Every business owner is concerned about their company's reputation. The lengths we go to keep our image clean can often be surprising, and though negative feedback can help us improve, it is never something we look forward to. However, some businesses are turning to alternative practices in order to manage their corporate image.
The Dangers of Artificially Boosting Your Business
Have you considered buying fake online reviews to boost your businesses' reputation? If so, you might want to think again. Besides being a morally questionable practice, it is actually illegal. In September of 2013 it was announced that the practice of writing or commissioning fake reviews is punishable by as much as $100,000 in fines. The practice is known as "astroturfing" and should definitely be avoided.
It's something that still happens regularly, although many are reconsidering the feasibility of this practice after seeing the major penalties associated with it. The 2013 crackdown forced a number of businesses to change the way they operate, but for the better. Not being able to rely on false reviews means an increase in efforts to actually improve business practices, which is certainly something we all want.
Yelp has its own way of dealing with reviews it sees as fake. It will put a warning on your business' Yelp page, warning potential customers of your dishonesty:
Update (June 9, 2015): Yelp is now adding evidence to these fraud alerts, so potential customers can see see for themselves the lengths the business took to improve its rating. Read more here.
The Karma of Harming Competitors
For those thinking about writing or commissioning reviews to harm a rival business' reputation, don't forget, turnabout is fair play! When you start buying reviews that could negatively impact the reputation of a rival business, you have to keep in mind the possibility of someone doing the same to you. Eventually, we run the risk of destroying the credibility of all kinds of published reviews, meaning the public praise your efforts are getting will go unnoticed.
Most of all, keeping the web clean and free of misinformation should be our goal. The best way to make your restaurant or boutique stand out is through better service, the products, and an attention to quality in every detail. Although the occasional negative review is often unavoidable, an honest effort to keep customers happy should be the first line of defense against dissatisfaction. If you are still concerned about the impact negative reviews may have on your company, the key is intercepting this feedback before it hits the web.
We can help you with that.