4 Ways to Protect Your Business from Review Sabotage
4 Ways to Protect Your Business from Review Sabotage
These days, people searching for goods and services turn to the internet as their first point of reference. Increased visibility is a double-edged sword and unfortunately, the websites we use to promote our businesses can be breeding grounds for malice. Learn how to protect yourself from review sabotage, with these 4 options.
Encourage happy customers to write positive reviews. Right after the experience, when their memory is still fresh, ask customers to review your business online. Some people never have their services reviewed because they are AFRAID to ask. Don’t be! A happy customer wants to see your business succeed. Just make their ability to review as easy possible – a link in a thank you email, review widgets on your webpage and a QR code on your business card are three great ways. Word of mouth is a powerful form of advertising, even among strangers on the internet. The more detailed, positive reviews, the better. So remember. Just ask!
Respond to negative reviews. Every one star review can impact a business' revenue by 5 to 9% (Harvard Business School), more if you have minimal reviews and the only reviews seen are bad reviews. When you receive a bad review, DO NOT react emotionally. If you suspect the review may not be valid, ask the reviewer when and where services were rendered, by whom, and how they would like you to remedy the situation. Don't be afraid to call out “clients” whom you've never heard of, and have no record of rendering services to. By showing that you are willing to do what is necessary to keep a customer happy, you send a message to future clients that you are paying close attention to your business, its reputation and customer satisfaction.
Report false negative reviews. This one can be time consuming and not always effective, but necessary. Yelp has a better overall track record of removing fake reviews from their platform than Facebook or Google. If the review is in strict violation of Facebook or Google’s guidelines, they will investigate. You can false reviews to Facebook and Google or flag the reviewer’s page. If threatening language is involved, contact the police, and include the police report in your report to the platform. If a reviewer is particularly malicious or persistent, you can also seek legal alternatives. If the process if too time-consuming, ObjectionCo and other online management services automatically flag fake reviews and/or find terms of service violations, making the report process more efficient.
Shut it down. Only after all other options have been looked into, should this be considered. Discontinue the reviews section of a page if you're getting inundated with false negatives and reports are getting you nowhere. These could be coming from robots, paid shills from competition, or malicious people using fake names. You may even need to remove your listing altogether from an online directory or social media platform. While a seemingly extreme last resort, you can shut it down while coming with a strategy to relaunch.
Online reviews are a great way to promote your business. Using these 4 tips you can protect the integrity of your pages, ensuring that prospective clients get an honest picture of your business, your services, and most importantly, you.
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