When a good review can hurt your business

All business owners know that the key to staying open is positive word-of-mouth reviews. With the advent of the internet, that word of mouth has gone online, with the vast majority of customers now checking online reviews before making a purchase decision. One would think that getting a good review would be a good thing in all cases. And you would be wrong.

An online review only works for a business if it is legitimate and is obtained through an evaluation of the product sold, the customer service involved, the price, and other important considerations that go into making an honest purchasing decision. Unfortunately, there has been an unwelcome increase in the number of instances where an unscrupulous owner places a review online in hopes of gaining more positive attention and more sales for their business. It’s a bit like playing Russian roulette because consumers have become more sophisticated in spotting impostor reviews and government regulators have become more aggressive in removing fake posts.

Here are several reasons why a good review can backfire if placed as part of a fake review strategy:

Fake reviews destroy trust. If your business is reported for using impostor reviews and you get caught doing it, there’s no way it’s going to translate to anything good for your customer base. Trust is a key element in a highly competitive online environment, and when you’ve lost that trust, you’ve likely lost that customer forever.

Fake reviews can kill your bottom line. Scam reviews are not only a bad idea, but if a business is caught, they will most likely face fines and penalties. The largest companies have been fined millions of dollars for posting false reviews and false advertising online. Smaller online businesses may not be able to afford the financial penalties they could incur if they get caught up in a bogus review scheme.

Fake reviews often sound too good to be true. Faced with a barrage of information online, consumers have become smarter than ever. Many are becoming adept at spotting reviews that sound contrived or too good to be true. Even if you manage to attract customers based on glowing scam reviews, customers will know they’ve been scammed when they see the reality of your business. And when that happens, they will skew your business with a new set of negative online reviews that will damage your credibility and your bottom line.

Fake reviews kill local search performance. If your reviews are tagged as fake, your local search performance will suffer and your online visibility will drop like a stone. You’ll miss out on valuable opportunities to connect with new customers and you won’t be able to deliver an experience that matches their expectations.