Should You Trust Online Review Websites?

 

Should You Trust Online Review Sites?

Online review websites have become very popular over the past several years and for good reason. The internet has opened up a world in which we can quickly and easily access to ratings from tons of customers and users around the world about a particular product or service. There’s a lot of benefits to being so connected and one of them is that it’s much easier to get an impression from a large swath of people in a matter of seconds if you’re considering anything from eating a restaurant to hiring a tax accountant. However, there are some inherent problems with online reviews for a couple of different reasons.

One of the main issues with online reviews and ratings is that you simply can tell if they’re genuine in most cases. There may be some exceptions; for example, if you look at Facebook reviews and several people that you know personally have rated a business, then you can feel pretty confident that you’re getting accurate information. The problems come in when you’re seeing “reviews” from strangers since many of these platforms are ripe for manipulation. Even Facebook has had problems with fake accounts artificially pumping up or dragging down the ratings of businesses.

Another major issue is that many consumers don’t understand how many review sites work. A lot of people rely on popular rating services like Yelp! and the Better Business Bureau when they’re seeking what they believe to be trustworthy and accurate reviews of a business. There can be value in sites like these, but the reality of the situation is that both websites are still businesses of their own and, as such, their goal is to make money too. Sure, you can have your business listed and rated on them for free, but it may come at a price to your reputation.

The simple fact of the matter is that your business can be subject to poor ratings on both sites and you may not be able to change that—at least not without paying them. Both Yelp! and the Better Business Bureau offer their customers the ability to increase their ratings through a paid subscription model.  Yelp! is what’s known as  a pay-to-play site, meaning you have to spend money to get the maximum benefit, or even to have your positive reviews highlighted and negative reviews suppressed. While this method of operation may be legal, it’s definitely deceptive when so many people assume it’s simply a straightforward review site.

As for the Better Business Bureau, you need look no further than the cost of getting your business accredited, which can run well over $1,000, depending on the number of employees. That’s an awful lot of money simply for a consumer advocacy group to say that a company operates in good faith and tries to resolve complaints. Just like Yelp!, the BBB tends to have more favorable ratings for those businesses that pay for their service, which is disingenuous at best and downright deceptive at worst.

In summary, it can certainly be helpful to take the temperature of a business before you use their services by checking online reviews, but they absolutely should be taken with a level of healthy skepticism. In many cases, a business that has favorable ratings has just paid the website in order to “emphasize” the positive reviews and downplay the negative ones.