It seems like every other day, we hear about a new online review problem. This can come as a shock to people who have only recently realized that the internet has largely turned into a platform for negative reviews.
While it may seem like there are no positive reviews left, the truth is that there are many businesses that have discovered ways to minimize the effects of bad online reviews and increase customer trust by mitigating potential risks.
While it’s important to stay ahead of potential problems and respond to negative reviews as soon as possible, businesses should also be aware of existing problems so they can take action before something worse happens. Below we discuss common problems you might see when monitoring your business’s online presence, as well as some solutions you can use to mitigate them.
Role of Online Reviews
As we discussed above, one of the best things about having an online presence is being able to instantly create a customer experience that will leave them feeling positive. When someone searches for your products or services online, your business’s first result will almost surely be a positive one.
Furthermore, the more traffic your website receives, the more positive online reviews you’ll receive, which will then encourage more people to visit your site and leave positive reviews too. While it may seem like there are no positive reviews left, the truth is that many businesses are still thriving thanks to the power of positive reviews.
Brands like Pampers, Under Armour, and Ikea have leveraged their positive online reviews to great success and are consistently making sales and seeing impressive growth.
Online Reviews Problems
As we’ve discussed, online reviews are a vital part of every business’s strategy to have more customers. However, there are risks involved with every type of connection, and online reviews are no exception. While it’s important to respond to negative reviews as soon as you can, especially if the problem lies with the customer’s review source, there are also risks associated with not responding.
These risks can include the potential for a bad relationship with future customers, negative PR for the business, and even possible lawsuits. While it’s important to stay ahead of potential problems and respond to negative reviews as soon as possible, businesses should also be aware of existing problems so they can take action before something worse happens.
Below we discuss common problems you might see when monitoring your business’s online presence, as well as some solutions you can use to mitigate them.
Negative Online Reviews
When a customer is unhappy with a product or service, it’s natural to post an online review. However, many people don’t realize that doing so is a breach of contract and a possible crime. If a customer is unhappy with a product or service, he or she can file a dispute with the retailer and ask for a refund. However, doing so is a breach of contract, as well as a possible crime.
How to Handle Negative Online Reviews?
Fortunately, there are ways to reduce the risk of getting mauled by negative online reviews. The most important thing you can do is be upfront and honest with your customers.
If they have a problem with your product or service, say so. If they need more information, provide it. If they have a question, ask it. If they are just looking for a place to rant and rave, chances are that they will be disappointed.
Fake Online Reviews
There are lots of ways to get a fake online review. You can purchase a fake online review from a third-party site, or you can create your own. The first thing you’ll need is a copy of your business’s register.
This can usually be found on the back of your business license or in the Office of the Registrar of Companies. It’s important to note that the Office of the Registrar of Companies is the same body that issues business cards.
If someone creates a fake review, they will typically leave a phone number or other details that can be found in your business’s register. Unfortunately, this is another common way to get a fake online review.
How to Handle Fake Online Reviews?
If you think a customer is fake reviewing your product or service, there are a couple of things you can do. The first is to ask the customer to write a real review. Then, request a refund. If the customer does not want a refund, tell them that you would like them to write a real review and for them to send you the written product.
This way, you can take a closer look and see if it is legitimate. If it is not, you can return it, keep the original and get a refund from the customer.
Time Consuming
As we mentioned above, time is a crucial factor when it comes to resolving issues with fake online reviews. If you want to reduce the risk of fake online reviews, it is beneficial to reduce the time that customers are spending on your site.
This will prevent you from being overwhelmed with reviews that are not genuine, and it will also free up some of your resources to focus on what matters: your product or service.
How to Manage Time Properly
This is one of the most important things you can do to address the problems with fake online reviews. The more time customers have to browse your site, the less likely it is for them to come across a negative review.
If you have a quick and easy site that takes less than a minute to load, customers may not have a chance to leave one. This will result in a low rate of customer satisfaction.
Competitive Market
If you are in a competitive market, it’s important to make sure that your site is competitive enough to attract customers. If you are selling products or services that are generally similar to those being offered by your competitors, you are strengthening your hand when you are faced with a potentially fake review. This could make you less likely to receive a true review from a real customer, as well as from a potential fake customer.
How to Cope With the Competitive Market?
This is one of the easier ones to tackle. All you need to do is change your site architecture to make it so visitors can only leave reviews on the main page. If most people are signing off your page with a satisfied or negative message, you will have far fewer reviews to deal with.
Online Reviews Has More Advantages
Although it can be nerve-wracking to try to monitor your business’s online presence 24/7, it’s easier than you might think. With a little bit of effort, you can make sure that positive reviews are being posted online and onto your business’s social media channels, and that negative reviews are being stamped out quickly and without delay.
Online reviews can also be a free marketing strategy for the business. Using this with proper knowledge can lead to more customers, more sales, and higher profit. But there is more than that, online reviews can also be the way to reach more connections, improve SEO rankings and have better conversions.
Wrapping Up
These are just a few of the issues you might come across when monitoring your business’s online presence. Even though the Internet can be a wonderful tool for marketing and business growth, it can also be abused by those looking to find fault with products or services.
There are likely to be hundreds more, depending on how successful you are, and how well your business is doing. The best way to combat these problems is to be upfront and honest with your customers and respond to negative reviews as soon as possible.
While it’s important to take positive feedback seriously and use it as a barometer to see where you stand as a business, being aware of potential problems can help you better respond to negative reviews and minimize the damage they do. If you ever find yourself in the unfortunate position of receiving a negative online review, try to identify the problems first so you can deal with them before they cause any damage.
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