Last week, the New York Times wrote an interesting article which started with…

Your customers are talking about you — and the whole world is listening.  Local review sites are reshaping the world of small business by becoming the new Yellow Pages, one-stop platforms where customers can find a business — and also see independent critiques of its performance.

Here a few more highlights from the article:

• 84% of Americans say online reviews influence their purchasing decisions
• Online search for local services grew 58% last year becoming more than 10% of all online search traffic
• The more detailed you profile (on sites like HelpHive), the more readily your business will appear in search results
• A negative review demands attention … start with a private response to see if you can resolve
• Posting false reviews (of your business or your competitors) is a no-no (cause you will get caught)
• Buying premium (advertising) services gives you more ability to “work the crowd”

Tip:  Setup a Google alert to be notified everytime your business is mentioned online

Tags: bad reviews, fake reviews, google alerts, local services search, managing your reputation, new Yellow Pages, online reputation, online reviews, reputation, responding to bad reviews, review site tips, shill reviews