The End of Deception: The 5 W's of Online Reviews

[Garrett Sussman]

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The End of Deception: The 5 W’s of Online Reviews

As useful as online reviews can be, let’s face facts–there’s an awful lot of BS out there.

Take a look at a study conducted by the Harvard Business School. According to their data, 20% of the Yelp reviews you see are fake. And they’re not the only ones that think this is an issue. Yelp themselves have gone on record claiming thatabout 25% of their submitted reviews are suspicious or not recommended.

Let’s be clear: the modern consumer is anything but stupid. Over the years, fake reviews have just made the people more critical of online reviews. But despite all of these issues, the online review system is still one of the best ways for local businesses to educate potential customers and take advantage of ‘word-of-mouth’ marketing.

With 80% of people trusting online reviews as much as they trust personal recommendations, it’s not like the average local business can afford to ‘sit on the sidelines’ when it comes to online reviews. But all of this data brings up a few questions.

What can businesses do to get the most out of the online review system?

The answer to that question begins with a critical realization: the world is not what it used to be.

So the big question is, do you believe that online reviews are becoming more or less dependable when it comes to an honest assessment of a business?

Are some Online Review sites more reliable than others? Which Online Review Site has the most 'credibility' in your eyes?


Read the full post here.