The eCommerce market grew exponentially throughout the Covid era, as people stayed home and spent liberally. Yet there stays a pervasive sense of distrust in relation to online transactions, meaning eCommerce businesses are having to rely less on customer reviews for social proof. Fake reviews result in misjudged buying decisions. In turn, leveraging your online reviews can actually negatively impact your brand, because most customers can’t confidently spot fakes.
None of that is to say that customer reviews don’t have their place in 2023—they still most actually do, as I see time and again with clients at my performance marketing agency, Pixated. Rather, you only have to be savvy with when and the way you promote them—and exercise smart damage control for those who inadvertently use fake reviews and get caught out.
How Do You Actually Define a Fake Review?
A fake review is one written with the intent to deceive. Most of the time they’re created by individuals who’ve never used the services or products, and perhaps have never even interacted with the corporate. Sometimes fake reviews do come from real customers, but their feedback is entirely at odds with their actual experience.
Far more businesses than you would possibly imagine enlisting the services of review generation bots—and in truth, entire firms exist solely to supply fake reviews. Elsewhere, some businesses offer customers rewards for fake reviews, and others leave brutal feedback excoriating a competitor pretending to be a highly dissatisfied customer.
What Kind of Damage Can Fake Reviews Cause?
As marketers, sometimes it’s price stepping outside our bubble and remembering that few customers spend their days interested by the net realm like we do. So while to us it could appear obvious that online reviews should often be taken with a pinch of salt, that belies the incontrovertible fact that 91% of individuals still trust online reviews as much as a private advice.
Of course, businesses with less-than-honourable intentions are fully aware of the general public’s trust in online reviews—and the nefarious actions of a minority sadly affect us all. And as customers are exposed more often and more egregiously to fake reviews, they develop into desensitised to the unique purpose of that online review function, and lose at the very least some trust in all brands, irrespective of how genuinely reputable.
82% of shoppers would avoid a brand altogether if it broke their trust, and despite most still having faith in online reviews, your average user is now more vigilant than ever, and won’t hesitate to report fake reviews. Hundreds of internet sites exist to teach shoppers on the best way to spot a fake review, and a number of big brands have been busted abusing the system. Take skincare brand Sunday Riley, lambasted for asking employees to depart fake positive reviews on Sephora, and Aukey, faraway from Amazon after it emerged that the accessory manufacturer had been paying customers for positive reviews.
The allure of pretend reviews and their promise of boosting sales has enticed many otherwise clean and honest business owners. But in doing so that you risk seriously diminishing your brand’s fame and credibility, sometimes irreparably. Ironically, this bad press also takes an axe to your sales figures—the precise opposite effect from what you’d hoped for. It requires smart and sincere fame management to place things right.
How Can You Recover from a Fake Review Reputation Crisis?
Assess the Damage
It all begins with a web based fame audit. Just how severe is the damage from these fake online reviews? Have you received backlash? If so, how public and far-reaching? Which of your channels has been affected?
Ideate an Online Reputation Repair Strategy
While it’s possible to report fake reviews in your profile—be they negative or indeed positive—ultimately you have got no control over what others are saying about your brand. You need to make use of the insights garnered out of your online fame audit to know the best way to fix the situation. Reporting fake reviews in your profile is an excellent start, but when the damage has been severe then you might have to call a PR firm, and even spend money on skilled fame repair services.
Offer a Sincere Apology
If you’ve been using fake reviews deliberately, sometimes one of the best fame repair is to easily take responsibility and apologize. It’s demanding, however it’s loads higher than getting defensive over the indefensible. We’ve all made mistakes in our time, and loads more of your customers than you would possibly think will respect the humility and honesty it takes to publicly own up, especially for those who achieve this in a way that shows real regret.
Defend Your Brand’s Reputation
Of course, you might be innocent of any wrongdoing and the victim of a smear campaign from a competitor or offended customer. Be mindful of staying civil and skilled in any respect times when refuting harmful and erroneous claims about your organization—but stand your ground.
Customer Trust Must Always Be of the Utmost Importance
Online reviews are a double-edged sword. They’re a wonderful tool for showing off your brand in a fast and accessible manner to prospective customers—but for that reason, they’re also liable to abuse, each from rivals and from previous customers who disliked your services or products.
Unfortunately, engaging in any way with the net realm means your corporation may at one time or one other be vulnerable to a fake reviews crisis. And even when that happens, sometimes it’s the case that you simply just need to draw a line, pick your battles, and not get embroiled in a case of he said–she said, especially when the damage of 1 fake review is lesser than the time and effort it’s going to take you to have it removed and the perpetrator handled.
As long as you stay squeaky-clean and manage your fame smartly, you give your brand one of the best possible likelihood to learn from all those authentic stellar reviews left by blissful customers.
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