subject: Coping With Criticism As A Web Marketer [print this page] There's no such thing as a business that is globally loved and adored. This is true both on the web and off of it. It does not matter how good your company is, you are always going to have to deal with naysayers. It is actually what you do when you find that criticism that is important. When you are running a business on the internet this is especially vital since people will not have as many chances to interact with you personally to help counteract the negative opinions that they see. So here's how to proceed.
Answer every criticism you see quickly. This is very important. It is not a great idea to let a negative critique to be unresponded to. If the critique was published in a public discussion board, respond to that same thread and thank the person for his or her feedback. Tell him or her you are investigating it and ask them for permission to discuss their concerns privately. This offers proof that your most important priority is the development of the best possible product and that you can take feedback very well. This should help you earn a lot of respect.
Actually check to see if the criticism is about something that must be resolved. Everybody knows how to tell trolls and genuine critique apart. "You suck" is not going to require a response. "I encountered a 404 page" or "The layout is all messed up" are things you are going to have to fix. Check everything out and if the change is something that you need (or would really like) to make, make it. This demonstrates to others you are paying attention and will act when action is needed.
Any response you provide has to be customized. If you modify something based on a criticism launched by someone specific, let that person know that you've altered things to make them a lot better. It's also good to put up a post or a reply in the discussion board that says, basically, the same thing. That proves to everybody you could take constructive critique without getting mad. It also shows them you'll work as hard as you have to work to give them what they really want. This is smart, even though you may decide against making modifications people have asked for. Write that you looked into the situation but have determined to leave things exactly how they are. Be sure to explain why this is.
Try to remember that, beyond everything else, the way in which you respond to critiques is all about managing your reputation. If you merely criticize someone for criticizing you, you appear foolish. If you ignore criticism and just keep insisting that everything is okay, you will look like you don't know your business very well. Keep your vanity on a leash. In most cases, the criticism isn't meant to be about you personally. They simply had a less than good experience with your product. This suggests that you have to improve the product so that they won't have a repeat of that same experience.
