Fake online reviews are a growing problem. Many businesses rely on online reviews to attract customers, and some unscrupulous businesses will go to great lengths to generate fake positive reviews. In some cases, businesses will create fake accounts and write their own glowing reviews. In other cases, they will pay people to write fake reviews.
This is not only dishonest, but it can also be difficult for consumers to spot. Fake reviews often look very similar to real ones, and they can be hard to tell apart.
The best way to avoid being misled by fake reviews is to do your own research. Read multiple reviews, look for patterns, and try to get a sense of the overall consensus. And if something seems too good to be true, it probably is.
‘Astroturfing’ In The Modern Era
The practice of putting up false reviews on businesses can have devastating consequences for both businesses and consumers.
As popular reviews websites such as Yelp and Google My Business grew, popular false reviews began gaining attention as they became more common – and opened the door to fakes – which is now called an opportunistic “Astroturf” tactic.
Astroturfing describes promoting advertising that appears naturally occurring but is actually defined by an industry in a business context.
The Consequences Of Fake Reviews
Sometimes companies write false reviews for the sake of improving their reputation or attracting incoming business. Often called astroturfing, it’s a practice to write or broadcast false reviews that the average customer might consider a neutral third-party testimonial.
Astroturfing not only breaches consumer loyalty reviews. A lot more credibility will be destroyed by such actions from others. You may get caught with false review posts.
Is It Illegal To Write a Fake Review?
Fake reviews are an infringement of business review terms. If your brand reputation is damaged by a false review you could face legal action. Offering your customers incentives for submitting unbiased feedback can be damaging. A review of a product is regarded as an endorsement.
When a person has given the sponsorship to a business that receives the endorsement, the incentive must explicitly be stated or compensated for it.
Best Way To Stop Fake Reviews?
Is it safe to use a fake review website when it is found on a fake review website?
All review sites have their own monitoring and flagging protocols and we’ll explain how to remove false reviews on google.com
When you have reviewed the reviews online on Google it is advisable to flag those comment that you believe to be fake. If a review is flagged as a suspicious review it will notify Google of the review’s need.
How To Spot Fake Reviews Online
Here are some things that we can do to spot Fake reviews-
Pay Attention To The Language
One of the easiest ways to spot a fake review is to pay attention to the language that is used. Many times, you will see reviews that are vague and do not say much about the product or service. They may also use language that is not natural or sounds like it was written by someone who is not a native English speaker.
2. Be Cautious Of Black And White Thinking
Another thing to look for in a fake review is black and white thinking. This means that the reviewer will either love the product or service and give it five stars, or they will hate it and give it one star. There are very rarely any in-between reviews. If you see a review that is either all good or all bad, it is likely that it is fake.
3. Look For A Disproportionate Number Of Reviews
When you are looking at reviews, take note of how many reviews there are. If there are only a handful of reviews and they all seem to be glowing, it is possible that they are fake. On the other hand, if there are hundreds or even thousands of reviews and they are all positive, that is also a red flag. In general, you should be suspicious of any business that has a disproportionate number of reviews.
4. Check The Timestamps
Another thing to look at when you are trying to spot fake reviews is the timestamp. If you see a bunch of post that were all posted within a short period of time, or if they are all posted on the same day, that is another red flag. This could mean that someone was paid to write a bunch of fake reviews all at once.
5. Check For Similarities In The Reviews
When you are reading reviews, take note of whether or not they all seem to be saying the same thing. If they are, that is another sign that they may be fake. This is especially true if the reviews are all short and lack specifics.
How To Push Back On Fake Reviews
If you own a business, you may have received a fake review at some point. These reviews can be damaging to your business, and they can be difficult to remove.
The best way to push back against fake reviews is to take action as soon as you see them.
First, try to reach out to the customer who left the review and try to resolve the issue offline.
If that doesn’t work, you can flag the review as being inappropriate.
Most review sites have systems in place to remove fake reviews, but it can be a long and drawn-out process.
In the meantime, you can also take steps to offset the damage by encouraging your satisfied customers to leave positive reviews.
What Are The Long-Term Effects Of Fake Reviews?
The long-term effects of fake reviews can be quite damaging. Not only can they damage your business’s reputation, but they can also lead to legal action by the companies.
Fake reviews can also make it difficult for you to get an honest opinion from your customers, as they may be suspicious of your motives.
If you suspect that you have received a fake review, the best course of action is to take action as soon as possible.
Flag the review, reach out to the customer and take steps to offset the damage. With time and effort, you can minimize the impact of fake reviews on your business.
Torturing, also known as “brushing”, is the practice of creating false user accounts for the purpose of artificially inflating the number of positive reviews for a product, service, or individual.
This dishonest marketing tactic can have serious consequences for businesses and consumers alike. For businesses, torturing can damage their reputation and bottom line, while consumers may be duped into buying a sub-par product or service.
Troturfing is difficult to detect and even harder to prove, but there are a few tell-tale signs that can help you spot fake reviews. For example, trotted reviews often:
-Are short and lack detail
-Have poor grammar and spelling
-Include biased or superlative language (“best ever,” “worst ever,” etc.)
-Use excessive exclamation points!!!
-Are from new or unverified users
If you come across a review that meets one or more of these criteria, take it with a grain of salt. In addition, be sure to check out the reviewer’s profile to see if they have any other reviews. If they don’t, that’s another red flag.
The Problem Of Fake Online Reviews
It is a difficult one to solve. After all, anyone can create a fake account and leave a false review.
However, there are a few things businesses can do to combat this problem.
First, they can encourage their satisfied customers to leave reviews. This will help offset the damage caused by fake reviews.
Second, they can take steps to flag suspicious reviews. This will notify the review site of the need to investigate the review.
Finally, businesses can take legal action against those who leave fake reviews. This may deter others from engaging in this dishonest practice.
While there is no sure-fire way to stop fake reviews, taking these steps will help protect your business from the damage they can cause.
Things That Businesses Can Do To Combat Fake Reviews?
There are a few things businesses can do to combat fake reviews.
First, they can encourage their satisfied customers to leave reviews. This will help offset the damage caused by fake reviews.
Second, they can take steps to flag suspicious reviews. This will notify the review site of the need to investigate the review.
Finally, businesses can take legal action against those who leave fake reviews. This may deter others from engaging in this dishonest practice.
While there is no sure-fire way to stop fake reviews, taking these steps will help protect your business from the damage they can cause.
Conclusion
While it’s important to take all reviews with a grain of salt, it seems that the majority of fake online reviews are coming from businesses or companies rather than consumers.
This may be an attempt to boost sales or ratings, but in the long run, these false reviews can do more harm than good.
Businesses should be wary of leaving fake reviews themselves and consumers should be aware of what red flags to look for when reading helpful online reviews.
Have you ever encountered a fake review? Let us know in the comments below!
Also, Read-
