How many
of us leave reviews? Personally, I have
to be extremely upset or elated to leave one, but in today’s social media
frenzy, everybody’s dirty laundry is out to dry.
We can post just about anything we like or dislike. It’s our 1st amendment right on
steroids. Review this company, review
that product…it truly is endless. But how
much can we really believe?
From a
business standpoint, we obviously love and need the great reviews we receive,
but really have no control over what consumers write. There are companies out there, like
Reputation.com that have been established to help businesses keep some sort of control.
Simply because anybody can post false
information…just to be a jerk.
On the
flip side, there are most definitely companies who pay people to post ‘false
positive’ reviews as well. Shame Shame! As a consumer, I want to be assured the hotel
I’m staying at is actually clean, or the restaurant I’m going to is worth the
money or the dealer I purchasing a car from is trust worthy. And I want those reviews to be honest…good or
bad.
According to the 2011 Cone
Online Trend Tracker, 89% of consumers said they found online sources of
product and service reviews to be trustworthy, and that 80% of consumers
have changed their minds about a purchase based solely on negative information
they found online. That figure is up from 67% in 2010. Keep in mind however, good
product reviews carry their weight as well, with 87% of consumers stating a
favorable review has confirmed their decision to go through with a purchase.
People are leaving
reviews and they are certainly reading them! There will never be the perfect review process, but if there was,
this is all I'd like to see.
As a
business owner, a consumer can post a review and ME, the business owner can
respond regardless of whether the review is good or bad. For example, as a business owner I can
respond “hey thanks for that awesome review” or “I’m sorry Mr. Jones, how can I
make this right?” Maybe even 'thumbs up' and 'thumbs down' buttons.
As a
consumer, I simply want the flip side. I would like to be able to leave a positive or
negative review and know that the review will stand and be seen. I definitely want to get the business owner’s
point of view and LET THE CONSUMER DECIDE!
There I
said it! What’s your say?
Resources: www.digitaltrends.com
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