Five websites your business needs to worry about

There are a growing number of online platforms actively encouraging irate customers to vent their spleen. Which sites should you be worried about and what can you do about it?

Irate customers are turning to the growing host of online platforms to make a complaint after a bad experience with a business. And if you’re on the receiving end of a vent, it can do huge damage to your business.

Which sites should you be aware of?

1. Facebook

Facebook is both friend and foe to businesses. This social media phenomenon boasts 10.9 million Australians, which is half of the country’s entire population.

And while it’s a great marketing tool for both large and small operators, it also takes up massive resources as businesses work to monitor, respond and manage the growing number of negative messages made by consumers looking to get poor service experiences off their chest.

A new study has found that more than half of online Australian consumers interact with brands on Facebook. The survey of more than 1,400 online Australian consumers, conducted by interactive marketing provider ExactTarget, also found that 46% of Australian consumers have engaged with brands on Facebook to receive discounts.

But the experts recommend that businesses don’t jump in without a solid strategy. While social media is cheap, the upkeep and constant updates to your status do take time and need careful consideration.

Have a look here for more advice on handling criticism on Facebook.

2. NotGoodEnough.com

This site is an Australian customer complaints and opinions website that claims to be the longest running online consumer advocacy website. It launched in 2002 and has more than 60,000 online members that discuss a range of products and services including retailing, financial services, utilities, airlines, hospitality, telcos, as well as politics and social issues.

The site aims to give its online members the opportunity to share good and bad experiences with each other across a range of corporate and government products and services.

Members also seek information from each other on what to purchase, with the site saying members are often more willing to trust the experiences from each other than a sales pitch from a company.

NotGoodEnough.com aims to create a community of people willing to share experiences and to benefit from each other’s experiences and knowledge. All forums are transparent and there is no editing of critical comments as long as they play within forum rules. It also regularly publishes top gripes and top issues along with a similar list of compliments.