If you run a small company today or plan to start one tomorrow, one of the best ways to get more customers is through reviews. Not only will running an online business help you reach a wider audience, but it will also give you a better idea of how people are responding to your products and services. 

In other words, with the right strategy and marketing effort, running an online business can be one of the best ways to generate leads for your own personal or business brand. However, with so many new businesses popping up each day, it’s also easy for some new companies to get overlooked. 

As such, here’s what you need to know about fake online reviews and a compiled list of the top four types that you need to be aware of if you plan on getting your company out there and growing your business.

Customer Reliance on Online Reviews

Online customer reviews are one of the most important aspects of any business. Whether you are running a physical store or an eCommerce site, customer reviews are one of the most important metrics you can use to gauge the success of your company. 

In fact, according to one study, 80% of consumers use online customer reviews to decide whether or not they’re going to purchase a product. With this kind of reliance on reviews, it’s no surprise that fake online reviews are becoming more and more common. 

After all, if you have a product that people are willing to review, why would you bother with creating fake reviews, right? 

The Emergence of Fake Online Reviews

Over the years, we’ve seen the emergence of many new types of spam and fraudulent marketing campaigns. However, the emergence of fake online reviews is one trend that has become increasingly common. After all, if you have a product that people are willing to review, why would you bother with creating fake reviews, right? 

However, although it may feel like fake online reviews are more common than they are, there are a few reasons why fake customer reviews are becoming more and more prevalent. For one thing, the increase in online sales in recent years has led many companies to move away from in-person sales and marketing and toward online sales. 

That is, customers now expect to purchase products online. With so many new businesses popping up each day, it’s also easy for some new companies to get overlooked.

Top 4 Types of Fake Online Reviews

1. Bad Reviews

These types of fake reviews are often found in the business of competitors. However, there are two particular types of bad reviews that you need to be cautious of. First, there are the reviews that you give as a courtesy to people who purchased your product before you ever receive reviews. 

Once you get enough reviews, you can then begin to accept these reviews as your own, and from there, it’s simply a matter of offering your customers an improved experience. The second type of bad review is a false negative review. Most commonly, this type of review is found on online shopping websites. 

The reason for this is that many online retailers and eCommerce businesses have automated software that scans online reviews. If it detects a negative review, the system will adjust its sales and promotions so that it overpowers the bad review.

2. Fake Profiles

These fake profiles are often found on social media sites such as Facebook, Google+, and Twitter. These fake accounts are often used to create fake reviews that are not only negative but also contain a forged profile picture and incorrect age and location information. In most cases, these fake accounts use a similar profile picture and name to the original account’s owner.

3. Hype Reviews

While these types of fake reviews are often found on review sites like Yelp, they can also be found on social media sites such as Facebook, Google+, and Twitter. These types of fake reviews are often written in a high-pitched tone of voice. This is often used to get review sites to rank the content higher.

4. Incentivized Review

These types of fake reviews are often found on review sites such as Yelp, but they can also be found on social media sites such as Facebook, Google+, and Twitter. These types of fake reviews are often written in a tone of voice and with a specific vocabulary that appears to be written by a native English speaker. 

This is often done to trick the review site into thinking that the review is written by a native English speaker. The second type of incentivized reviews is known as “bribes or paid reviews.” 

These types of fake reviews are often written by company employees who are rewarded or incentivized with cash for writing fake reviews. These company reviews are often written in a specific style to trick the review site into thinking that the review is genuine.

What to Do With Fake Online Reviews?

Running an online business can be a great way to generate leads for your business. After all, with the right strategy and marketing effort, running an online business can be one of the best ways to generate leads for your own personal or business brand. 

However, with so many new businesses popping up each day, it’s also easy for some new companies to get overlooked. After all, it can be difficult to get customers to notice your business and make a purchase. That is, it can be difficult to get your name out there and generate leads for your business. 

However, with fake online reviews being more and more common, it’s also important to be aware of the fake reviews that are being posted online. With this in mind, we’ve compiled a list of the top five types of fake reviews that you need to be aware of if you plan on getting your company out there and growing your business.

Unbiased or Real User Review

These types of fake reviews are often found on review sites such as Yelp, but they can also be found on social media sites such as Facebook, Google+, and Twitter. These types of fake reviews are often written in a tone of voice and with a specific vocabulary that appears to be written by a native English speaker. 

This is often done to trick the review site into thinking that the review is genuine. The last type of fake review is the unbiased fake review. These types of reviews are often found in the form of user comments on online products or articles. 

These types of fake reviews are often written in a tone of voice and appear to be written by a genuine user. They are almost always written in a specific way to appear to be genuine and uninfluenced.

Valuing Real User Review

We know that fake online reviews are dangerous, but what about real user reviews? While real user reviews are great for any business, even fake ones, they are not the same as unbiased or fake user review signs. Now, valuing your real user reviews is crucial. Why? 

It’s because it shows potential new clients that other people value your business with their own hard-earned money. Now, how you go about valuing your real user reviews is up to you. For example, you could run an online survey, and ask your clients to leave a review wherever possible, or you could use a program like InstaVid. 

Whatever method you choose, it needs to be meaningful. Meaningful user reviews show potential new clients that you have a genuine experience with your services. They also act as a reminder to clients that they were satisfied with their experience.

Final Words

Running an online business can be one of the best ways to generate leads for your own personal or business brand. That said, you must take the time to research online reviews and make sure that you’re receiving genuine feedback. 

With so many new businesses popping up online, you must find a way to stand out. With that being said, what you can do is try to find a way to make your customers feel like they’re getting more than what they paid for.

Doing so will help you keep the balls in the air and prevent fake online reviews from ruining your online reputation.

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