Online reviews have become a staple of the consumer buying process as potential customers refer to them during their online shopping experience. It is important to properly manage your clients’ online reputation because search engines rank websites higher based in part on positive customer reviews. Due to the damaging effect of negative reviews, however, some businesses in years past have added non-disparagement clauses to their websites in regards to reviews, promising to take legal action against violators. Unfortunately, this discourages a pure shopping experience for the consumer, and as a result, the Consumer Review Fairness Act entered the scene. Read about several ways that the CRFA affects your clients’ online reviews.
Consumers Can Say Whatever They Want
The Consumer Review Fairness Act protects the consumer’s honest opinion about a business’s products, services and brand. With the exception of harassment, vulgar statements, or confidential information, consumers can say what they want about your clients’ online (including in social media). This means that unhappy customers are always permitted to share negative remarks if they choose to do so, which could harm your clients’ image if not dealt with correctly. The CRFA allows for consumers to see both the positive and negative in regards to a company’s products and services, helping them to make informed purchase decisions.
You Can’t Penalize Negative Reviews
It may be tempting to add “non-disparagement” clauses to your clients’ terms of service agreements or contracts. However, silencing unsatisfied customers by penalizing them if they leave negative online reviews is in direct violation of the Consumer Review Fairness Act. If this act wasn’t in place, consumers would eventually stop sharing their honest opinions about a business’s products and services in fear of being penalized. You’ll have to be ready to properly handle negative reviews while implementing methods to generate positive ones.
Your Clients Need Help Managing their Online Reviews
What does the Consumer Review Fairness Act mean for agencies like yours? Fortunately for you, this is all good news. The CRFA sheds a light on the importance of having a professional agency manage and market their clients’ online reviews – the good and the bad. Your clients will benefit greatly from the consistent generation of positive online reviews, as this will result in better SEO results and an increase in overall brand equity.
Improve Your Clients’ Online Reputation with ReForce
Take advantage of the opportunity presented by the Consumer Review Fairness Act by helping your clients manage their online reputation with ReForce, a tool that provides your clients with an easy-to-use, customizable solution that will generate positive online reviews. This powerful white-labeled solution aggregates reviews from across the web, automates the customer survey process and sends the best online reviews to third-party websites. Through our platform, you are able to easily reach out to those who’ve posted negative reviews and resolve their issues before they’re published online. This will improve your clients’ online reputation and help them to plan for long term success. Properly manage your clients’ online reviews today by learning more about ReForce, or by contacting GaleForce Digital Technologies at (866) 233-8499.