A business having negative reviews is not a bad business. Also, negative reviews are not bad reviews. Some business owners try to hide them, and they are ashamed of having them, but most of them don’t know how to use negative reviews to actually increase their income.
The reality of negative reviews
While you may think negative reviews have a bad impact on your business, put yourself in the shoes of your customers. Not one of them expects 100% perfect performance from your business. In fact, it’s expected to have some difficulties with your product, services and customers sometimes. Real life is not perfect. If you don’t have any negative comments, you become suspicious to prospective customers.
Plus, your negative reviews make the other side of the coin look better. When a business is not afraid to show all of their reviews, they act like there’s nothing to hide from their customers. If you show your negative reviews as well, your positive reviews gain more credibility by your customers. It shows the real picture; some people were unhappy, but the majority loved your product.
In 2013, Harvard Business School conducted research, and they found that the majority of visitors trust reviews more when they see positive and negative comments too. When they could see only positive reviews, 95% thought that the reviews were screened by the company or simply fake.
Most businesses are scared of negative reviews and emotions, while they actually engage people more than only positive ones. They create a buzz around your business and even increased the sales of many e-commerce businesses.
Negative attention is better than no attention. For instance, Botto Bistro from California offers discounts to customers who write a bad review on Yelp. They promoted themselves with ‘Hate Us On Yelp!’ and they got huge publicity.
How to deal with negative reviews
First of all, you shouldn’t panic. Negative reviews are OK. Afterward:
- You shouldn’t remove your negative reviews. Instead, post them. You have nothing to hide.
- You should always respond to negative reviews publicly. It demonstrates that you care about your customers and this particular issue. As commonly said in business, the problem itself is not the real problem most of the time, but how you handle it.
- If you can learn from the negative reviews and the issue, change things accordingly. A big number of negative reviews is almost always a sign of a necessary modification on your business.
- You should follow up with the reviewer to make sure the customer is happy. They will be thankful for your commitment and efforts, and they will remember the positive shopping experience instead of the negative one.
How bad reviews assist in buying decisions
Negative customer reviews give buyers the real image of your product and your business. In eCommerce, it’s a huge concern, how to provide a realistic idea of what the product looks like.
Negative reviews help shoppers decide what negative effects they can prepare for and what the potential drawbacks of the product are. Your customers don’t want to buy blindly. They want to see the whole story before making an online purchase.
Also, there are more than two sides of the whole thing. Some low ratings with comments have a positive voice, while the opposite can also happen. For example, a reviewer can be satisfied with the product but unhappy about the price.
In conclusion, you should never panic if you get a few negative reviews. Don’t delete them, and show them to your website visitors. Follow up with the reviewer and solve their problem each time. You want your potential customers to see the whole story and gain a real image of your product. It helps their decision and increases your sales in the end.
