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A 1-star review can happen at any time, stemming from a miscommunication, a late delivery or simply an unreasonable customer. Once the bad review becomes live, it is visible everywhere, whether that be Google, Yelp or social media – platforms where the story of a negative experience can quickly gain traction.

Negative reviews can be particularly damaging for small and local businesses driven by digital marketing success. According to reviewsonmywebsite.com, 86% of consumers are less likely to purchase from a business that has negative reviews, while 13% of consumers won’t even consider purchasing from a company that has a 1-star or 2-star rating.

While a 1-star review can be detrimental, it doesn’t have to be permanent. Your response, reaction and ability to turn a negative experience into a growth opportunity can be key to turning things around and maintaining customer loyalty.

Here’s a closer look at the impact of receiving a 1-star review, how to manage it and what consistent reputation management can do for your business.

How One Bad Review Can Damage Your Reputation

Consumers rely heavily on online reviews when making purchasing decisions. According to Capital One Shopping, 99% of American consumers read online reviews before making purchases, with 93% of consumers being influenced by reviews when it comes to making a purchasing decision.

This means that negative reviews can immediately impact conversions, as well as how your business is perceived by potential customers. A 1-star review in particular can quickly diminish your average rating, especially if you don’t have that many reviews overall. Fluctuation in average rating is significant, as just a 0.1 rating increase can boost conversion rates by 25%, according to Uberall.

Getting a 1-star review impacts any business, but can be particularly detrimental to local service, SaaS, e-commerce or hospitality companies. Search engines and review platforms like Google and Yelp weigh recency and frequency when it comes to rating average, allowing a negative review to potentially send a damaging blow that might move you down search rankings.

Ultimately, one of the biggest concerns that stems from a 1-star review is a potential snowball effect. After the review is posted, businesses may begin to see a chain reaction of negatives, including fewer clicks, less traffic, lower engagement, declining sales and less visibility in search results. If the negative review goes unaddressed, it is hard to slow these damaging effects.

A Closer Look at the Digital Domino Effect

A negative review can have several significant impacts on your business in real time, including:

• Drop in search rankings – Google’s algorithm considers your average star rating, so if your business drops lower than a 4.0, you may be less likely to appear in a 3-pack for local SEO.

• Fall in click-through rates (CTR) – Listings with higher star ratings tend to receive more clicks thanks to a higher trust factor. A bad review that drops your rating could discourage potential customers before they even reach your website.

• Suffering conversion rates – According to an analysis across 40 purchase categories by the Medill Spiegel Research Center at Northwestern University, purchase likelihood peaks when the average star rating of a product or service is between 4.2 and 4.5 stars. A 1-star review, particularly one without a response from the business, can lower your star rating below this threshold, and in turn decrease conversions.

• Decline in consumer trust – It is easy for negative reviews to create a negative connotation and bias toward a business, potentially leading buyers to weigh bad experiences more heavily than positive ones.

Ultimately, each of these impacts can play off of each other and compound over time. If a business doesn’t react promptly, the negative perception can stick and become reality.

The Human Side of Reviews

It can be easy to forget that reviews come from real people. There will be times when your customer has a bad day, and other times when your team does. It’s also possible that a negative review may be disingenuous. If a business suspects that a review is fake or malicious, it should:

• Flag or report the review through the platform’s official process

• Gather documentation such as screenshots, order history or communication logs

• Stay professional in your response, as other consumers are watching

Even with fake or malicious reviews, your response can set a significant tone as to how your brand is perceived. While some consumers will judge businesses based on what went wrong, they will more often focus on how the company handled a negative situation. It’s not uncommon for a bad review to evoke negative emotion, but remaining calm and professional in all responses should benefit a business in the long run.

Turning It Around: A Step-By-Step Response Plan to a Negative Review

The impact of a 1-star review can be damaging, but it’s not irreversible. The key is responding promptly, authentically and strategically. To begin turning things back to positive, businesses should:

1. Respond publicly, calmly and timely

It’s important to acknowledge the consumer’s concern without getting defensive or personal. Using empathy can attempt to diffuse the situation. A prime example would be:

“We’re sorry to hear about your experience, [Name]. We take feedback very seriously and would like to learn more about what happened. Please contact us at [email and/or phone number].”

Businesses should stay away from responses that are generic or pre-written, which feel impersonal and lack authenticity and empathy. Responding to the review in a timely manner also shows your concern for the issue, and may diffuse it faster. According to ReviewTrackers, 53% of customers expect businesses to respond to a negative review within one week.

2. Take the conversation offline

Once you have responded publicly, the focus should be continuing the conversation offline or through a private channel, which is often where the negative issue is resolved. To do this, businesses should offer a private chat channel such as phone, email or direct messaging to resolve the issue. This will prevent any further public damage, and signals to customers that you are proactive.

3. Investigate and resolve the issue

First and foremost, businesses need to analyze if the complaint was valid, or if it was a miscommunication or just a genuine mistake. The customer feedback should ultimately be used as an internal quality check. If the issue can be fixed through things like a product replacement, refund or policy update, businesses should take action.

4. Request an update

If the reviewer’s issue was resolved satisfactorily in a timely manner, businesses can politely ask if they would consider updating or amending their review. Consumers will often be willing to revise a rating if they feel heard and helped.

5. Bury the bad with the better

To mask the negative review, businesses should further encourage satisfied customers to leave positive reviews. While incentivizing fake reviews is against FTC guidelines, nudging happy customers to leave true, positive reviews can be done through post-purchase emails, QR codes at checkouts or additional follow-ups asking for feedback. According to Bright Local, 96% of customers are open to leaving reviews.

6. Track review metrics

Businesses can use tools like Google Business Profile, Yelp for Business, or third-party platforms to monitor reviews over time, something that should be a priority in today’s business landscape. A proactive approach across all channels will help to recognize patterns and respond faster in the future.

A key takeaway is that while bad reviews are generally unpreventable for most businesses, you can control your response. Negative reviews are impactful, but businesses can also gain positive momentum by attempting to turn them into customer service wins.

The Importance of Proactive Reputation Management

Perhaps the most effective way to mitigate and overcome a 1-star review is through building a consistent and resilient online presence. That means stacking the deck in your favor before anything goes wrong through strong reputation management.

Reputation management consists of monitoring, maintaining and influencing a positive public perception of your business. This entails maintaining accurate online listings that clearly highlight everything a customer needs in order to make a decision on which business to purchase from, including things like phone number, address, location and hours.

The other main focal point of reputation management is handling reviews. Good reviews not only show customer satisfaction, but they also foster loyalty and trust, key factors when it comes to customer retention.

Negative reviews can be unfortunate, but they also give businesses a chance to build their reputation. Responding to negative reviews professionally by addressing the concern and trying to come to a resolution will hopefully solve the issue the customer had. However, the handling of the situation can be the true driver of customer loyalty. In its 2025 consumer survey, Bright Local notes that 89% of consumers are likely to utilize a business that responds to all reviews, both positive and negative.

How to Make the Best of Receiving a Negative Review 

While bad reviews are generally seen to have a negative impact, there are multiple benefits that could derive from them. Most consumers don’t expect any business to have a perfect, 5.0 rating, so a couple of bad reviews can portray your company as legitimate and trustworthy. According to Capital One Shopping, 82% of shoppers look for negative reviews to establish credibility.

In addition, negative reviews can help identify potential customer pain points, and things your business can improve on. Businesses might also be able to gain more insights on what their competitors are doing well or better thanks to a negative review.

Meanwhile, bad reviews can provide opportunity for self reflection for your business team and may strengthen customer service. It can also potentially help marketing, as businesses can use negative feedback as an opportunity to provide additional information or answers to questions that other customers have as well.

Other things you can do to help mitigate the negative impact a 1-star review can have include:

• Build review volume – The more reviews you have, the less impact one negative review will have. Ask consumers to leave reviews consistently, and make the process to do so easy across multiple touchpoints, including email and SMS, social media platforms, or reminders on receipts, websites and apps.

• Diversify review channels – Businesses should encourage reviews across multiple channels, including Google, Facebook, Yelp, Trustpilot and industry-specific platforms. Doing so spreads out your online presence, which could also heighten brand awareness and protect against significant damage on any one channel.

• Showcase positive reviews – Displaying positive reviews helps boost your company’s reputation while reinforcing trust. Businesses should look to showcase their best reviews on their website, in email campaigns or on product pages.

• Train your team – Whether it’s front-of-house staff, support agents or delivery personnel, all employees should know how to provide an experience that can lead to a positive customer review. In turn, those within the company who manage reviews should be educated on how to respond to all types of feedback, both positive and negative, in a professional manner.

How Businesses Respond to Negative Reviews

Many businesses are regularly faced with having to respond to negative reviews in order to maintain their positive image, whether that be a small local business or an industry giant. Here are some examples of how businesses have excelled at responding to negative reviews in the past.

1. Home Depot, one of the leading home retailers in the United States, was given a negative review and 1-star rating after a customer received the wrong item they had ordered and was told that they would be charged an additional fee to get the correct item. With the customer relationship needing repair, Home Depot responded with this:

“Greetings Mrs. Chance,

Thank you for taking the time to reach out to us and bringing this situation to our attention. We are very sorry to hear about your experience. 

We would like an opportunity to review your concerns and discuss this matter with you. Please call us at 1-800-Home Depot or email us at [email address]. 

A representative from our team would be happy to assist you.

Thank you for being a valued Home Depot customer.”

This message is highlighted by a personalized greeting, empathy for the customer and contact information that allows the consumer and the business to get in touch to discuss the matter further. Even if that particular customer’s issue doesn’t get resolved, the professional response helps Home Depot maintain a positive brand image.

2. A consumer left a negative review about Stamford Plaza, a hotel in Brisbane, Australia. The customer, who had previously stayed at the hotel, complimented the staff and aspects of the stay, but was concerned about an issue with the bathtub and flies around the breakfast buffet. At risk of losing a repeat customer, a manager from Stamford Plaza responded with this:

“Dear McMillan2014,

Thank you for sharing your feedback, both positive and constructive. I apologize that we did not exceed the standard you have received during previous stays. I was glad to read that the staff provided great service and the unexpected surprise of a bottle of sparkling wine for your anniversary. Your comments have been discussed at length with our pest control contractor to make sure the hotel maintains its standards.

Warm Regards,

Dale John

Executive Assistant Manager”

This review displays a professional tone and voice. By apologizing, responding to the customer’s issue and addressing the issue with a plan of action, the hotel is positioning itself to ensure that this specific customer’s next stay, and the stays of other potential customers, will be more positive.

3. UK beauty and health retailer Boots sees negative reviews as an opportunity to turn a disgruntled customer into a supporter.

“Responding to negative reviews gives us the chance to shift the way the customer feels toward us based on the way we handle their concerns,” Bonnie Berrio, a former customer service specialist at Boots, said to Bazaarvoice. “They might still share their negative experience about a product or service, but they also immediately follow with how they will always buy from us because of how well we handled the issue.

“We always answer as quickly as we can, even if it is just to let the customer know we received your inquiry, we’re looking for the answer and we’ll be back in touch. Then we direct questions to key people we rely on to answer most questions, and reach out to each other for help as needed so that we can follow through.”

According to Bazaarvoice, responding to a negative review with an apology while also offering a refund or exchange can result in a 92% increase in intent to purchase. Responding with an explanation of how to use a product that is being misused, or giving other guidance information can lead to a 186% increase in intent to purchase.

This further highlights the benefits of responding to all reviews, positive and negative, and simply engaging with customers when they have questions. Not only does it potentially increase conversions, but it also fosters a highly-positive brand image, as potential consumers can see that your business truly cares about the products or services you provide.

How Best Version Media Can Help Manage Your Reviews

Best Version Media can help your business maintain a positive reputation through its management of reviews across directories, maps and search engines – all from one dashboard.

Whether it be positive or negative reviews, BVM can assist in maintaining a positive image of your brand, which can boost your online presence, grow customer loyalty and increase your customer base.

Connect with BVM today to see how our reputation management can assist in your marketing strategy.

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What Are the Future 50 Awards?

The Future 50 Awards, hosted annually by BizTimes Media in partnership with the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce (MMAC), recognize the fastest-growing privately held companies in southeastern Wisconsin. These companies are chosen based on significant increases in revenue and employment over the past three years. The program showcases entrepreneurial spirit, innovation and regional impact.

You can learn more about the 2025 Future 50 class here: BizTimes Future 50 Winners 2025

A Four-Time Honoree

Being named to the Future 50 list once is a tremendous achievement, but earning this distinction four years in a row is truly a testament to the strength of our business model, culture and people. It’s a rare and humbling accomplishment that places BVM among the region’s most consistent high-growth companies.

Our sustained growth in both reach and impact is only possible because of the tireless work of our team members, our loyal readers, and the thousands of local businesses who partner with us to achieve their marketing goals.

What’s Next for BVM

We remain focused on expanding our footprint across North America while maintaining the personal touch that has defined our brand. From embracing new technologies to empowering our Publishers with better tools and training, we’re committed to enhancing the experience for everyone who interacts with BVM, from readers and clients to our employees and independent contractors. 

Let’s stay in touch! Join our community on Instagram.

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Optimizing your website for local SEO is essential for expanding your reach and increasing visibility within your community. There are several effective ways to accomplish this, but first, let’s clarify what local SEO is.

What Is Local SEO?

Local SEO is the process of optimizing your online presence to rank higher in search results for users in your geographic area. Unlike traditional website SEO, local SEO focuses on enhancing your traffic, search visibility, and brand awareness in a defined community.

These elements are critical, as BrightLocal’s 2023 Local Consumer Review Survey found that 98% of customers use the internet to find information about local businesses. 

These users are often ready to take action and are more likely to purchase from businesses they can easily find online. By improving your visibility, you can drive more traffic to your site and convert more of that traffic into paying customers.

Follow these 10 steps to strengthen your local SEO and help your business thrive.

1. Claim and Enhance Your Google Business Profile
2. Leverage Local Business Listings
3. Research Competitors
4. Gather and Analyze Online Reviews
5. Optimize Website Design and Performance
6. Create Location-Specific Landing Pages
7. Write Locally Relevant Content
8. Get Involved In the Community
9. Secure Local Backlinks
10. Promote Your Website

1. Claim and Enhance Your Google Business Profile

Your local SEO strategy should begin with claiming and optimizing your Google Business Profile (GBP). If you have yet to claim your profile, visit Google Business to do so, as it’s a critical step in ensuring your business appears in local search results.

Your GBP is where users find important information such as your business name, physical address, and phone number (NAP). Keeping this information accurate and up-to-date not only reinforces your local SEO efforts but also keeps your business top of mind for potential customers. 

Beyond the basics, maintaining an up-to-date profile offers additional SEO benefits. Regularly posting business updates concisely, uploading high-quality photos and videos, and including clear calls to action (CTAs) can significantly improve your visibility in search results, build a sense of urgency for users, and help your business stand out from local competitors. However, be sure to avoid keyword stuffing as it could lead to less visibility or even a profile ban.

Without a Google Business Profile, your business is missing a vital opportunity to reach local customers. Any effort to boost online presence starts by claiming and managing a compelling GBP.

2. Leverage Local Business Listings

Now that your GBP is set up, it’s time to expand your reach. Your chances of appearing in local search results increase when your business information is listed across a variety of reliable sources.

These sources, known as local business listings or local citations, include any mention of your NAP on websites like Yelp, Foursquare, and similar platforms. These listings help build credibility, raise awareness within your community, and improve your business’s online visibility.

Besides well-known citation sites, niche-specific platforms can also provide a competitive edge. For instance, restaurants can benefit from being listed on food delivery services such as Uber Eats. Taking advantage of all relevant listing sites is an easy way to get ahead of the competition, but your efforts shouldn’t stop there.

3. Research Competitors

Let’s face it, every local business shares the same goal, and that’s to appear early and often across the web. That means that just doing the basics won’t be enough to outperform your competitors. 

To take the next step, start by analyzing other businesses in your industry to understand why they may be ranking higher than you. For example, if you own a landscaping business, try searching “landscapers near me” and see where you appear in the results. If another landscaping company ranks above you, study their online presence to determine what they’re doing differently.

This analysis involves several key factors, starting with their product listings and overall website structure. How do they organize and present their products or services? What organizational strategies could you adopt to improve your website?

Next, examine how they implement keywords. Identify the terms your direct competitors are targeting and find ways to incorporate them into your website and online profile. If your business is new, you may struggle to compete in generic searches like “coffee near me.” Instead, try targeting more specific variations such as “best coffee shops in Chicago.”

Finally, take a look at how they optimize their GBP. Are they regularly updating their NAP information? Have they categorized their business accurately? Are they consistently collecting reviews? These questions can reveal opportunities for improvement. For example, if a competitor has 30 reviews and a 4.2-star rating, aim to exceed both to improve your visibility in search rankings.

4. Gather and Analyze Online Reviews

Speaking of reviews, they play a major role in improving local SEO. PowerReviews reported that, “95% of consumers use reviews, and 86% consider them to be an essential part of the purchase journey.”

Encouraging satisfied customers to leave reviews on platforms like Google and Yelp is an essential part of enhancing your online presence. Additionally, you could host a giveaway and provide entries to those who leave you a review, include a QR code on receipts that link directly to your review page, or share a review link in follow-up emails and promotional campaigns. 

However, just gathering reviews isn’t enough. To demonstrate that you value customer feedback, it’s crucial to actively monitor and respond to reviews in a timely and thoughtful manner. Even negative reviews present an opportunity to show you hear customer complaints and are working to address them. 

This means acknowledging the issue, replying soon after the review is posted, and offering a resolution by providing a future discount, a refund, or changes to your process to prevent similar problems from occurring again.

5. Optimize Website Design and Performance

Now that you’ve taken steps to strengthen your online presence, it’s time to shift attention back to your website. Whether you’re building a new site or revamping an existing one, the user experience should be the foundation of your design. A logically structured site not only increases user engagement, but it can also help search engines better understand how each page relates to your business.

To accomplish this, use your knowledge from studying competitors’ websites to identify what flows well and what feels out of place. Implement changes that improve the user experience and seek feedback from coworkers, family, or friends after they’ve tested your site.

If web design isn’t your strong suit, outsourcing it to professionals is a great way to utilize your marketing budget and ensure effective results. After all, your website is often one of the first interactions with potential customers, and you want it to make a good impression.

6. Create Location-Specific Landing Pages

This may not apply to every local business, but if your company has expanded to two or more locations, it’s best practice to create dedicated landing pages for each one. Doing so not only helps customers differentiate between your stores, but it also signals to Google that each of your locations is a separate entity, which provides the chance to optimize SEO for each area individually.

This involves using location-specific keywords across each landing page, including in headings, subheadings, and meta tags. Since what resonates in one community may not work in another, conducting research for each location can help tailor your content to better connect with potential customers. 

An easy way to further differentiate your locations is to include photos and videos of each storefront and its team. Visitors may recognize the location or a member of your staff, increasing their likelihood of visiting and supporting a local business. These visuals can also enhance your GBP.

7. Write Locally Relevant Content

After some research on businesses in your area, you may discover that many lack original content. This is a great opportunity to separate yourself from competitors and connect with the community.

Publishing consistent blog posts can enhance your local SEO rankings and improve relations with consumers in your area. This content should focus on locally relevant material that engages and resonates with the audience. This can include your business’s backstory or behind-the-scenes peeks.

If you participate in community events, share that experience through photos, videos, and a recap of the event. Not only does this demonstrate your involvement, but it also creates content that users may reference when searching for related products or services, or when the event is hosted again in the future.

Another option to boost visibility is by partnering with local influencers. Many social media personalities have a strong presence in niche markets and may be open to promoting your business through collaborations or guest content.

Whichever content strategy you choose to pursue, utilizing relevant keywords is a must. This will broaden your reach and improve your chances of ranking higher for terms where your business may currently be overlooked.

8. Get Involved In the Community

All of your SEO efforts could go to waste if it doesn’t connect with potential customers. Actively engaging with your community in person helps ensure that doesn’t happen.

Building a strong local presence encourages positive online reviews and boosts customer interaction with your business. This can both contribute to higher SEO rankings and provide valuable insight into how your business and industry are perceived by locals.

It also opens the door to partnerships with other local businesses, allowing you to support each other’s growth. One of the most effective ways to do this is by exchanging backlinks.

9. Secure Local Backlinks

Backlinks are one of the most important components of SEO. They occur when one website links to another providing it with authority.

Begin by identifying local businesses, news outlets, and blogs that align with your industry. Reach out with a personalized message explaining how linking to your site can provide value to their audience. If you’ve created a blog with relevant content, this is a perfect chance to promote it.

Once you’ve started acquiring backlinks, continue monitoring them to assess their impact and ensure the links remain active. Broken links lose their value, so regularly checking them helps ensure your efforts continue to deliver results.

10. Promote Your Website

By now, you’ve taken several measures to enhance your business’s online presence. The final step is to expand your reach and showcase your work by promoting your website. The goal is to achieve seven impressions as quickly as possible, known as the “Rule of 7.” This is a general marketing principle that suggests a user typically needs to see a brand seven times before taking action and becoming a customer. This can be accomplished through social media ads, display ads, and other promotional methods.

Familiar social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram can quickly generate impressions and contribute toward the Rule of 7. They also allow for geo-targeting, enabling you to tailor ads to your local audience. While social media is often the first promotional tool local businesses use, your strategy shouldn’t end there.

Google Ads place your business in front of people who are actively searching for products or services you offer. This is where your previous efforts towards implementing keywords will pay off. 

Display ads can fill in the gaps that social media and Google Ads won’t. They appear across any website and can significantly accelerate the path to seven impressions. 

While offline methods can still be effective, digital advertising offers the fastest and most efficient way to reach your target audience.

Need Help With Your Local SEO Strategy?

Taking a comprehensive approach to local SEO can feel overwhelming, but Best Version Media makes the process simple and allows you to focus on running your business. BVM offers a variety of services, including reviews and listings management across multiple directories and search engines. 

You can also bundle digital ad campaigns – display and social media – to maximize your marketing budget and reach the customers who are most likely to engage with your products and services. BVM can handle all of your digital marketing needs through one easy-to-use dashboard.

To get started on your digital advertising journey, contact BVM and watch your local business thrive.

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