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This put up was sponsored by ReviewInc, opinions expressed on this article are the sponsor’s personal.
You get that notification of a brand new evaluate in your inbox.
Subsequent, you maintain your breath and recite a brief prayer earlier than opening the e-mail.
You’re bracing your self for a unfavourable evaluate.
Enterprise house owners such as you often expertise this dread; you understand an image can say a thousand phrases – so can a evaluate (even with a personality restrict).
We all know shoppers rely closely on opinions for his or her enterprise choices.
Subsequently, your first thought could also be to place your greatest foot ahead and keep away from any negativity just like the plague.
Nonetheless, typically dangerous is sweet.
Ought to I Take away Unfavorable Evaluations?
Chances are you’ll be stunned, however no, don’t delete unfavourable opinions.
It appears counterintuitive, however belief us – unfavourable opinions have a really constructive affect in your model, gross sales, and search engine end result web page (SERP) visibility.
Allow us to clarify.
Can Unhealthy Evaluations Be Good?
Sure! Unhealthy opinions may be good, particularly after we’re speaking about on-line opinions.
Why Is Some Negativity Good When It Comes To On-line Evaluations?
Unbelievably, having too many constructive opinions is usually a purple flag to shoppers.
Extra individuals will belief a 4.7 ranking than an ideal 5-star ranking, in response to a examine by ReviewInc.
It is because some companies “recreation,” falsify, or present cost and exchanges for constructive opinions – and prospects know this.
Prospects know when one thing feels too good to be true, and when this occurs, they typically resolve to take their enterprise elsewhere.
Additionally, the FTC has rather a lot to say about bribing prospects for good opinions and gaming the system (and what they should say will not be what you need to hear).
That being stated, a very good ranking that features unfavourable opinions is a powerful indicator of authenticity, whatever the platform.
We all know what you’re considering subsequent.
How Usually Do Individuals Depart Unhealthy Evaluations?
The excellent news is dangerous opinions should not as frequent as you’d assume.
In 2022, ReviewInc carried out a survey and located that 65% of individuals don’t depart dangerous opinions once they have a unfavourable expertise.
That’s nice information!
It is usually fascinating to notice there was no measurable distinction within the gender; all genders reported an equal charge of avoiding writing unfavourable opinions.
In different phrases, the probability of getting a constructive evaluate is way greater than getting a unfavourable evaluate.
Based mostly on ReviewInc’s general measurements, 92% of opinions are constructive (and 96% of the constructive opinions are 5-star scores).
Lower than 5% of opinions 1-star opinions.
Outcomes from ReviewInc Google Survey, January 2022
So, what are the precise the explanation why unfavourable opinions are good for your small business?
Let’s dive into how dangerous opinions can truly enhance your model.
How Negative Reviews Help SEO & Online Reputation Management
By keeping your bad reviews in place and managing those reviews with online review management tools, your star ratings can:
- Help improve your overall SEO & visibility in search.
- Increase trust, loyalty, and customer base.
- Give insights into how you can improve your business for future growth.
1. Negative Reviews Provide Authentic SEO
Reviews and ratings on sites like Google, Facebook, and Yelp factor in Google search engine optimization rankings.
Google describes how reviews play a role in prominence in SEO rankings. Specifically, “High-quality, positive reviews from your customers can improve your business visibility and increase the likelihood that a shopper will visit your location.”
Encouraging all reviews and responding to them is a good practice that will enhance your local SEO and your online reputation.
When it comes to negative reviews, they tend to provide a necessary balance, as an abundance of fake “positive” reviews or biased reviews can result in all the reviews being suspended from a key review site which will heavily impact SEO.
Regardless, don’t fear a negative review, there is good news.
2. Negative Reviews Build Brand Trust & Loyalty
“The average review score on Yelp is 3.65, which is the lowest out of these platforms. The average reviews on the other major platforms are 4.42 on Facebook, 4.3 on Google, and 4.25 on TripAdvisor.” (Neil Patel)
While those numbers, especially on Yelp, can seem scary, the truth is that reviews are trust-building mechanisms that help customers know what they are getting into before purchasing.
In short, bad reviews are a necessary ingredient of authenticity, which ultimately can lead to more sales.
The trick is to use a sympathetic response, which will:
- Help future customers understand the context of a bad review.
- Show future customers that you understand their needs and will work to accommodate them.
- Show reviewers that you are there for them.
With this technique, a previously bad reviewer may actually update their review to a higher star rating.
According to Google’s guidelines, “When you reply to reviews, you post publicly as your business. Replies may not appear across Google immediately. However, reviewers will get a notification when you reply to their review. After they have a chance to read your reply, they can update their review.”
How Do I Respond To Negative Reviews?
We know that bad reviews often feel like bad news, but a well-crafted reply can neutralize the effect.
Responding appropriately to a negative review can also be seen by other customers.
How you handle the situation will matter more than the negative review. (Here are some tips on replying to a negative review).
Responding to reviews shows that a business cares about its service and reputation.
The response alone engenders higher confidence in a company.
3. Negative Reviews Help Improve Business Operations & Profits
So, what about that 1-star review?
There is a genuine benefit from negative reviews and what their intent should be.
Negative reviews tell a business what it needs to fix and improve.
This is especially important in today’s competitive environment.
Sometimes criticism can make us better as people and businesses.
If a customer has a frustrating experience and writes a review, it will draw your attention to an issue you may not have noticed:
- Is there a faulty product?
- Does a team member need guidance?
Not all bad reviews need to end a business – they can be an opportunity to improve and strengthen customer service.
How To Manage All Your Reviews
The high importance of online reviews and star ratings makes it necessary to have an online reputation management strategy.
It is vital to monitor your reviews, campaign for more reviews, and have a strategy to respond to all reviews.
After all, your response might influence a negative review to change into a positive one.
This strategy will enhance both a business reputation as well as its SEO.
With reputation management software, businesses can have a team overseeing their online reputation and all reviews left.
A good service will also have tools that help you compose responses and manage them.
The software allows your business team to respond quickly and appropriately, so you do not have to handle the stress of negative reviews.
Image Credits
Featured Image: : Phoenixns/Shutterstock
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