Chris Redhead, digital marketing expert at Key Multimedia Ltd, shares tips on managing your presence on the customer review site.

For years the industry has been divided about the pros and cons of TripAdvisor. The reviews can be harsh, relentless and sometimes wrong.Despite this, lots of businesses have proved that the website can have a positive impact on their business if used properly.

TripAdvisor is now bigger than ever. The website hosts more than 150 million reviews, which is twice as many as two years ago. It is evolving fast and shows no sign of losing its position as one of the most powerful and influential websites in the travel industry.The scale and popularity of the site makes it difficult for business owners to ignore, and it has become the first port of call for many people when deciding where to book their holiday.

Here are seven ways you can shape up your TripAdvisor skills to ensure you are successful.

1You must respond to reviews

TripAdvisor gives you the right of reply for any review posted about your business, and it’s essential that you take advantage of it. Engaging with feedback shows you are listening, and that can make an enormous difference to how your business is perceived. The caveat here is that it is no good just replying to bad reviews – that makes you look defensive and suggests you are more concerned with your reputation than with your guests’ experiences. Get into the habit of replying to ALL reviews, even if it is just one line thanking the reviewer for taking the time to write something nice about your business.

2 Have protocols in place to reply to reviews quickly

Once you have claimed your TripAdvisor listing, the site will notify you by email whenever a new review is posted. This enables you to respond quickly to each review as they go up, showing that you are listening and are receptive toyour feedback. Remember also that the more prompt you are with your response, the more people are likely to read it.

3 Always be polite and professional

It can be extremely frustrating to get negative reviews on TripAdvisor, particularly when the criticism is unwarranted or there is an obvious agenda on the part of the reviewer. It is tempting to let your feelings show in your response, but remember you are not just talking to the individual reviewer, but also to thehundreds or thousands of potential customers who look at your TripAdvisor listing.

With this in mind, it is a good idea to sleep on a bad review, and then come back to it the next day and write a considered point-by-point response. Where criticisms are warranted, offer an apology, along with a thoughtful explanation of what went wrong. Where they are unjustified, set the record straight in a firm but courteous manner.

4 Draw attention to the improvements you’ve made

If your listing has reviews complaining about issues that have since been addressed, it is essential to go back and reply, highlighting the changes you have made to improve matters.This shows you take your feedback seriously, and are committed to providing the best possible experience for your guests.

There is no time limit for TripAdvisor reviews, meaning that someone could potentially be put off visiting your business by seeing a bad reviewon your listing without knowing that you have already fixed the problems described.

5 Ensure your customers’ privacy

TripAdvisor emphasises the importance of anonymity in its reviews. While this does leave the door open to fake reviewers, TripAdvisor believes people in general give more candid appraisals of their stay if they don’t have to give their real name. This means that if you do happen to know who was behind a certain review, you should in no way use their name, phone number or any other personal information to identify them when you respond.

6 Do your business justice by being interesting

One of the most difficult (but also most important) aspects of responding to your reviews is trying to make each reply unique and tailored to suit the review in question. People will always appreciate an individually written response, and are likely to be less impressed by an obvious stock answer.

7 Don’t forget to say thanks

Your responses to reviews are a great opportunity to let guests know you are grateful for their comments, and that you welcome both positive feedback and constructive criticism. Showing your guests you appreciate them goes a long way towards ensuring customer loyalty and keeping people coming back year after year