The Importance of Google Reviews: Part 10
Why You Shouldn't Buy Online Reviews
Transparency is paramount in the business world and your reputation is built on trust. Some business owners find it appealing to buy online reviews in order to boost their reputation. This is a big mistake, however. Christopher Elliot asks the question in his 2018 Forbes article "Can you trust an online review? Not always.
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Fakespot compiled an exclusive list of products with the most bogus ratings … bottom line: If something looks wrong, it probably is. And if you buy reviews, you'll get what you pay for." Once trust is lost between a business and its customers, it can be an arduous process to regain this trust and reestablish a transparent relationship. The online world is unforgiving and there will almost always still be traces of fake reviews if a business engages in this type of disingenuous action.
Buying online reviews can often have the opposite effect on customers that the business owner intended. Their hope is that these purchased online reviews will increase the trust and reputation of their business when users come across their profile. However, if customers sense these are fake reviews, they will view the business as dishonest. It indicates that the business is unable to generate genuine positive reviews and they can only do so through buying fake ones.
This type of business practice is detrimental in the long term, and violates all 3rd-party review platform's terms of service like Google. Why risk your business reputation when you can generate genuine, quality reviews using a service rather than buy online reviews that are fabricated.