How Do You Rate Online?

 

by Ricardo Harvin

 

The explosion of the Web as a tool to research and compare products and services has led to a growing number of sites that allow consumers to share their experiences with one another. Although these resources aren’t perfect, their increasing popularity and usefulness make them difficult for small businesses to ignore.

 

I can confirm from my own experience shopping for contractors to work on my new (70-yearold) house that user review sites do provide value to consumers and can be a determining factor in which companies are called for estimates and ultimately hired.

 

A number of these rating sites are operated by small businesses. There are also noncommercial rating sites, primarily community-based discussion groups and blogs. Most rating sites focus on specific geographical areas, although that is changing as some aggressively expand nationwide.

 

Each rating site has its own method of collecting customer feedback and rating businesses. On most sites, the companies being rated are strictly at the mercy of customer reviews. Some sites, however, provide businesses with an opportunity to resolve a customer complaint, thereby maintaining or improving their ranking—sometimes even if the customer remains unhappy.

 

User review sites are an important referral service for companies that do good work. Knowing the sites your customers use is important, and the best way to find out is to ask them. Several companies I’ve contacted have done just that. And one even told me that a rating site I mentioned has been their best source of new business.

 

To learn what’s being said about your business, join the sites that cover your geographic area and the type of service or product you provide. Fees can vary greatly by service and region but generally range from free for community based sites to less than $100 per year for commercial sites.

 

When joining a site, there are a couple of important things to keep in mind: Never hide the fact that you are representing your business, and never get into a back-and-forth with an unhappy customer online. Either of these actions will usually cause you to lose business and may come back to bite you if the matter ends up in court.

 

Anytime a customer—whether happy or displeased—writes about your company, you need to pay close attention. These are people who can tell you what you’re doing right and where you need to improve. And what they say influences how other consumers decide to spend their hard-earned money.