It happens all the time: The hard-working crew at a small business loses customers thanks to the sour grapes of one person.

It could be a disgruntled employee, an angry customer or even a competitor, says V. Michael Santoro, coauthor with John S. Rizzo of Niche Dominance: Creating Order Out of Your Digital Marketing Chaos (www.NicheDominance.com).

"Anyone can post a bad review online and hurt your business," says Santoro, who is a managing partner with Rizzo of Globe On-Demand, an internet technology company. "Unfortunately, most business owners are not even aware that these bad reviews are out there."

Seventy-two percent of buyers trust reviews as much as personal recommendations, and 70 percent trust consumer opinions posted online, according to a recent Nielsen Global Trust in Advertising Survey.

"A bad review published in a newspaper, or broadcast on radio or TV, is short-lived, but a bad review posted online can live indefinitely," says Rizzo. "With consumers now researching an average of 10 reviews before making a buying decision, and 70 percent trusting a business that has a minimum of six reviews posted, business owners need to be proactive in developing their online reputation. You need several positive reviews."

Online searches have been streamlined, combining reviews with maps, pay-per-click advertising, local business directories and Facebook Fan pages, Santoro says.  As damaging as bad reviews can be, positive reviews can be equally constructive, he says.

Rizzo and Santoro offer an Internet marketing strategy called "reputation marketing," described in the following steps:

• Develop a 5-Star Reputation: Begin by having your happy customers post great reviews about your business. Strive to have at least 10. Have each post to one of the following: Google Plus Local, Yelp, CitySearch, SuperPages, YP.com, your Facebook Fan page, etc. This needs to be a continuous process. Proactively ask your customers to post reviews.

• Market Your Reputation: Once reviews are posted, use a well-designed online marketing strategy to drive targeted traffic to your website. Ensure that your website can convert this traffic into customers. Additionally, showcase these third-party reviews on your website.

• Manage Your Reputation: Regularly check that the reviews being posted are positive. You can use Google Alerts for your business name; however, you will need to check the local directories, too, since they're not picked up by Google Alerts. By building up the positive reviews, you can counter a poor one by sheer volume. You should also quickly post a reply to a negative review if they occur. Always be professional and indicate what action you have taken to remedy the situation.

• Create a Reputation Marketing Culture: Train your staff to proactively ask customers for reviews and to deal immediately with any customer who appears unhappy. A positive culture will encourage customers to post positive reviews about your business.

About John S. Rizzo & V. Michael Santoro

John S. Rizzo obtained his bachelor's in business administration and spent three years as a consultant for Amazon.com's publishing group. He has assisted several businesses with digital marketing strategy and has served in leadership positions for multiple initiatives for the Charleston, S.C.-Area Chamber of Commerce.

V. Michael Santoro has more than 10 years in the digital marketing field. His prior experience includes international senior marketing positions in technology fields. He has a master's degree from Central Connecticut State University and an undergraduate degree from the University of New Haven. Santoro was an adjunct professor with the computer science department of Western Connecticut State University.

By Rep. Dave Loebsack

On September 17th, 225 years ago, our Founders signed the document that laid the foundation of our government and provided the protection of rights for all citizens. On this day, we take time to celebrate Constitution Day, reflecting on what this great document means.

I keep two copies of the Constitution on my desk at all times - one given to me by the former Chief of the National Guard Bureau. I'm moved by the vision that our Founders had for our country, from the protection of individual freedoms, to the valuable role of states, to the checks and balances placed on our government.

While important amendments have been made to the Constitution, such as eliminating slavery and giving voting rights to all, it's still very much the same document our Founders signed 225 years ago. The principles and rights laid out in the Constitution made our country strong, and it's those same principals and rights that will keep our country strong.

How our Founders created the Constitution, crafting a graceful yet powerful document that millions have defended, at times giving their lives for, is almost as important as the document itself. For over four months our Founders vehemently debated this vision and in the end, compromise prevailed.

Our Founders compromised to move our country forward. For example, they compromised over difficult questions like if our legislature should be distributed equally between the states or proportionally - they decided one chamber for each.

The fact that our Constitution has been changed so little over all of these years underscores the fundamental principles of our Founders' vision. The protections and limits that the Constitution outlines, and the Bill of Rights that followed, must be defended. I believe we must work every day to uphold the rights it extends.

I also deeply believe in our Founders' ability and willingness to find compromise in trying times with the future of our country dependent on it. We live in difficult times today.  We face an economy struggling to recover, too many Iowans without work, and an unsustainable national debt.

We can overcome these trying times as well, just as we have before, but we must draw from our Founders' leadership. The political games and partisan bickering in Washington must stop. "No" is not a solution, and it doesn't put an Iowan back to work. Washington must work in favor of commonsense solutions that address our most pressing issues, not avoid them.

As a member of the Common Ground Caucus and through the numerous bipartisan pieces of legislation I have supported and pushed for, I know now is the time we must work together. I continue to stand ready to follow our Founders' lead to work with Democrats and Republicans alike to support any commonsense plan addressing the issues our country faces.

As Iowans, we know about compromise and working together. It's how we get things done. We don't help our neighbor based on ideology, we never ask. We only care if you're a Hawkeye or Cyclone. But even then, we will always lend a helping hand and find a way forward.

It's not surprising that Iowa was the first to recognize Constitution Day almost 100 years ago, requiring all students to learn about a document and process that has made our great nation what it is today. Iowans understand the value of the protections and rights laid out in the Constitution and the compromise it took to create such a timeless vision and maintain that vision for generations to come.

On this Constitution Day, it is my hope that Washington will take note of the same lessons Iowa students are learning today.