Negative reviews offer more potential

November 3 2009, 8:32am

It’s not hard to see why brands are concerned with negative comments, brand bashing and abuse within their online communities, forums and discussion boards. The overall consumer experience online is surely a brand’s first concern, however I wonder if they are sometimes missing the potential that even the negative side has to offer? Brands hire moderation service providers to maintain a well-balanced community discussion that is friendly, interesting and lively. For those reasons, and many others brands often decide on a set of guidelines which determine what is and is not allowed to be posted on various profile pages, websites or accounts across the web. Peer review has increasingly become an influential benchmark on branded sites, as consumer recommendations are the most trusted form of advertising. Regular consumers giving their honest opinion about a product or service of a company. This powerful tool is helpful in showing consumers first-hand the many reasons they should purchase from you. Allowing reviews is risky; if there is anything flawed with your product or service it will surely make its way online. However, perhaps we need to stop to think about the positive side of this scenario. According to Bazaarvoice, a provider of online applications including a core product that offers third-party audited consumer reviews, eight out of 10 consumers trust brands that offer reviews. As well, 82 per cent of consumers who read reviews say that their purchase decisions have been directly influenced by them, according to Deloitte. What is more interesting is that the average consumer review is four and a half out of five, and that negative reviews actually convert to a sale more effectively than a positive review according to Bazaarvoice. While most brands worry about consumers saying they don’t like this or they had a bad experience here, what they forget to take into account is the potential this raises. Not only does this place you at the forefront of causing change in your organization, however it show consumers that you are a transparent company - and sometimes that is worth more.