Google has really branched out since it was first founded over twenty years ago. Starting off as a way to locate websites in the early days of the web, it's now able to search for anything and everything that you can think of. It’s hard to imagine how we go without it nowadays. 

For example, let’s say you’re looking for a fine restaurant to dine out at. In the pre-Google days, you might need to read reviews in the local paper, check the phone book for their number, and maybe even check a map if you’re unfamiliar with the address. Now, we get all this and much, much more in just a few clicks.

Hey, we’re not trying to shill Google here, we’re just explaining the facts. Google is the world’s largest and most influential search engine, and it’s able to draw in all kinds of information about the world around us. We depend on it so much, especially over the lockdowns and restrictions in recent years.

With everyone being connected 24/7, we can get what we're after so quickly and easily. This also means that businesses can get their products or services into the hands of others with the same amount of ease. The online market is arguably the most important one in today’s era of connectedness and business reviews are just one part of this, albeit an important one.

Getting to the top of Google’s results (with glowing reviews) is now a goal that many businesses want to achieve. It helps to fuel their success and, in turn, drive profit. Online reviews are tantamount to customers' decisions in parting with their hard-earned cash.

In fact, a survey on how they affect customers was completed by BrightLocal — a company that helps businesses to rank higher on online searches. BrightLocal’s 2020 survey found that 87% of consumers read online reviews for businesses before their visit. 34% of that number state that they almost always check reviews before visiting.

Another takeaway from BrightLocal’s survey shows that only 48% of consumers would consider using a business with less than a 4-star rating. Whilst 4-stars means generally good reviews, less than that could mean there’s room for improvement. 12% of people in the survey were so critical that they wouldn’t even use a business with less than 5-star reviews.

BrightLocal’s survey confirms that those shiny gold stars influence us most — they were noted as the top factor in our decision-making. Other factors included the legitimacy, recency, sentiment, and quantity of the reviews. People also noted whether or not businesses responded to reviews as well, with 20% of reviewers in the survey expecting a response from the owners within a business day.

But responding to bad reviews is also tricky as no one likes to hear negative feedback or confront their critics. Whilst some of them are generally unhelpful and people like to just complain, accepting them and staying professional is part of moving past them. Although, it’s difficult to know what to say when you see reviews like the ones here. 

Responding to positive reviews is equally important — it shows the human side of the business that people can identify with more. Not to mention, it’s just polite to say thanks for a compliment as well. With customers leaving their reviews and potential customers seeing replies to them, it builds a great image for a business.

It can be a balancing act to manage both the good and bad reviews, but it’s proven to be a vital part of the business. Andrew Thomas, an entrepreneur and business consultant, has a theory that there is a secret ratio behind online reviews that can help a business to thrive.

Writing in Inc. magazine, he said: “It takes roughly 40 positive customer experiences to undo the damage of a single negative review. The ratio is derived from a combination of human behavior, math, and logic.”

“A customer who has a negative experience is highly likely to share that experience by leaving a bad review. A customer who has a positive experience, on the other hand, is unlikely to leave a good review. In my experience, only 1 in 10 happy customers leaves a good review.” 

Andrew also knows the importance of star ratings. He said, “Your company or product rating (typically out of five stars) reflects an overall average of good and bad reviews. So, if your goal is to maintain an overall rating of 4-stars, you'll need four 5-star reviews to make up for every 1-star review.” 

“Assuming that only 1 of every 10 happy customers leaves a positive 5-star review, and knowing that it takes four 5-star reviews to make up for each 1-star review, you can figure it takes 40 positive customer experiences to make up for a single bad review.”

It goes without saying but keeping customers happy results in great reviews. Andrew explained his philosophy for business owners: “When you focus on boosting customer happiness, it helps prevent the negative experiences that lead to bad reviews. And, according to the math, avoiding bad reviews is even more important than getting good reviews.” 

“Positive customer reviews are one of the most important factors for your success, and the surest way to get them is by providing an outstanding customer experience," he said.

"Take the time to understand the customer review ratio, and then evaluate your product and customer service. Doing so will help you master customer satisfaction and avoid the bad reviews that are so challenging to overturn.”

And if you can’t keep customers happy, be ready to face the unhappy reviewers. So, what should you do as a business owner when you have to reply to the dreaded 1-star reviews? Hubspot, an online marketing platform, published a guide on how to respond to all kinds of reviews. Aside from providing responses to use, they outline the key points that businesses should use when writing back to customers about negative reviews. 

Evaluate the feedback first of all — think about what you want to say and don’t send a response loaded with emotion. A bad reply could tarnish your reputation even more if it’s on a public platform. If you can, reach out to the customer privately to make them understand that you do care. You might even be able to turn their opinion into a positive one and they walk away feeling better about the experience whilst saving your hide.

If you’ve made mistakes in their experience, be empathetic and apologize to your customers. Find out why this happened if it wasn’t clear and try to resolve it for them. This way, you’ll know what to do if it happens to another customer in the future. You can even offer an incentive for their next visit such as a discount or even something "with compliments" (A.K.A. free). Finally, sign off the review with your name so customers know that they’re speaking to a real human, not a faceless company.

But we can’t help but enjoy when reviews or their responses kick up some drama though. It must be difficult to remain professional as an owner when some reviews are just begging to be ripped on. Again, think about what you want to say before you leave a review or respond to one. After all, you might just end up on a Bored Panda article.