The Ocean Agency

I was just having a conversation with a friend about one of his favorite Chicago restaurants, and it turned out that the place was right around the corner from my new apartment. (Incidentally, the conversation started because I saw him raving about Twin Anchors leftovers in his GChat status message– so there’s another example of online word of mouth for you.) This highly-regarded Chicago tavern is full of history; it’s been around since 1932 and claims to be a favorite of Frank Sinatra. But in the vast culinary landscape of Chicago, which is constantly expanding with new restaurants and bars, how does a traditional tavern and BBQ joint stand out? How does it parlay a crowd of loyal regulars into a new and growing customer base?

Well, Twin Anchors is exploiting the exposure online reviews can give a business. Especially for a company that serves only local customers, this sort of interactive marketing is an efficient way to use the support of your regular crowd to entice new clientele. Just like I might never have stopped into my new hood’s local rib joint if my friend hadn’t lauded their baked beans, other newcomers are more likely to give something a try if they’ve heard it’s good from their online peers. And your loyal customers are usually more than willing to sound off on how great your company is, without even being asked.

Twin Anchors uses review site functionality in another way– they actually read and process their reviews, too. After my friend left a glowing review of the service he received there, the owner emailed him requesting the name of the waitress, in order to reward her for her good work! Besides allowing you to give your employees proper credit where it’s due, online reviews can provide you with valuable feedback on customer experience. Customers who would never send a dish back or critique your service in person will describe their experience at length online. Using those reviews to adapt can benefit any company, established or up-and-coming.

Admittedly, review sites can sometimes be problematic for companies– if you get an aggressive negative reviewer, you may see some opinions you don’t agree with. However, due to the transparency of the medium, users of these sites can almost always tell who is crackpot habitual complainer, who offers a legitimate critique, and who is a complete phony. Most sites now feature a rating system that lets you note which reviews were in fact helpful and informative. That being said, never leave positive reviews for yourself, because readers will know and will not appreciate it. Involving yourself in the online review world  almost always pays off in business and backlinks. Just make sure you immerse yourself in the culture and etiquette of sites like Metromix, Yelp, and Citysearch, and use them properly and transparently.

Oh, and does Twin Anchors look familiar? That’s because it was in The Dark Knight. Cool.

Watch out for Two Face!