Reviews are basically customer experiences after using a certain product and it’s quite understandable that no two people think in a similar way and that could lead to forming differences in opinions. What may seem crazy or ridiculous to one might be perfect and rational to the other.

And hence, when consumers want to learn and know more about any product or product provider (business), they turn to the internet to find insights and answers. Discerning buyers from every walk of life specifically turn to websites and search engines as they trust and consider these reviews help to clear their doubts and queries.

How popular are review sites?

A 2021 study has shown that almost nine out of ten consumers turn to a review site before making a purchase and almost eight in ten shoppers consult a review site before using or visiting a local business

With over more than 244 million reviews, Yelp is one of the oldest and most trusted review sites on the web. The number of stars—or a lack thereof—can make or break a business and it’s backed by a strong fact from a report from Harvard Business School which shared that a one-star increase on a review website can translate to a five to nine per cent increase in revenue.

Today almost, more or less every website has its own feedback section for cultivating the feeling of transparency and credibility among its customers. And so the review sites become an integral part of creating a business’s impression in front of their targeted audience.

The basics of online reviews –

The statistics of online review explains what might be already known to many from personal experience that “reviews are authoritative” – in the global and diverse nature of today’s marketplace consumers make a thorough online search first to save both their time and money.

A compilation of online review statistics shows that –

Every individual comes across at least a review – almost 90% of consumers read online reviews before making a purchase or visiting a business

Reviews are widely considered trustworthy – 88% of consumers believe in online reviews as much as they do in personal recommendations

Good reviews simply indicate better revenue – revenues drastically increase by 31% at businesses which have excellent reviews

Bad reviews simply indicate bad revenue – as obvious as it is, businesses with bad or negative reviews are likely to have lesser revenues. Almost 86% of consumers hesitate to purchase from a business with a negative review

Trust and credibility in reviews equal loyalty in a business – almost 72% of consumers consider that positive reviews make a business more trustworthy.
And these points are crucial to indicate how online reviews can become a major form of customer-retention strategy but is also essential to the growth and survival of a business.

Are consumers always right? –

The impact of negative reviews –

For ages unknown, we have witnessed several times in world history that bad happenings are often emphasised and so is true when it comes to reviews. A major fact is that when people share reviews they are more likely to the bad ones than their good ones. A study once conducted found that the respondents were 50% more likely to share their mishaps, bad interactions and experiences with a company than nothing at all on social media, whereas 52% of them are more likely to share their experiences on a review site.

Widely, negative reviews from genuine customers can be categorised under “disappointment” and merely “negativity”

Let’s dive in deeper –

A lot of customers use words like “disappointed” while sharing their experiences. ‘Yotpo’, a study of fashion purchases from e-commerce marketing platforms found that while going through reviews, a majority of them mentioned or used the word “disappointed” or “disappointment” in their reviews and as a fact, those terms were extensively mentioned over 20,000 times, whereas, the word “bad” was mentioned in just 7,500 of the total negative reviews.

How negative reviews affect customer decision making process

when a customer is about to make an online purchase, they are purely making a decision based on words and pictures. Without having the access to any other means of forming a decision or passing a judgement, the consumers are solely dependent on what they are presented with digitally. Such experiences become personal and once they come across a negative review, they come to believe that what you’re delivering didn't match the other person's expectations or that what was presented to them digitally wasn’t delivered quite physically. The biggest way to save your business from these distressing negative reviews is to improve your product, offerings or customer service

A negative review is equivalent to a major put-down. Disappointed customers express what they were expecting and how the business failed to meet their expectations and how changes could help if any is required. Such reviews help future consumers to form their decision instead of just turning them away. Well, similarly, a bad review that’s just bad though is a different story and equally impacts the business

Can customers be sued for posting negative reviews?

Yes, indeed, at times customers can be sued for leaving dreadful reviews. In several instances smaller companies have relied upon legal maneuvers to have disappointed customers remove their reviews

However, such reviews are rarely successful, i.e. if a review turns out to be true in all aspects and based on facts, the reviewers (unsatisfied consumers) are usually safe against any form of legal action.

A single drop of water in the sea is negligible and so is a single bad review amid the positive ones. Consumers trust and rely on the collective experiences of people more than forming an idea based on the opinion of a single individual who had a bad stand-alone experience for some unavoidable factor.

And so is the other side of the coin, that a single good review among the batch of negative reviews won’t make any difference to help you gain a potential customer. Simply put, not every bad review will possess harm your business, however, a bunch of them might be something you should look out for because it enhances the fact that you are at fault.

Don’t dwell on such bad reviews, but consider them learning experiences and find a way to grow, improve and advance from them. Integrity goes a long way, even in the face of bad reviews, if you are wrong apologize for it and fix them. Be transparent and let your consumers see that you are active and making improvements, this will gain you loyal customers and help establish a healthy relationship with them.

The digital era is based on reviews. And thus online reviews matter.

In the digital landscape of e-commerce customer reviews are the most trusted ways to pick a product or service. Among 84% of people affirm that they trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. Customer reviews are a known way to enhance your customer-business interactions and improve your organic visibility and website traffic. Your potential customers are affected by the customer reviews on your website. It greatly assists them to make their decision of whether to patronise or not patronise your business. So, online reviews act as a splendid way to give your potential and target customers a fair idea of the effectiveness and quality of your specific product, service, or business.

Positive online reviews are a boon and act as a powerful part of your business marketing toolkit. Yet, when negative reviews pop up or surface amidst these positive reviews it becomes a curse. That’s why it becomes an utmost necessity to accept, engage and respond to customer reviews always – whether positive or negative.

It becomes a difficult thing to take on harsh criticism and respond to it likewise. Yet, negative reviews are a smart way to learn about your business, address pain points and bring solutions.

But this ain’t a perfect world and negative reviews are an unavoidable phenomenon. Although negative reviews can be painful, both emotionally and financially, it allows your business to face the music. Handling negative reviews from customers in a right way acts as a crucial element for your brand’s image and reputation. 

We bring you 5 tips on how to deal with negative customer reviews on your website to grow your business–

#Tip 1 – Be a good listener –

Yes, you are correct. 

While thinking about how to answer a negative review the first thing to consider is to become a good listener.

The best way to receive negative feedback is to listen and understand what your customer has to say about it.  The feeling of being left unheard is a painful experience. People are driven by emotions and they are often governed by the feeling of being heard. And they need an understanding and empathetic listener. 

Not interrupting, and listening carefully is the most appropriate way to respond to negative feedback. Being patient, empathetic, and attentive to your reviewer makes it easier to have good communication. However, refrain from getting emotional or binding yourself personally to such instances.

Genuinely caring about their problem makes them feel entitled to the attention they deserve. This assures them that you are ready to act on whatever’s troubling them and they have found a business that cares about what they need.

Apart from establishing a positive relationship with your customers, being an attentive listener allows you to ascertain the drawbacks of your business. This way you can focus on those specific parts where you need to be mindful.

#Tip 2 – Be quick, honest, and thoughtful –

Time is valuable. Also, time is the key to returning all your review responses - especially the negative ones. They need to be quick, honest, and thoughtful.

Feedbacks are critical. However, these reviews are worthy to help you understand the not-so-smooth aspects and the pain points of your customers. After all, these are their everyday experiences with your brand.

Being quick, honest, and thoughtful reveals to your customer that you made an effort to put yourself in their shoes. When you extend your efforts and try to feel what your customer might have gone through shows your sincerity.

This will also answer your dilemma of how to reply to a negative review. Try to use an empathetic tone, and keep your approach thoughtful. Have open communication with them and convey that you deeply understand how they feel. Being honest about the entire situation will help you to relate with your customers. Try to include phrases like “If I had been at your place, I would have done the same” or “If this had happened to me, I would have been upset as well”. 

#Tip 3 – Ask questions and take some time–

Communication is the key to connection. Communication helps you to set the core value clearly. 

Asking questions to your customers helps eliminate and figure out the shortcomings. It also makes you appear more agreeable and brings clarity to the issue. Asking questions allows you to get the right answers. These answers also let you place yourself in the customer’s shoes and watch it from a different perspective. It further shows your willingness to improve and deliver your best.

Examining an error helps to identify the root cause of the problem, clarify the situation and determine the best possible means to tackle it.

Now, once you’re clear on that, ask for some time. Even if it is essential to respond quickly, it is equally important to react thoughtfully. Take a considerable amount of time to gather the proper information and collect your thoughts before your respond. As this particular response will have the power to either make or break your brand image. Be clear and empathetic about the situation and assure your customer that such instances won’t ever happen again.

#Tip 4 – Be optimistic and suggest a solution–

There’s good in everything. Why not try finding some good aspects in the negative reviews?

Nasty negative reviews are hurtful indeed. Regardless, try to keep your tone and vision optimistic. Don’t take it personally and try to approach it in a calm manner. Don’t get all worked up and only think of the customer and their displeasure and offer an apology.

Remember, all feedback is useful feedback. Take all the negative reviews seriously (not in a personal sense though). Be thankful that they took the time and pointed out the mistake to you. Even if it is harsh appreciate the fact that this occurrence is giving you a chance to rectify it.

Now, work on your flaws, imperfections, and all those pain points that your reviewers pointed out. Once you are aware of the issues, work on suggesting a clear way to fix them. It could be a difficult situation too, but, resolving the issue right away is a much smarter option than losing scores of potential customers. 

If possible, try to incorporate your customer’s advice and come up with something wise and helpful to both of you.

This is actually quite a strategic way to solve and improve from negative reviews. It also helps you develop a bond with your present and targeted customers. Get to the bottom of why such a fault occurred and without blaming anyone try fixing it up so that such a thing never happens again.

#Tip 5 –Be professional and keep personal feelings at bay–

It is just an expression. You don’t have to take it as a personal attack. 

It’s human nature to react or feel hurt when we get negative feedback. Thus the key is to distance your emotional self. Think of it as your doctor’s or therapist’s advice and do what you need to do. Try to keep an open mind and handle it like a true business professional. 

You must be wondering why you should respond to negative reviews. Remember, even if you’re a business customer. So, keep your approach thoughtful and give a unique and authentic response. But don’t make it sound aggressive or attack or retaliate. Genuinely apologize for the mistake that made them upset. And remember to accept the criticism and feedback as part of business learn from them and move on.

Conclusion –

Maintaining a healthy brand image is important for every business. Ensure that you keep your website under routine maintenance. With these above-mentioned “5 tips on how to deal with negative customer reviews on your website”, you can stay on top of your brand reputation. 

To summarise, you can attract more customers but master how to respond to negative reviews correctly and tactically. All you need to keep in mind is to –

• Be a good listener

• Be quick, honest, and thoughtful

• Ask questions and take some time

• Be optimistic and suggest solutions

• Be professional and keep personal feelings at bay

Customers share their experiences with your brand and product with online reviews. As no two people think in a similar way, they are likely to perceive the same product/service in different light.

However, these conflicting insights could lead to major ups and downs in your business. As many businesses have escaped the traditional business landscape and switched their mode of selling to online, reviews are something the customers look forward to. Over the past decade, the popularity of online reviews on e-commerce platforms has grown significantly. Today almost, more or less every website has its own feedback section for cultivating the feeling of transparency and credibility among its customers.

The impact of negative reviews –

For ages unknown, we have witnessed several times throughout the world history that bad happenings are often emphasised. And this seems even truer when it comes to online reviews. When people search for reviews they are more likely to believe on the bad ones than the good ones. A study once conducted found that the respondents were 50% more likely to share their mishaps. People prefer to share their bad interactions and experiences with a company than nothing at all on social media. Whereas, 52% of these customers are more likely to share their experiences on a review site, accessible to all.

Once customers come across a negative review on your website, they are either sceptical or hesitant to buy from you. Surveys and studies have shown that around 86% of customers don’t feel confident in purchasing from companies with negative reviews.

A single negative review can bring dramatic results to your business.  Disappointed customers express what they were expecting and how the business failed to meet their expectations. However, through their reviews they express what changes they expect from the business. Also, these reviews help future consumers to form their decision instead of just turning them away. 

How do negative reviews affect customer decision-making?

While making an online purchase, a customer makes their decision based on words and pictures. They form a decision or pass a judgement about your product solely depending on what they are presented with digitally.

A poor experience may hurt them at a personal level or make them lose their trust in you. A negative review might even make it portray as if what you’re delivering isn't quite a match to their taste. Or they could also perceive it in a way that what is being presented digitally isn’t delivered physically. Let alone small businesses, even big businesses also have to face the wrath of negative reviews.

A brilliant way to shield your business from these distressing negative reviews is to improve your product, offerings or customer service – a little something Samsung did back in 2016.

Let’s have a view at this case study of an online negative review –

Case Study - Samsung: Galaxy Note 7

In the year 2016, Samsung was flooded with waves of negative comments because the model Galaxy Note 7 kept on exploding due to a battery malfunction. This alone drove the sales down by 15% worldwide.

This dangerous and threatening problem alarmed many and the company recalled the Note 7. It stopped sales and shipments, refunded users, and provided exchanges for the phones. Unfortunately, the replacements were no different from the Note 7 model. And hence, the company recalled them as well.

Samsung bounced back through its persistent efforts and did what customers expected the company to do. The company took full responsibility for their problem and set up a team of researchers to test the handsets and batteries to pinpoint the cause of the error.

When the results were out, Samsung announced where the error was. They revealed that the size of the batteries was too big for their casing and this caused overheating. 

They further announced rolling out a quality assurance program and other safety features and focused on gaining back trust by reminding users why they should love the brand. 

This incident changed its internal culture since it had a brand identity that “lacked warmth and humanity”. Samsung quickly came up with a new tagline “Do What You Can’t,” and focused to create a link between phones and content creators and debuted its new personality during an Oscar commercial with Casey Neistat – a popular Youtuber.

In conclusion, negative reviews might hurt your business but, they don’t stand as a blockage in your business journey. If you’re smart enough, you can turn them to your advantage with a bit of know-how and sincere efforts

It’s quite unpleasant to receive negative comments and complaints. You do your best and work hard and sincerely to give your all and receive bad feedback on that ‘stings’. However, every business has to face this at some point in time. Thus, how you handle those bad bumps in your journey could set you apart from others and can keep your customers coming back to you despite one less-than-stellar experience. 

People are now more than ever busy and spending their time on social media. So, remember that social media acts as a public forum and your audience (current, potential and targeted) pays attention to how you handle those nasty negative comments and handle criticism. 

Reading a bad or negative review comment about your business is a gut-wrenching feeling, and we totally understand why.

Surveys conducted on negative reviews have revealed on more than one occasion that 94% of consumers tend to avoid a business, and every four out of five shoppers admit to changing their minds about a recommended buy after coming across a negative review.

So, yes, you’re correct. Negative reviews are the worst evil in the realm of an online community which can in just a blink drive away customers, decrease your profitability, taint your online reputation, and tear down your popularity. However, given that you can’t please everyone, and bad things do happen sometimes, they’re unavoidable. 

And that’s why Wow Reviews is here to share with you some tips and ways on how you can use and turn negative reviews into a positive PR for your business, and attract more customers than ever!…

But, before that, let’s have a look at how negative reviews can be good for your business.

What are the benefits of negative reviews?

No, we are not joking. As counter-intuitive as it may sound, negative reviews, however, can actually do your business wonders, Here’s how it plays its trick –

Helps boost your SEO –

“Wait. Is that even possible?? Boost SEO with negative reviews? Really?” – that’s exactly what you must be thinking right now.

But you’ll be even more surprised to learn that a study conducted by RevenueJump revealed that the number of your reviews can possibly influence your business’ performance on local search results. The study found that businesses that have been ranked highest in the listing on average have 38 reviews. On the other hand, those with the lowest rank on average have 14.3 reviews.

And that being quoted, Wow Review believes that a couple of negative reviews won’t gravely hurt you, especially if you respond to them appropriately and sincerely. Try thinking of it as a way to increase the total quantity of your reviews which will help boost your SEO performance and show your audience that you acknowledge those faults wholeheartedly

Get seen as a legitimate business –

The internet is flooded with websites and the Playstore with apps. Amidst this jungle, people are keen to know which is genuine and trustable. Famous review websites are at times known to filter out fake reviews and sometimes in the process they filter out even the basic ones. This leads to the phenomena of “too good to be true” and assuming it to be fake people drift away.

At Wow Reviews, we encourage wow moments with your customers and we understand why negative or good criticism is important. 1-2 such comments will rather encourage your other consumer to share their views truly. This is quite a simple trick that you shouldn’t rule out to use negative reviews for your brand building.

Win the situation in your favour –

Gossip and bad words or remarks won’t offer you a chance to redeem your mistakes, because you have no idea of what they are talking about in the first place. However, with posted negative comments you can turn the tide in your favour.

When you respond promptly and genuinely address the complaints and instantly act upon them, you succeed in changing the perception your customers have about your business. This can even compel them to have a second thoughts and convince them to give you a second chance to rectify those errors.

But what if the customer behaves irrationally and unreasonably even though you’ve already corrected things from your end? BrightLocal reveals that almost 77% of consumers tend to ignore reviews that are more than three months old. So, don’t worry.

Brings your attention to things you weren’t aware of –

Things happen for a reason and negative reviews help to draw your attention toward those little errors and problems that you never knew existed. These opportunities bring you the best time to fix them and improve your business.

Boost your brand health –

Every person welcomes attention and wants to be treated well. Thus, addressing negative reviews and replying personally to both negative and positive ones in a professional-yet-friendly manner gives your audience a hint of your brand personality. It will encourage them to think of your business as true and approachable. This small and warm gesture will make them recommend your brand even more.

Smart ways to minimise your negative reviews and turn them into positive PR for your business –

Be attentive –

Show your customers that you’re truly sorry and are paying attention to those pain points. Doing so will make you appear caring and attentive and the interested audience won’t be disappointed by the error.

But, when you choose to ignore those nasty reviews, you give off the impression that you’re guilty, arrogant or simply just don’t care.

By being prompt with your responses, you can establish long-term relations, and add a personal touch to your interactions while addressing these reviews if you refer to the grieved person by their first name, then it will add an individual touch to your response.

When dealing with negative reviews, acknowledge your mistake and keep your tone of response humble and apologetic.  Being sincere with your apology is all they expect from you and this one thing is enough to change their perspective on your business and give you another chance.

Well, there still will be grumpy customers, who’ll want more, and dealing with them could get tricky at times. So, without them having to tell you what they expect from you, how can their time with you become more pleasant, what changes in the business will, and the rest by making it up to them by providing excellent customer service

Go the extra mile, if needed and offer them a refund, discounts, free shipping, and other perks.

Use your negative reviews to make FAQs -

Furious customers always come up with the most remarkable questions or comments. You can use it to your advantage by leveraging your negative reviews to create a frequently asked question section on your website to clear things up regarding those issues. 

Set the expectation bar right, debunk fake reviews, add as many details as possible and clear any point which may cause confusion.

At times, even after a thorough and detailed description your customers get disappointed because they might feel like your work, product or service isn’t up to the mark. So, it won’t hurt you an inch to come up with a compilation of every small thing which might possess a threat to your brand reputation.

Amplify your business with negative reviews –

Well, no business is perfect, however, you can’t use this as an excuse either.

Take note of the common reasons why people get disappointed and are discontented with your business. Ensure that you address them by improving your customer service, products, processes, employee training and every other thing which they are complaining about.

This is one of the simplest and best ways to grow and improve your business while keeping your customers satisfied.

Use negative reviews to inspire and expand your content –

Isn’t it a brilliant way idea? Sure it is, as you can use these negative reviews to come up with social media content or blog posts that will prevent your customers (existing and expected) to undergo such experiences again.

For instance, a customer complains about how the shade of concealer she bought from you differs from the one when she compared it to how it looks on the website. This could be due to several reasons, either the user isn’t aware of her undertone, or she might have got a tan, or the base of her foundation or her makeup overall doesn’t complement the shade of the given concealer.

In such cases, you can come up with a guide that will allow the other customers to consider these factors, check their skin type and their coverage expectations from the product, etc.

Share resolved negative reviews on your social media platform –

We did mention social media being online forums. Thus, there’s no better way of letting your customers know that you have successfully mastered the issue. 

Sharing resolved negative reviews on your social media platform allows your customers to participate in the process, sharing their experiences and at times, they could also end up posting how your initiative and approach regarding the same helped them. This in turn will automatically lift your reputation and show how deeply you care about your customers and are sincere towards providing excellent customer service. 

However, watch out for fake reviews or those who want to simply harass you. Develop a system that allows you to confirm whether a reviewer is being honest or not. And, the best way to deal with such fake reviews is to flag them as inappropriate and report them.

Looking for ways to save your business from negative reviews?

They say that what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger. Don’t get disheartened or feel defeated when someone leaves a negative review about your business, instead, with the hereabove mentioned tips and tricks use them to your advantage! 

If you’re struggling with your online reputation, we would be glad to help you!  

With Wow Reviews, introduce your business in a new light to your customers. Allow us to assist you with a new aspect of “online reviews” that will enhance your brand, improve your rating and grow your business by building your credibility and establishing trust among your target audience.

A single negative review can cost you a million bucks. In this era of digitalisation, businesses undergo reality checks with online reviews. Over the past decade, the popularity of online reviews on e-commerce platforms has grown significantly. As many businesses have switched their mode of selling to online, reviews have transformed the landscape of business.

Online reviews are nothing but the thoughts and feelings a customer shares about the products and services upon their use. What one customer may think of as crazy or ridiculous might be absolutely perfect and rational to the other. But your business’ reputation sustains on a thin line and a single bad blow can inflict deep wounds.

Let’s see how online reviews have become an integral part of a business and how online reviews affect business –

Online Review Statistics –

We all have been there and thus we know how we all as customers prefer to check reviews of a product or of a business before deciding to buy from them. According to a study conducted in 2021, nine out of ten consumers turn to review sites before making a purchase. Also, around eight in ten shoppers consult a review site before using or visiting a local business.

Therefore, online reviews are becoming an integral part of the decision-making process. Reviews always help your business grow in one way or other, given your response to them is sincere. How? Because more reviews on your site make your customers perceive your brand as an active business. This will in a way enhance your brand awareness and prove to be a great sales driver.

Either positive or negative, reviews directly impact your business by –

• Enhancing the popularity of your product

• Improving your product awareness

• Increasing your conversion rates

• Increasing your profit

As per online review statistics, almost 63% of customers feel confident to purchase from an online shop that has customer reviews. Moreover, 71% of users agree that reading customer reviews makes them more comfortable while purchasing the service or product.

Social media as online review platforms have also become an integral part of online businesses. This is essential to build trust, boost sales and increase revenue.

Importance of online business review sites –

There are numerous benefits of online reviews to businesses. And the most fundamental purpose of online customer reviews is to improve customer satisfaction, increase conversions, and boost sales. 

With more than 244 million reviews Yelp is one of the most popular online sites for business reviews. Yelp is one of the oldest and most trusted review sites on the web. Also, Harvard Business School has in a report proven that the “number of stars” of a business on an online review site can either make or break a business. 

On the other hand, businesses that have regularly updated customer reviews attract more people to their websites. Online customer reviews play an important role for several e-commerce platforms, while customers are in their shopping process. 

For instance – if a particular product has a satisfactory rating, and a well-detailed review of the same, then it significantly increases the chance of attracting more traffic to the page along with a high click-through rate on the search engine results pages.

Let’s have a brief overview of the impact of both positive and negative reviews on a business –

Impact of Positive Reviews –

Having various positive reviews on your platform effectively increases the scope of convincing customers. It makes your brand and product trustworthy and retains customer satisfaction even before they begin their journey with you. And this will upsurge your brand with positive reviews and ratings. These online reviews and ratings as a result will compel and drive potential clients to your business.

Simply put, the more your customers are satisfied with your products, the more interested they will be in buying from you. Positive online reviews facilitate customer engagement, as the reviews offered by these satisfied customers will provide you with valuable business insights. It will help you to explore why people love your business and what more can you offer them.

It further helps you take a closer look at which part of your business needs more attention and which features need to be focused on more.

As during an online purchase, consumers can’t check every factor themselves, they strongly react to the information available online.

Impact of Negative Reviews –

Contrary to positive reviews, negative reviews can be equally damaging. It can take a toll on your reputation, credibility, sales, position and trustworthiness of your business. 

Customers in general are either sceptical or hesitant while buying from a business that has either no review or several negative reviews. Surveys and studies have shown that around 86% of customers don’t feel confident in purchasing from companies with negative reviews. 

Business statistics have also shown that a single negative review can alone drive away 22% of customers. And a total of three negative reviews can drive away as much as 59% of them. Scary, right?

Negative reviews have serious impressions on diminishing the brand value, image and reputation of the products. Any form of negative e-commerce product reviews is enough to cause a dip in your revenue and bring adverse effects on your business.

So, every time the search engine pops a negative business review about your offerings, you are most likely to lose potential customers.
No one is fond of negative reviews and this can be quite difficult for new or small businesses. However, you can’t even expect absolutely zero negative reviews on your business. A complete absence of negative reviews also questions the authenticity of your brand.

But is it any different for the big brands? Well, not exactly. Even many legitimate businesses can’t satisfy all their customers or escape from this situation.

Let’s confirm the same with a popular case study –

Case Study – Johnson & Johnson: Baby Powder

Johnson & Johnson’s most iconic and popular is Johnson’s Baby Powder. Even if one lives under a rock, he has heard of it too!
But, in the recent past, this product received a huge backlash from its consumers and the rest of the population worldwide.

Consumers have lost trust in the company’s this particular product.

Using crushed talc as its prime ingredient, which absorbs moisture and decreases friction that guarantees dry and rash-less skin.

However, talc can be naturally contaminated with asbestos which causes mesothelioma. But, Johnson & Johnson didn’t pay attention to this crucial issue in their product.

Usually, asbestos-related diseases occur years after regular exposure. And the company has always denied that the product can be responsible for cancer. But documents in 2017 revealed that the higher executives already had knowledge of this hazard from as early as the 1970s.

Consequently, the company faced numerous legal issues over asbestos exposure in this well-known product. Over 6,500 lawsuits were also included which claimed that the powder was a factor causing ovarian cancer and mesothelioma cancer.

The sites were flooded with negative reviews and the company voluntarily recalled over 33,000 product bottles after discovering one contaminated bottle that was purchased from an online retailer.

Johnson & Johnson agreed to settle lawsuits and also paid huge fines to affected plaintiffs. Furthermore, the company also stated that they have performed thousands of tests in the past 40 years to always confirm that the talc has never before been contaminated with asbestos.

Final thoughts –

Sure businesses benefit from online reviews. And your customer’s needs and requirements are vital in this customer-centric era. Their opinions on the rating and online review sites are bound to help your business to more attract customers, increase conversion rates, increase your brand awareness and help you take an extra leap in your productivity and sales.

Performance marketing is a digital marketing strategy in which the advertisers pay the fees of advertising after achieving desirable results such as a decided number of clicks, leads, sales, conversions, etc. It is also known as ‘Pay for performance advertising'. 

How is performance marketing different from digital (traditional) marketing?

Unlike the most traditional forms of marketing, an advertiser only pays the fees of advertising when the measure for success has been met.

How to measure Performance Marketing?

You can measure your performance marketing with your ROI (return on investment). Other key metrics to determine the performance of your performance marketing strategy are –

CPM - Cost Per Mille, or Cost Per Thousand, i.e. the fees are paid after an ad is shown to the viewers(every 1000 times).

CPC – In Cost Per Click strategy, the advertisers pay on the basis of the number of times the ad is clicked on. It is a better indicator of engagement than CPM.

CPA - CPA or Cost Per Action is a popular metric that is used for actions like signing up or subscribing, etc.

LTV – Based on the ongoing activities, LTV or Lifetime Value metric estimates the expected spending of acquired customers.

5 quick steps of building a performance marketing strategy are –

Step 1 – establish your campaign goals

Step 2 – Choose your digital channels

Step 3 – create and launch the campaign

Step 4 – measure and optimise your campaign

Step 5 – acknowledging and handling the potential pitfalls

Benefits of Performance Marketing –

Easy performance tracking| Low-Risk | ROI focused