Online Reviews

Online reviews and websites are not a new trend, but business owners are still not totally convinced they should take the time to worry about them. As the world moves into a more digitally connected era, businesses need to understand that websites like Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google plus Local and even Facebook are the new word of mouth - and they are not going away any time soon. Actually, they are probably just going to grow bigger.

Positive online reviews are a major asset in any business’s local SEO campaign and can go a long way in boosting the company’s reputation. Negative reviews have the opposite effect and badly affect their fortunes. Recent reports indicate that businesses are taking a very serious view of bad reviews and suing the reviewer – which could be a consumer or a competitor.

Online Reviews Influence Buying Decisions

Now how much do online reviews matter to consumers as well as businesses? Most consumers read online reviews before they make a decision about a company. A BrightLocal consumer survey conducted in 2014 revealed that during the previous year, almost 9 out of 10 consumers had relied on reviews to make a decision on a local business. This means that reviews do matter for businesses. In this knowledge-driven world, reviews can boost or break the reputation of shops, restaurants, service providers, establishments and even hospitals.

Fake Reviews Will Land You in Big Trouble

While it is rare for businesses to take people posting negative reviews about them to court, since it causes more harm to their prospects, instances such as these are a possibility. But what’s even more severe is posting fake reviews. While the concept sounds deplorable, it is still practiced. But the consequences of getting caught could be pretty severe.

How to Write an Online Review

But this Staten Island instance does throw light on how far you can go in posting negative reviews. The lady has used words such as “con artist” to describe the business owner who offered her poor and hugely dissatisfying service. She said he was running a to “rob” people. As a consumer, you may be wronged by a business establishment. You are free to put up negative reviews, but make sure you go about the right way. Here are some points that you need to keep in mind when you write reviews – good or bad.

Be honest and do not make up stories, especially damaging ones as these will definitely put you in legal trouble.

If you intend to write a negative review, make sure it’s true and that you have solid proof. If are taken to court, you need to prove that what you said is true.

Be specific about your problem. Risks of inducing litigation would be minimal with a well-written, explicit review.

Talk to the company directly. Tell them that they are not up to the mark. Having a record that you acted conscientiously will work in your favor.

Advice for Businesses – Get Positive Reviews through Better Service

The best way to get positive reviews for your business is to provide better service for your customers and then encourage them to post favorable reviews on social media or business listings. This can be done through email requests that are not spam-like in nature. The emails should be of the kind which your customer wouldn’t delete on first sight, but rather go through them and possibly carry out the action. Good reviews can even offset the effects of negative reviews. If you do get a negative review, respond carefully. You can also get professional advice on managing your online reputation from Intelligent-networks.com that provides reputation management services.

Intelligent-networks.com Reviews

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