key steps: embracing the review, responding with compassion and a plan and, finally, making improvements.

Step #1. Embracing the negative review

It can sting to read a negative review about your business, that’s natural. But, the first and most crucial step in transforming this experience is to embrace it. 

Recognize that every business has areas that can be improved — perfection is a journey, not a destination. This mindset allows you to see each review as an opportunity to grow and improve rather than a threat.

Step #2. Crafting a compassionate and constructive response

The next step is to respond to the review, and how you do this can be pivotal. Remember, your response will be public, meaning potential customers can read it, too. 

You’re not just mollifying one upset customer; you’re showing all potential customers that you listen, care and are ready to take action.

Referring back to our bookshop example, a well-constructed response might look like this: 

“We’re genuinely sorry to hear about your disappointing experience in our store. Your feedback has highlighted an area we can improve, and we’re grateful for that. We’re now working on a better organization system to ensure all customers can easily find the books they’re looking for. We hope you’ll give us another chance to provide a superior shopping experience.”

Step #3. Implementing improvements based on the feedback

Lastly, but most importantly, you should act on the feedback. This shows your commitment to customer satisfaction and allows you to turn a negative into a positive. 

Remember to communicate these changes to your customers; transparency is key in building trust and loyalty.

Reaping the long-term benefits of effectively handling negative reviews

By following these steps, you’re not just putting out a single fire — you’re nurturing a customer-oriented brand that treats feedback as a roadmap to improvement. 

This approach gives your customers a sense of value and significance, which, in turn, promotes brand loyalty.

Now, let’s consider the bigger picture. The journey doesn’t stop at addressing one negative review. 

When other customers — and potential ones — observe your proactive responses, they’ll perceive a brand committed to offering the best possible service. 

This positivity and dedication can create a ripple effect, leading to an overall increase in customer satisfaction and your business’s credibility.

But what about your team? Well, your proactive approach to handling negative feedback will also set a standard for your employees, fostering a customer-first attitude throughout your organization. 

They’ll become adept at managing criticism, viewing it as a learning opportunity rather than a setback.

Applying the framework: A real-life example

To truly appreciate the transformative power of negative reviews, let’s consider another hypothetical scenario in the retail marketing world.

You’re the manager of a family-owned restaurant. One day, you come across a review from a customer who complains about the lack of vegetarian options on your menu. 

At first, this negative review might seem like a serious blow, especially since you’ve always prided yourself on catering to a broad clientele.

But, keeping our three-step approach in mind, you see this as an opportunity. 

You acknowledge the feedback (embrace), respond to the customer expressing your gratitude for their review and promising to add more vegetarian options (respond) and then update your menu to include a variety of tasty, plant-based dishes (improve).

Now, not only have you turned a negative review into a positive change for your restaurant, but you’ve also shown all your customers that you listen, care and are responsive to their needs. 

This scenario perfectly encapsulates the potential benefits of using negative reviews as a tool for improvement in retail marketing.

Wrapping it up: Turning negatives into positives

In conclusion, negative reviews are not the enemy of your retail business; they are valuable resources that provide unique insights into your customers’ experiences. 

By embracing these reviews, responding with empathy and a plan and making necessary improvements, you can turn negatives into positives.

Remember, your journey in retail marketing is not about achieving perfection — it’s about constant evolution and growth. 

The next time a negative review pops up, don’t be disheartened. See it as an opportunity to refine your business and offer an even better customer experience.Are you ready to transform your approach to negative reviews and bolster your retail marketing strategy? Learn more and see our plans and pricing.

7 Local Marketing Tips for Retail Stores

Having a strong local presence is important to the success of every retail store. With customers spending less time shopping in stores and more time online, many retailers are struggling to maintain a meaningful relationship with their customers and strong brands in their communities.

When you have a strong local presence, people are more likely to think about you when they need your products. That means they’re more likely to actually visit your store — and they’re more likely to buy from you.

In order for a retail store to build a strong local presence, it is important to implement a variety of local retail marketing strategies. Below are seven local marketing tips for retail stores:

1. Create a localized website

One of the best ways to market a retail store to a local audience is to create a localized website. This can be done by including local keywords in the website’s content, as well as featuring prominently the store’s address, phone number and other local information.

You can also help to optimize your retail website for local searches by embedding a map of your location on the website. As a bonus, this will also make it easier for your website visitors to actually find you, so they can become paying customers.

2. Optimize your local listings

Your local listings are the online listings for your retail store that appear when people search for local businesses like yours on local sites, directories and apps, like Google Business Profile and Top Rated Local®. It is important to make sure that your local listings are accurate and up-to-date, as this can help you to attract more customers.

To do this, you will need to claim and verify your listing on each local directory and site where it appears. Once you have claimed your listing, you can then update it with your store’s latest information, such as your address, phone number, hours of operation and website URL.

Be sure to keep your contact information accurate and consistent across your listings. This will help you to avoid confusion and ensure that potential customers can easily get in touch with you.

3. Start a blog

Starting a blog is another great way to market your retail store to a local audience. When you blog about topics that are relevant to your store and your location, you can help to improve your retail SEO and attract local readers who may be interested in what you have to offer.

Try to blog about topics that are timely and relevant to your store, such as new products, upcoming sales or events, or helpful tips for using your products. You can also use your blog to share news and updates about your store, such as new store hours or changes to your product selection.

Make it a point to use local keywords in your blogs, and try to focus on blog topics that are relevant to your local audience. You can also promote your blog posts on your social media channels and in your email marketing campaigns to reach even more local readers.

4. Get connected on social media

Social media is another great way to connect with potential customers in your local community. When you create social media profiles for your business and stay active on them, you can reach a large number of people who live near your store.

Be sure to post regularly on your social media channels, and try to post content that is relevant to your store and your location. You can share blog posts, photos, store updates and special offers on your social media channels to attract new customers and keep your existing customers updated on what’s going on at your store.

You can also use local hashtags and keywords to reach even more people who live near your store. And, you can also join relevant local community groups on social media and participate in local conversations to get your store’s name out there.

5. Give back to your community

Giving back to your local community is a great way to build a strong local presence for your retail store. There are many ways to give back, such as donating products or gift certificates to local charity auctions, sponsoring local events or providing discounts to local groups.

When you give back to your community, you’ll not only be helping out a good cause, but you’ll also be getting your store’s name out there. And, you may even attract some new customers who appreciate your store’s commitment to giving back.

Be sure to promote your community involvement on your store’s website and social media channels. And, you can also distribute flyers or postcards in your local community to let people know about events you’re sponsoring.

6. Capture market share with local advertising

Local advertising is another great retail marketing strategy to reach potential customers in your area. When you target people in your area with ads, you can attract new customers and increase your store’s brand awareness.

There are many different types of local advertising, such as search ads, social media ads, OTT ads, digital billboards and more. You can work with one of our Ad Specialists to develop a local advertising strategy that will work for you.

Make it a point to monitor your local advertising performance so you can see how well your ads are performing. Be sure to adjust your ad campaigns as needed to ensure that you’re getting the most out of your local advertising efforts.

7. Get more five-star reviews

Getting more five-star reviews is another great way to build a strong local presence for your retail store. When you have a large number of positive reviews, you can attract more customers and increase your store’s credibility.

There are many ways to get more reviews, such as asking your customers to leave a review after they make a purchase, sending follow-up emails after a customer’s purchase or embedding the Top Rated Local reviews widget on your retail website.

Not only can having a higher average star rating help you win new customers, but it can also help you to rank higher in local search results. So, if you’re not already focused on getting more five-star reviews, now is the time to start.


By following these local retail marketing tips, you can help to build a strong local presence for your store.

The Marketing 360® all-in-one retail marketing platform has everything you need to get it right. From one place, you can develop a convertible website, master SEO and content marketing, connect with your community on social media and so much more.

Learn more and see our plans and pricing.

A Guide to Turning Your Seasonal Shoppers into Loyal Customers

For many small business owners, the end of the year comes with a serious upswing in sales. With so many people out and about shopping for their various holidays, you are probably going to see a surge of new faces turning to you for goods and services. While retail seems to get all the spotlight during the holiday shopping season, there are many businesses that will benefit from the winter festivities. Company parties will be looking for caterers; homeowners hosting their families will be turning to house cleaning companies; people will be headed off to nail salons, barbershops and beauty salons to get ready to look their best in photos, and weary travelers who were trapped on a plane next to a sneezy toddler may end up making a trip to urgent care. At the end of the day, no matter what kind of business you are in, we encourage you to take the time during this busy season to turn these seasonal shoppers into repeat, and even loyal, customers.

Expand upon the basics

Now more than ever, you need to showcase your very best customer service skills. With traffic, travel, looming deadlines and busier-than-ever stores, many holiday shoppers are feeling a bit more stressed out than usual. That means that they will be that much more grateful when you or your employees are able to listen to them, help them and show them that you genuinely care about their experience.

It is easier than ever to take care of all of your shopping needs online, so it is special and important when people choose to shop local and support a small business rather than go the easy route of online shopping or the cheap route of big-box retail. For many shoppers, choosing a small business is a personal choice, made either out of a desire to fuel the local economy or to experience the level of customer service you can only find in these kinds of stores. That is why it is so important to make sure you don’t neglect customer service during this busy shopping season. To read more about the importance of customer service, check out our previous blog, Why Nothing Beats Great Customer Service.

If you feel like you can definitely handle an increase in customers while maintaining your standards of customer service, then we’re going to recommend taking it up a notch and thinking about some of the ways you can expand on and exceed your customers’ expectations. If you can find a few easy ways to stand out to people now, you will have a much better chance of sticking in their minds, impressing them and, ultimately, bringing them back in to do business in the future.

You can start by making sure your store is in tip-top shape, possibly even investing in a good deep-cleaning. It might be fun to decorate the space, turning it into a winter wonderland, creating a whimsical window display, putting up a hashtag wall or going all-out with any seasonal decor of your choice.

Maybe you could offer free shipping on any in-store purchases over a certain price, giving your customers a chance to continue their shopping unencumbered by bulky bags. One surefire way to stand out is to offer the option of gift-wrapping! For many, the idea of wrapping a gift comes with an overwhelming feeling of dread, and even for those who don’t mind wrestling with yards of paper and tape, the option to save time or have a beautifully wrapped gift is a hard one to pass up.

Any way that you can enhance the experience of shopping in your store, whether by making it more beautiful or whimsical, having attentive and knowledgeable staff or by making your customers’ lives easier, the more likely you will be to stand the test of time and come to the customers’ minds the next time they are in need of whatever you provide.

Expanding on your customer service basics can also extend beyond the time your shoppers are physically in your store. At the time of checkout, if you ask for an address, you could send a hand-written thank you note to them, reminding them of your business and the excellent service they received there. This small gesture is one way you can show your customers how grateful you are that they chose your business, and reminds them of the kind of personalized attention and care they can receive when shopping with a small business. These are the kinds of things that give small businesses an advantage over the big chain stores.

Give shoppers an incentive to come back

You can expect that seasonal shoppers aren’t only shopping at your business, and with the whirlwind of shopping, cooking, travel, and family that many people experience during this season, it can all pass by in a blur to them. If you want to stand out in the memories of these shoppers, you might want to consider giving them some kind of incentive to revisit your business.

One way to incentivize shoppers to revisit your store is to offer some kind of coupon or discount on a future purchase. Remember, this does not just apply to retail stores; a home cleaning company can offer a coupon for a spring cleaning discount, like, “Redeem this coupon in April for 10% off any one cleaning service.” Someone coming in to get their hair cut and colored before visiting family for the holidays could be surprised when you offer them a free conditioning treatment with the next service. Someone who signs up for a gym membership in the month of December could be wowed when they are offered a punch card to bring along a set number of guests for free. Since they are already committed to returning, maybe you can incentivize them to bring along a friend!

Many holiday shoppers are likely to be out purchasing gift cards for family and friends, meaning they may not spend much time in your store looking around or getting an idea of the out-of-this-world customer service you provide. You can persuade them to come back and spend some more time in your business by offering coupons or discounts with the purchase of a gift card. By giving them a coupon that is good through the end of January, or by providing an offer like, “If you buy a gift card worth $25 or more, you get 15% off your next purchase,” you are inviting this shopper to come back and check out your store for themselves. There are many bigger retail locations that successfully use a similar model: “For every $50 you spend now, get $10 off between January 1st and February 12th.” Giving your shoppers a discount in order to get them back in your store could end up paying off for you in the long run when they become familiar with you and your service, and become loyal future customers.

Stay in their minds after they’ve left

In addition to staying fresh on the minds of your customers through coupons and future shopping incentives, one simple way to stand out in the minds of your customers is by offering the option to email their receipt to them.

I know full well that, when a cashier hands me a receipt, I am shoving that thing into my purse, never to be seen again. With e-receipts, you cut down on unnecessary paper waste, your customer will have a hard-to-lose digital copy of their transaction, you can craft a sweet and personalized message to accompany the receipt and you can send a follow-up thank you message to their email a few days or weeks after the transaction, reminding customers of your service and your business.

While you never want to spam your customers into a state of resentment, a well-crafted, post-holiday thank you message could be really appreciated and could make you stand out in their minds. You could even send out a discount code as a message of appreciation, reminding people of your store and giving them a tangible reason to revisit.

Be ready for returns

While we may all be out there trying our best, sometimes, we don’t quite hit the mark with the gifts we give. After the holiday rush is up, you can probably expect to see a few people coming in to make returns or exchanges. Make sure your employees are well-trained and ready to handle these requests. When a customer is making a return, it might be worth it to see if they would rather exchange their item for something else. By giving them the chance to at least take a look around your business, you give yourself the opportunity to get to know this customer and wow them with your service. Even if they don’t want anything for themselves, they may be inspired to come back and get something for someone else. Make sure that you have a process in place to handle returns and exchanges, and make sure it is a simple process for your customers.


From all of us here at Top Rated Local, have a safe and happy holiday season!

Originally published on 12/23/19

5 Easy Ways to Make Your Small Business Stand Out on Black Friday

Black Friday, the unofficial kickoff to shopping season, is finally upon us. Traditionally the busiest shopping day of the year, for many, the upcoming season can make up the majority of a business’s yearly revenue. So, you’ve got your inventory stocked, your shop cleaned up and your staff caffeinated. The competition is fierce, especially with retail giants and online shopping, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make an impact on your shoppers. We’re going to outline a few simple ways you can stand out to all the busy, likely stressed, shoppers that visit your store. It can be easy to let a day this bustling with energy rush by in a blur of customers and transactions, but remember that you have a chance to show off what makes your store so wonderful and worth facing the crowds for.

5 ways to make your small business stand out on Black Friday

Know your product

You have a significant advantage over online retailers here. If people have a question about a product, if a customer wants to see an example of what they are purchasing or if they want to know what a product looks like in another color, you have the opportunity to talk with them, show them and interact with them. You and your staff get to be the experts here, and it is important that you establish trust with your clients by showing them that you are knowledgeable and prepared.

Practice the basics

Today, more than ever, you will need to showcase your finest customer service skills. You’re busy and people are stressed, so taking the time to show them that you are willing to give them individualized care and attention will stand out that much more. These might sound like the basics, but it is more important than ever to maintain and practice them. To start, smile, or at the very least, be friendly and genuine. Make eye contact when you talk to people to show them that you are engaged and listening to them. It is important that your customers feel seen and heard, as that can make a world of difference in their overall experience. Introduce yourself and try to use people’s names when you speak with them. This added level of personalized attention will put you leagues ahead of any online retailer.

Share on social media

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to share content and show off the excitement of the day on your social media feed! Now is a great time to show your followers that people are turning up and getting what they want from your store. This might just be the motivation someone needs to get up and out of the house and into your store. This can also help you set the tone for the kind of reputation you want your business to have. Are you guys fun and silly? Genuine? You can use this day to show your audience that that is who you really are, even on what might just be the most stressful day of the year.

Say thank you

Remember to thank your customers for their support. In today’s world, it would be very easy for them to do business at a chain retailer or online, so it means something that they chose to support you. The least you could do is tell them as much. Offering some gratitude is simple, meaningful and, most likely, genuine. This one-on-one attention and care might be the reason they chose to shop at a business like yours instead of at one of the chains.

Ask for feedback

Black Friday and the approaching shopping season means an influx in traffic, and each of those customers should be reminded that you would love to get their feedback online. Ideally, you will get a huge boost in your online reviews, ultimately helping out your search engine optimization, your online presence, and your overall reputation. By remembering to provide the kind of service and attention that nobody is expecting on a day as busy as Black Friday, you’re sure to stand out in people’s minds as being a five-star establishment worthy of a five-star rating.


We here at Top Rated Local wish the best to you, your business and your customers during this busy season!

Originally published on 11/29/19