If you’re like most web publishers and casino affiliates, you’ve probably got something of a love/hate relationship with online reviews.
After all, online reviews give every customer, no matter how irrational or he or she may be, an open forum to blast your business to smithereens. But they also let your most satisfied customers work as brand ambassadors, letting the world know what a great outfit you’re running. In short, online reviews are something of a mixed bag, but SearchEngineJournal.com recently published a list of online review facts, that help publishers better understand the challenges presented by online reviews.
First off, there is some good news to report about bad reviews; they may not hurt your conversion rates as much as you might imagine. Sure, that negative review doesn’t look great, but it also adds a human element that most of your customers will understand. End-users tend to be suspicious of review collections that are too good to be true. So don’t sweat a few negative Nellies.
Web publishers should also be leery when it comes to drawing conclusions about your customer base based on customer reviews. That’s because most people don’t leave reviews at all. A recent study from the Pew Research Center found that less than 60 percent of people will ever write a review of any kind. Only about 10 percent of people write reviews on a consistent basis. That means that reviews give you a window into the minds of your customers, but you’re really not seeing the whole picture.
For casino affiliates, it’s important to respond to negative reviews with positive customer service. After all, this is someone who cared enough about your products and services that they were willing to write a review of them. Engage these folks in a positive manner and you’ve got a decent shot at turning a negative into a positive.