BY Kathy Crosett
Are your accounts managing their online reviews? It’s a question worth asking. Businesses can be seriously impacted by reviews, in both good and bad ways. AudienceSCAN reports that around 38% of U.S. adults say that 4–5‑star rated reviews influence their purchase decision. Earlier this year, LocalImpact used Pollfish to learn about business owner attitudes and experiences regarding negative online reviews.
How and when to ask for reviews
Your accounts face many challenges when it comes to reviews, also known as reputation management. The first decision they make is whether to ask for an online review.
Businesses benefit from good reviews. So it’s easy to see why around 60% of businesses solicit reviews from customers. In some verticals, good reviews make a huge difference in foot traffic. Specifically, restaurants and health care providers need reviews from satisfied local customers.
But research shows, if a business asks for a positive review, versus any kind of review, consumers react negatively. And their reaction isn’t really about the review.
In one study highlighted by the Wall Street Journal, only 64% of customers who were asked to give a positive review said they’d return to the business. And they gave “the retailer a 3.68 out of 7” on the trustworthy score. Remind your accounts that they should ask for an honest review and not try to sway the customer’s opinion.
Another study found that the timing of a review request matters. If your account asks for a review on the weekend, they are more likely to get negative online reviews. Researchers theorize that consumers who take the time to review on the weekends are “socially isolated,” unhappy about life in general and not likely to give glowing reports.
The impact of fake reviews
While businesses generally benefit from positive reviews, not every consumer believes what they see. AudienceSCAN reports that around 28% of U.S. adults identify as Fake Review Spotters. These individuals might quickly move on from a business site if they believe it’s loaded with fake reviews.
Negative online reviews, whether they are real or fake, can do a lot more damage to a business.
The LocalImpact study indicates that over 70% of business owners had to deal with “at least one fake review in the past year.” These reviews are most prevalent on Google, Facebook and Yelp.
Some research companies believe that up to 30% of all online reviews are fake.
Who posts fake reviews?
While over 40% of business owners believe consumers post fake reviews, around 70% suspect the competition is posting fake positive reviews.
The damage from fake reviews
Potential customers who read reviews may decide to skip a business after reading a fake negative review. And they’re making those decisions based on false information. Even worse, prospective employees may not apply for open positions at a business.
One way to handle fake reviews is to use a review management platform. If your accounts don’t have time to manage their reviews, consider offering this feature as part of your digital marketing services.
This is a definite market opportunity. At least 50% of businesses struggle to find the time to manage their reviews.
Best practices for review management
Many businesses monitor reviews on an hourly or daily basis. But it’s the next step that matters. It’s critical to respond to reviews quickly, whether they are positive or negative.
Earlier this year, we highlighted Google’s practice of removing reviews. And that is continuing to happen, your accounts can’t wait for Google to take care of the problem.
When those dreaded negative online reviews arrive, your accounts need a process for managing them. If you offer these services, include your process when you pitch a new account. Important guidelines begin with the first step: review the content of the review for violations. These violations include:
- Fake content
- Clearly incentivized review
- Illegal content
- Harassment
Your accounts can notify the review platform of an inappropriate review. This process involves “flagging” it, noting the reason the review is inappropriate and waiting for the platform to respond.
Other times, negative online reviews are appropriate. A customer is calling out a business with a valid complaint. In these cases, quick action is mandatory. The marketers must publicly acknowledge the complaint. After looking into the situation, they should offer an apology or an explanation. If the reviewer seems to become emotional, advise your account to remove strong feelings from any response. In fact, the best course of action is to encourage the reviewer to contact the marketer through a one-
This step shows that your account is working on the issue. And it also shifts the conflict from public view.
Don’t let negative online reviews sink your account’s reputation. Work with them to solicit, manage and respond to consumer comments. Their quick action can translate into higher revenue.
Image by Hamza Samad on Pexels
