No one likes to be told they suck. No brand wants consumers going onto the internet and telling their friends, and possibly the whole world, that their products suck. Many brands will delete negative reviews from their web sites, or deactivate review functions entirely just to avoid the possibility that someone looking at a product might see a bad review. Some companies will even go to great lengths to eliminate negative reviews on web sites they do not own like Yelp or Twitter.
Sometimes, though, a negative review can be your best friend. Here are three ways that negative reviews can be helpful to your brand.
Learn what’s wrong with your products.
When it comes to your product offerings, good reviews are valuable, and bad reviews are even more valuable. If you notice trends in your bad reviews, that gives you the opportunity to take steps to address them, whether you release a patch for a digital product, or create a better version for the next generation version of your physical product. Reading bad reviews should be an essential step of your product development and refinement process.
People trust you more if they see some bad reviews.
Believe it or not, bad reviews help your web site build credibility. When someone is looking to purchase a product from your ecommerce web site, if they read reviews, and only see positive reviews, they may begin to believe that you have been deleting negative reviews to create a more positive image of your product. This may, in some cases, be true. By building a credible review section, you are actually more likely to drive conversion than if your reviews are all glowing.
Great opportunities for engagement.
Every bad review you get should be seen as an opportunity to earn a new brand advocate. If you can read a bad review, engage with your customer, and fix whatever issue the customer is having, you may just be able to convert your negative reviewer into an evangelist for you and your products.
Looking for more bad reviews gone good? Check out these negative reviews that actually made for clever marketing opportunities.
