Suppose this: You have just invested a few thousand dollars and built your own niche social network website. And you frantically write to the influential bloggers telling them about your product, hoping that atleast one of them finds your website worthy enough to write about. You are happy to see traffic pouring in one fine day, but it turns out that the blogger has rubbished your site. It is a make-or-break point. Your website can be finished even before it has started. Here are five things to do if you are faced with the same situation:
Relax, it’s publicity nevertheless
Remember the cliche – ‘No publicity is bad publicity’. Any review is bound to send you traffic, Google juice and follow-up reviews by other bloggers who got to know about your site from the first review. There might be scores of people who may in fact come to know about your website and take a liking to it. Bloggers are not your niche audience always. They are just the reviewers. In spite of the bashing your website receives at the hands of the blogger, your niche audience might still like it. And the blogger just gave a chance for them to do so by reviewing your site.
Comment politely
No matter it’s a bad review. Still, come across to the readers as a dignified founder. Thank the blogger for taking time and resources in reviewing your website. Politely, answer any of the questions that the blogger or the readers have posted in the comments. Do not justify everything that has been written about your website. There can be features that you thought was great but many found it silly. Accept any flaws in your website. In short, convey to the readers that you are willing to learn and make the website in tune with what the niche audience would want.
Find out newer ideas suggested there
What looks like a severe bash can also look like an amazing set of suggestions, if taken in the right spirit. The blogger might find it silly that your social network website does not even have an ‘Import Contacts’ feature. Realize that your website just got one more positive suggestion! You may also thank the blogger or the reader for suggesting that feature and mention that you might add it in the next round of development. It not only pacifies them, but also gets your website closer to what the audience wants.
Find out what people like
Go through the comments and find out the little things that the people might have liked about your website. It can simply be the unique concept. It can be one special feature that do not exist in the other websites. There should be something that the reader might still find good on your site, in spite of the overall negative picture. Note these features. They could be your website’s USP. Try to build on that. They are going to be the areas of strength that shall see you through in periods of “crisis” as these, as well as in the future.
Build a rapport with the blogger
The blogger who reviewed your website is not a villain. He is not paid to trash your website. Accept that it was his honest opinion. It is extremely important to build a rapport with the blogger. Do not simply stop with commenting on the blog post. Instead, mail the blogger personally thanking him for the review explaining a few misconceptions that he could have held. In short, try building a rapport with him. Also, ensure that you keep the blogger in the loop with regards to the important changes and feature additions you might do in the future. The readers should know that the website is on the right track. This is extremely important when it comes to making loyal users out of mere blog readers.