Are you screaming to be reviewed Online?
A lot of companies think that they live and die on the reviews that they get. So, I thought I would talk about some of the psychology behind the online review. So why do people review a business? This question can’t be answered by a simple generalisation of the public. But here are my thoughts on them.
The good review
This one is when someone is either very happy with your service or you have asked them to review you because you need to increase your ranking.
The bad review
This comes from someone who is dissatisfied by their dealing with you. So let’s look at why someone would want to give a bad review. It is generally because they have lost some kind of control over the situation. The order was late, served not to their liking or they are just angry about something.
People do read reviews
Reviews are a good way for other customers to find out about your business, so they are important. The point system can destroy you if you don’t watch them.
The star or point rating system
The rating you receive on your profile is the average of all the reviews that you receive. This means that if you receive 10, 5-star reviews then you have a 5-star rating, Well done! But what if someone then gives you a 1-star review this will drastically reduce your average. You are no longer a 5-star company but a 4.6-star company. Unfortunately, 10 people have said you were great and only 1 has said otherwise, so now you suffer a mediocre review. In a way the 1 bad reviewer has more control over the situation than the 10 other reviewers. Get another bad review and the situation gets worse.
Here are some things to help you get a better online profile
- Respond immediately
- Always be polite and apologetic to someone’s complaint
- Never get personal
- Never engage in an argument online
The most important thing is to know your brand
If you know your brand and have a strong one it will outweigh any review system. Your customers will swear by you and will keep coming back. So, encourage them to take the time to give a review of their experience. Ask them to make comments and not just a rating.