A common question small business owners ask is whether they should have their Facebook reviews/recommendations turned on or off. Many are nervous about giving their followers free reign to vent their opinions, and are scared of potentially negative reviews and the impact that might have on their business.
In this video I chat through whether or not you should have your Facebook Page’s reviews turned on, and how to go about turning them on or off within your Page settings.
Do you prefer reading over watching videos? Scroll down to find a summary of the key points from the video.
Research shows that reading reviews, comments and feedback influences consumers’ shopping behaviour. More and more of us are looking to reviews on social media, Google or sites like Yelp or Tripadvisor to help us make decisions about the products we want to buy, places we want to visit or services we want to work with.
While many small business owners are worried about having reviews turned on and what impact negative reviews might have on their business, there are some key points to consider.
Good Reviews Start with Good Customer Service
If you are nervous about having Facebook reviews turned on, take a step back and look at your overall customer experience. At each point that your customer interacts with you, can you make improvements so that their overall experience is a good one?
Offering a great customer experience means that people are often more than happy to leave positive reviews.
Even if you have Facebook Reviews turned off, people will still talk about a negative experience
Let’s say someone has a negative experience with your business. (We all make mistakes from time to time). Just because you don’t have Facebook reviews turned on, it doesn’t mean that they’re not going to talk about it.
People who have negative experiences are still likely to tell their friends and family, and they might even post about it on social media, you just won’t know about it.
By having reviews turned on, if you receive a not-so-great review, you get to be part of the conversation.
Firstly, you’ll know what the issue is and it might be an opportunity to improve something within your business.
And secondly, you have the opportunity to interact with that customer to fix the situation or to respond in a proactive way. The way you respond to negative reviews can not only turn that customer around, but can also influence other people who read those reviews.
Your response to negative reviews can help to build trust and confidence in working with you.
Important note: Make sure you respond to all reviews – positive or negative. It shows that you’re engaging with your audience and that you appreciate their input.
Social media user expect to see reviews
As social media users, we’re used to seeing reviews, and if we go to a Facebook page that doesn’t have reviews turned on, it raises questions that business.
Why don’t they have reviews turned on?
What are they trying to hide?
Don’t they trust their business enough to let people leave reviews?
And if customers are presented with two businesses – one that has reviews turned on and one that doesn’t – they’re more likely to trust the business that has reviews turned on.
Your reviews don’t need to be perfect
Studies show that potential customers are a bit sceptical if a business’ reviews are all 5 stars. They tend to trust businesses who still have a high average, but not perfect.
If you have less-than-perfect reviews it shows that you’re human, but also that the reviews are authentic. Most people will look at the overall rating (or average) to make their decision.
(It’s also worth noting that Facebook has removed the star rating on reviews, so the rating that shows is based on your past reviews. It’s also important to realise that if people recommend you – either on your Facebook Page, or on their own profile or in a group – that’s also pulled through to your page for everyone to see.)
So I recommend leaving your Facebook Reviews turned on – and looking at your customer experience to make sure you’re confident in the service and experience you’re providing.
To see how to turn your Facebook Reviews on, go to the video above and scroll to the 3:56 mark to see detailed instructions.
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