HOW TO BOUNCE BACK FROM A BAD REVIEW

A one-star review can hurt your egoand your business. But it's possible to prevent (and remedy!) this scary scenario.

- RACHEL DAVIES

Online reviews matter, especially for small businesses. They're a chance to get unbiased feedback on how your business can improve.

But low ratings can also skew your average and threaten your ability to attract new customers. According to Kelly Kurlychek of Better Reputation, a company that helps businesses and individuals maintain their online reputations, upwards of 90% of prospective customers are searching for reviews before making a purchase. "Your prospects are Googling you. If you aren't showing up at all, or in any kind of negative or even mediocre light, you are losing business," says Kurlychek.

So how do you avoid bad reviews? And what do you do if they come your way? Adam Levy is co-owner of the Huntington, New York, yoga studio Sound Body & Mind, and he deals with the prospect of bad reviews head-on. His business has a five-star rating on Google, but maintaining that rating wasn't as simple as giving good service and waiting for positive reviews to flow in. For the past five years, Levy has taken a proactive approach, which hinges on automated emails that customers receive after each class.