Why You Should Keep Negative Reviews on Your eCommerce Website

More than half of customers read online reviews before they make a purchase. Customer reviews are proven to drive sales and it is now something that a majority of customers will want to see before they decide on making an online purchase. There are quite a few reasons why business owners shouldn’t delete negative comments […]

By Alyssa Schaad

bad-reviews-bannerMore than half of customers read online reviews before they make a purchase. Customer reviews are proven to drive sales and it is now something that a majority of customers will want to see before they decide on making an online purchase.

There are quite a few reasons why business owners shouldn’t delete negative comments or reviews. There are times where negative reviews can actually help your business. Here are a few reasons why it is okay to let negative comments or reviews stay on your site.

Traffic Boost

Did you know that 86% of buying decisions were influenced by negative online reviews? These customers aren’t trying to talk their way out of purchasing a product; they just want to have all the possible information needed before making the purchase.

The customers that are reading these reviews will stay on your site longer and they will visit other pages related to the product they are interested in and will continue their research until they are ready to buy.

Instant Trustworthiness

Most of the time, when you are looking up a product, you look for the good and the bad reviews. The last time you found a product with only good reviews, did you think you found the best product ever or did you question where those good reviews came from? There is a good chance those reviews were paid for and the company deletes the bad reviews.

Having some bad reviews makes the good reviews look a little bit better and more honest. By refusing to hide those negative reviews, this gives your company immediate credibility and earn more trust from potential buyers.

Pleased Customers

Giving your customers all the reviews upfront; the good, the bad and the ugly; they are less likely to experience any bad surprises. Customers who are happy with their product and the purchase have a higher chance of coming back to your store later. They may actually leave positive reviews that will address the negative comments so new users can have more information when they start their research. With customers replying to other customers comments, you as the owner may not need to address the bad review unless you see an opportunity to provide better service.

Show off your customer service

When you respond to a customer that complains on your site or on a social networking site, it shows everyone looking at your site how much you care about your customers and the lengths you will go to make a bad situation right. That one angry customer may never shop with you again but other customers viewing your site will see that you left a positive mark which will help others in the future.

These are some reasons why it is encouraged not to delete reviews or negative comments that are left on your site. Would you trust a business with nothing but positive reviews? If you have ever dealt with bad reviews, we’d like to know how you have handled your online presence. You tell us!

Support Operations Manager