There’s no denying that online reviews have become an extremely important part of the shopping experience. Many customers are likely to check a business’s online review ratings before visiting that store in person. If you run an eCommerce business or have plans to start one soon, you might be thinking about joining an online review company to help boost your product ratings. These companies will agree to post positive reviews on your behalf in exchange for some sort of compensation.
There are many different types of these services, and they can come with both pros and cons. You need to understand exactly what you’re getting yourself into before agreeing to work with any particular company. This article will explain everything you need to know about these services so that you can make an informed decision about whether or not they are right for your business.
What is an Online Review Company?
An online review company is a business that helps eCommerce businesses improve their online reputation through positive online reviews. The review companies may work directly with the businesses, or they may work with a 3rd-party marketing company that in turn manages these relationships.
The review companies facilitate the process by connecting reviewers with businesses that have agreed to pay for positive reviews. To understand how these companies work, it’s important to know that most online review websites have strict rules about posting fake reviews.
If a website’s staff finds out that a certain product review was phony, they will not only remove that review but also ban the company from posting any further reviews on the site. Therefore, to post positive reviews on behalf of your business, the review companies have to employ a fake-proof system.
How Do Online Review Companies Work?
Online review companies typically work with reviewers who are willing to leave positive reviews in exchange for a small payment or a free product sample. Since these reviewers don’t work for the companies that they’re reviewing, they can’t be paid in cash. Instead, they get a small gift as a token of appreciation.
The online review company will work with your company to select a gift or payment amount and then post a review on your behalf on the appropriate review site(s). The review company may help you select which sites to post your reviews on, but they cannot guarantee that the sites will approve your company’s reviews.
The review company will also assist with any follow-up communication with the reviewers and with monitoring the progress of the review process. Once your reviews have been posted, the review company will track each review to see if and when it was removed by the review site.
Why Do Businesses Use Online Review Companies?
There are plenty of reasons why businesses may choose to work with online review companies.
Convenient
First, they can be very convenient. These companies usually offer online booking services that make scheduling reviews easy. This can be a huge help if you are a very busy business owner and don’t have the time or energy to manually ask your customers to leave reviews for you.
In addition, online review companies make it much easier to get reviews from customers who don’t typically leave feedback. If you want positive reviews but don’t know how to ask for them, this is a great option. These companies usually offer incentives to customers who leave reviews. All of this can make it easier to get a good reputation. If you’re just starting, it can take time to build up enough positive reviews to show customers that you’re trustworthy. If you use an online review company, you can jumpstart this process by getting multiple reviews quickly.
Make You Look Trustworthy
Online review companies will contact your customers to ask if they would be willing to leave a review for your business. If they agree, they will leave a positive review on your business’s page. This can make customers more likely to continue shopping with you in the future. Because these reviews are on your page, they will look very legitimate.
Customers know that you didn’t leave the reviews yourself, so they know you aren’t trying to skew the ratings. The only way for you to get more reviews is to keep asking your customers for them. If you do this, many customers will likely ignore you. Using an online review company gives you a way to get results quickly without having to repeatedly ask your customers for things they may not want to do.
Saves Time
As mentioned above, online review companies take the hassle out of asking your customers for reviews – and they do this very quickly. Some companies allow you to request reviews at any time. This means that you can get reviews even while you’re closed.
This is convenient for customers, too. Instead of having to make an appointment to visit your store, they can leave a review at any time during the day. This means that you can get more reviews in less time. You may be able to get reviews that would usually take weeks using this method in only a few days. This can save you a lot of effort and annoyance.
Make You More Visible
This one is a bit more of a long-term benefit. Once you have a large number of positive reviews, you may be able to use them to get more customers. Many social media sites let you pay to have your ad shown to more people.
If your positive reviews show up next to your ad, it will make you seem more trustworthy and reliable. This could be very helpful as you try to start growing your business. This is especially true if you plan to expand your business internationally. In many countries, you may have a harder time getting customers compared to in your home country. Using an online review company can help you make inroads in these areas.
How to Find Reputable Online Review Companies
Check If The Company Is Real
If you decide that an online review company is right for your business, the first step is to make sure that the company you choose is legitimate. This can be a tricky process since it’s hard to know for sure whether or not a review company is legitimate unless you’ve used it before.
Check The Company’s Website
There are a few things that you can check for, though, that may help you to figure out which review companies are more trustworthy than others. One of the easiest things to check is the company’s website. Are they posting reviews from customers who have received products from other companies? That’s not a good sign.
If you see mostly reviews from the company’s staff members, that’s a sign that you should stay away from them. Furthermore, you can try to find out how long the company has been in business and what kind of reputation it has in the industry. If you can, try to find reviews written by people who have used this specific company before.
Read Reviews Of The Company
You should also read reviews of the businesses that you’re thinking about hiring. This can help you decide which company is best for you and give you an idea of what to expect from each one. If you see some negative reviews, don’t ignore them. Instead, consider them carefully and make sure they are valid.
Nothing is perfect, and there are bound to be some dissatisfied customers no matter which company you choose. Make sure you consider all the information available to you so that you can make an informed decision.
Final Words
Online review companies can be useful tools, but they come with some potential drawbacks. Like any business relationship, it’s essential to do your research and make sure that you’re working with a reputable company.
If you’re careful, though, you may be able to find an online review company that is a good fit for your business. In turn, these companies can help you boost your online sales and improve your brand image.
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What to Expect When You Hire an Online Review Company
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