In the digital era, your company has to have an online presence. Some businesses run entirely online. One way to encourage shoppers to choose you is by showing public reviews and ratings. But this only works if your ratings are average or above.
Some companies try to hide or bury negative reviews to deal with this. This is known as review gating. It’s one option when it comes to reputation management for businesses.
Review gating is easiest on websites you control. To begin with, you delete reviews or decide what to post. Your product or service will have a higher rating, and more people will consider you.
RELATED STORIES
More customers mean more chances to gate reviews. Your ratings climb even higher. This is quite tempting.
When Review Gating Goes Wrong
Review gating seems like a surefire way to improve your company or product’s rank. But it can go wrong. Unhappy customers may check back to see their reviews. Even too many positive reviews make consumers doubtful because they see attempts to game the system.
This becomes a problem when people leave feedback on sites you don’t control. If customers suspect review gating, they might accuse you. Then, you will need an entirely different public relations strategy.
Some sites accept requests to remove reviews, but not all. If consumers see negative reviews on public sites and positive reviews on your site, it confirms review gating. Trust is broken.
Google and Yelp have officially banned review gating. If you get caught, they might remove your company page entirely.
The Better Alternative to Review Gating
Responding to negative reviews shows that you care about consumers and transparency. You can turn the experience into a good one and appeal to new customers. Some customers may change their reviews after a positive reply. If you’re lucky, they’ll spread the word about how you responded.
Many sites also prevent people from leaving too many comments too quickly. Only letting registered users or confirmed customers review is an option. This means fewer negative or fraudulent reviews.
Should You Ever Gate Reviews?
Most companies struggle with handling harsh comments. Removing bad reviews may be easier than changing a customer’s mind, and it certainly takes less time. Finding a way to remove Google reviews may also be cheaper. But if shoppers doubt your trustworthiness, review gating may be costly.
Only you can decide if review gating is worth the risk. Sometimes, you may have to gate reviews because of an unfair attack. Review gating might be necessary if hundreds of people have left negative reviews. Then, it’s worth knowing how to remove complaints or who can help.
But if you gate too many reviews or it’s clear what you’re doing, reconsider. There may be better options that can earn you loyal fans for life.
