Bizwiki has added new features that allow our users to review companies and services, as well as adding information about them. Allowing users to submit reviews of businesses, restaurants, clubs, schools, venues and just about anything is becoming more popular on the web, and I’m sure most business owners and managers have seen reviews of their own or another company online. Sometimes they’re positive, sometimes neutral and sometimes a customer is so unhappy with the service or product that they feel compelled to write a negative review.

Regardless of whether or not companies are happy about the unfettered and uncontrollable phenomenon of consumers producing information about them (some even call it ‘prosumerism’), it’s here to stay. The challenge is to take advantage of it, ride the wave, join the party and bag your company some fantastic reviews! You also need to know what to do about negative reviews, because despite your best efforts there will inevitably be someone who wasn’t 100% satisfied.

In this series of blog posts we’ll look at some ways in which companies can encourage positive reviews, positively deal with negative reviews, and how to effectively use reviews as part of your company’s customer relationship management program.

Reviews vs Testimonials

In the good old days companies would ask satisfied customers for a testimonial and proudly display those glowing testimonials on their walls, billboard, put them in the company newsletter, flyers and some even find their way onto company websites.

Is a review any different?

A review is not something that you can control, it’s not sent to the company’s publication for approval and you have no say over whether or not it’s published, how it’s published, where it’s distributed or what it contains.

Does that mean reviews are bad?

Despite the fact that some reviews may be negative, online reviews are one of the best things that could have ever happened to marketing-led companies. Reviews are a gold mine for customer relationship managers, and forward-thinking marketers are taking full advantage of the review space by actively soliciting reviews from happy customers.

The next post in the Bizwiki Review series will cover the subject of encouraging positive reviews from satisfied customers. Stay tuned!