A dissatisfied customer sounding off on a ‘rant’ site about how unhappy they are can have serious ramification when it comes to your company’s online reputation. It is sometimes possible for these negative reviews to end up on the first page of your search results if you’re not careful.

What would you do if you couldn’t access Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or any of the other social media platforms that you rely on to keep you up-to-date with the ins and outs of your friends’ lives, current affairs and celebrity gossip? Would you miss it or would it be a blessing in disguise? If you’re tempted to think the latter, think for a moment about those countries where their citizens don’t have the choice.

While a small number of Facebook and Google users have, in the past, been warned that their accounts may have been hacked into by something called a “state-sponsored actor”, users of social media platform Twitter have largely escaped unscathed by the phenomenon.

From restaurants to sports equipment vendors, no business is immune from negative feedback online. With more and more people spending hours on the Internet every day, customers are quick to voice their opinions about businesses. And their comments aren’t always positive.