The ratings phenomena may not have reached your industry or your community, but it probably will. So what can you do about it?

First, be aware of ratings sites. Use a search engine to look for rating sites in your area and business. (Search for things like landscaper ratings in Pittsburgh or hair salon reviews in Sacramento.) You may find that your business is already listed on a rating site. If it is, make sure that basic listing information (business name, location, website) is correct, and if not, contact site operator. If your business is not listed, see if there is a way to add your listing. Do not pay for this service! Legitimate rating sites are not supported by businesses being rated! (However, a few sites offer enhanced "listings" for a small fee. Consider paying for this is site seems to be well run and have a lot of traffic.)

Check rating sites regularly. You might actually get some good information on how customers see your business, and where you need to make improvements.

Encourage your patrons to rate your business. Satisfied customers will give you good ratings. (Don't try to "flood" a rating site with bogus reviews; many of these sites use algorithms to detect source of ratings, and may even remove businesses that try to cheat.)

If you get a bad review, there's probably not much you can do about it. The rating and review sites are on pretty solid legal ground, and most will not remove bad reviews. However, some sites have a mechanism for responding to a review, so be sure to ask about this. If nothing else, you can submit your own review and calmly refute complaints of other reviewers. Be careful to stay calm and professional, and not get into online debates that can damage your credibility.

In end, business success is still based on word of mouth - but now more people are listening.

Bob Nicholson / WYGK Consulting provides business, technology and strategic consulting for small businesses, internet start-ups and entrepreneurs.

Case in point. A well-known HMO recently settled out of court with a group of families, two of whom suffered loss of their mothers because a psychopathic orderly took it upon himself to call patients and tell them that they had cancer. Two women committed suicide and fourteen others sought serious psychiatric help to get them through problems that didn’t really exist.

Yes, HMO did indeed do a background check – one that was low-cost and was ordered on a computer screen. No record was found, and candidate was hired. No one took time to learn that this individual had just been released from prison in Massachusetts one year before for doing same thing at a Boston-area hospital. In this case, HMO saved a few dollars on background, but result was a $14 million settlement!

When hiring a background check firm, look for stability, longevity, a good track record, and one that isn’t afraid to refer you to any of its clients. Look for professional memberships, and above all, find out how they do their criminal conviction research. If they do it by database or computer, you could be better off if you stay away.