Online reviews are the new “word of mouth.” For years businesses relied on happy customers to relay their satisfaction to friends and family—aka, potential new customers—via word of mouth. But in today’s mobile world, word of mouth has been effectively replaced with online reviews.
With easy access to the Internet, consumers have changed the way they shop for pretty much every product or service available. Rarely does anyone make a purchase without looking up reviews online. It’s simply part of the decision-making process now, and it can be argued that reviews are now the most important part of the process.
According to Trustpilot, 9 out of 10 customers read online reviews before buying a product. But customers don’t just want to see the positive reviews, they want to read both the good and bad. In fact, 62% of consumers refuse to buy from brands that censor reviews. Authenticity and transparency are important to consumers and reviews tell a lot about a business.
We know positive online reviews can have a powerful impact on your business. But let’s face it, not every review you get will be positive. How you deal with fake or negative reviews can be nearly as impactful to potential customers as your positive reviews are.
Luckily, there are steps you can take to help deal with fake or negative reviews. Let’s focus first on negative reviews… Keep Reading