Online reviews: Do not fake it until you make it
While good online reviews can be a boon for businesses faking them can cost them more than just their reputation, Alison Eveleigh warns.
Online consumer reviews have changed the way in which we make purchasing decisions. A planned trip to new restaurant might be curtailed by a quick visit to Yelp or Urban Spoon. An entire holiday might be booked based only on Trip Advisor reviews. Understandably, brands and their marketing teams are concerned about online reputation. A recent Sensis Social Media Report 2013 suggests that 74% of social media users read online reviews before making a purchase.
With the rise of online reviews comes the temptation for brands to post fake reviews, pay for positive reviews or otherwise manipulate online content to ensure the best possible image in the minds of consumers. Even large organisations such as Samsung have fallen victim to this temptation, with the company fined by Taiwan’s Fair Trade Commission in October 2013 for paying individuals to post fake negative reviews about a competitor’s devices on the internet.
