Online reviews are more crucial than ever for businesses nowadays. By 2020, less than half of consumers polled — roughly 48% — would be willing to patronize a service with fewer than four stars. In fact, almost 12% would be unwilling to use a company with a rating of fewer than five stars.
Meanwhile, in 2020, 94% of consumers stated they were "more inclined to patronize a firm" with positive evaluations, up from 91% in 2019. In accordance with this trend, 79% of consumers now "believe internet reviews as much as personal recommendations from friends or family," up from 76% a year ago.
What's the bottom line? Consumers believe in internet reviews, and they avoid brands with low ratings. (After all, when was the last time you were captivated by a three-star gadget or restaurant?)
Positive reviews, on the other hand, can assist attract business, develop trust in your company, and, as our site has previously mentioned, even help raise your local Google rankings (as confirmed by Google here).
Reviews can also offer light on ways to improve the customer experience, delivering concrete insights that can help your organization prosper for the foreseeable future.
While different polls provide different statistics, the data consistently portrays the same picture: positive reviews are necessary for good company. The question is, how do you get positive feedback?
The correct solution is to give an excellent product or service, then follow up with your consumers by asking for honest feedback, which Reputation Booster makes effortless and automated. Unfortunately, there are some firms that try to cut corners by paying for nice evaluations. While this may appear to be a guaranteed approach to success, paying for positive reviews can really harm (or even destroy) your company.
If you’ve ever felt tempted to buy 5-star ratings, you may want to read this article first — unless you’re prepared to pay a hefty fine to the FTC!
3 Reasons Why You Should Never Purchase Positive Reviews
"Should my business buy good reviews?" is a frequently asked question.
Technically, you can pay for positive reviews, but we strongly advise against it because you may be breaching the law. Neither does Google, Yelp, Facebook, nor the Federal Trade Commission, which has "placed hundreds of firms on notice about phoney reviews and...misleading endorsements" as recently as October 2021.
Our response writers will return to that topic later to discuss some of the arguments against fake reviews, as well as the possible hazards for brands that utilize them. But for the time being, let us begin with our first rationale.
#1: Google, Yelp, and Facebook All Prohibit Fake Reviews
Fake or bought reviews generate a positive bias that weakens trust and authenticity, negating its original function while misinforming other buyers. Incentivized reviews are disallowed by all respectable review platforms because they are fundamentally inaccurate and lack credibility – which happens to be number one on our list of reasons to avoid them! Here are the responses of Facebook, Yelp, and Google to fraudulent or paid reviews:
- Facebook — The social media platform outlaws "fraud and deception," which it classifies as "violence and criminal activity." Facebook "remove[s] content that actively deceives, willfully misrepresents, or otherwise defrauds or exploits others," according to its Community Standards. Furthermore, Facebook prohibits "spam" and "inauthentic behaviour" under the section "integrity and authenticity." (For example, earlier this year, Facebook banned 1,600 groups that were "trading phoney reviews.") By visiting Facebook's Transparency Center, you can get a thorough description of any of these policies.
- Google — “Spam and fake content” are expressly prohibited per Google’s terms of use. To quote one support page, “Your content should reflect your genuine experience at the location and should not be posted just to manipulate a place’s ratings. Don’t post fake content, don’t post the same content multiple times, and don’t post content for the same place from multiple accounts.” Reviews that engage in any of these practices fall under Google’s definition of “prohibited and restricted content.” Finally, a separate Google support page bluntly states that businesses should not “selectively solicit positive reviews from customers.”
– Yelp — Yelp bans fake reviews in extremely clear language. As the platform explains, “Offering payment for reviews is against our policies because it artificially inflates ratings,” which not only misleads consumers but is also “unfair to businesses that work hard to earn ratings and reviews honestly.” Yelp may flag incentivized reviews (or other prohibited content) with prominent consumer alert messages, which the next section discusses in more detail.
#2: Your account may be suspended, deleted, or alerted.
Remember how we stated that phoney reviews are prohibited on Facebook, Yelp, and Google? If that isn't enough to put you off, consider the second component of the equation: the penalty.
If you are reported or caught, your account and/or bogus reviews may be banned, removed, or deleted, costing your business money by making it more difficult for customers to find and learn about you.
Furthermore, certain review platforms may warn site visitors to treat your reviews – and your business — with extreme caution.
Yelp, for example, employs five distinct sorts of "Consumer Alerts," which alert consumers to accounts that have participated in damaging, suspicious, or illegal behaviour. Yelp uses the "Compensated Activity Alert" (shown below) expressly to identify when businesses have paid for excellent ratings, with its Support Center noting, "We display a Compensated Activity Alert on company pages when we get evidence that someone is paying reviews. If the objectionable behaviour ceases, this alert will usually be removed from the business page within 90 days."
#3: You Can Be Sued, Fined, or Prosecuted by the FTC
Facebook, Yelp, and Google are only the tip of the iceberg. When it comes to sanctions, the Federal Trade Commission might be a better bet.
The FTC is a government agency that enforces consumer protection legislation such as the Identity Theft Act and the Fair Credit Reporting Act. The FTC, in its own words, "protects consumers by preventing unfair, misleading, or fraudulent marketplace practices," such as pursuing debtors for repayment, making false claims about a product, or — you guessed it — paying for positive reviews.
The FTC is aggressive in investigating (and, in some cases, prosecuting) businesses that are accused of violating consumer protection laws such as 15 U.S. Code 45, which broadly prohibits both "unfair methods of competition in or affecting commerce" and "unfair or deceptive acts or practices in or affecting commerce." How aggressive are you? The FTC issued letters to over 700 companies as recently as last month, warning them that "they might face hefty civil fines — up to $43,792 per violation — if they employ endorsements in ways that run counter to earlier FTC administrative proceedings."
According to the FTC's news release, the corporations targeted include "a wide range of huge companies, top marketers, leading retailers, top consumer product companies, and major advertising agencies," implying that no brand or business is "too big" to face FTC sanctions. "Advertisers will pay a price if they engage in these misleading activities," said Samuel Levine, Director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection, according to the press release. And, in this situation, the penalty could be as much as $44,000 per infringement.
Does Your Business or Brand Need a Review Generation, Reputation Management, or Review Response Service?
Positive reviews that are bogus or fraudulent can have negative implications. Not only might your search exposure and rankings suffer, but you may also find yourself the target of a lawsuit.
The legal and financial risk simply isn't worth the benefit, especially because there are safer alternatives, such as industry-leading review creation services from Reputation Booster. Our review generation method is straightforward and clear, ensuring that you are in compliance with Yelp, Facebook, Google, and all other business review platforms.
Read about our three-step review creation method or request a trial of the services we offer to discover more about how Reputation Booster can help you create reviews responsibly and effortlessly.
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