Another review spat - this time it's Purplebricks

Businesses and review websites keep on missing the point:

    

Read the full EYE article here

 
What point?

That all the time you insist on using a mechanism that is 'invitation only' your reviews are going to lack credibility. 

In this case: of course the reviews on Facebook are going to carry (some) more weight - Facebook is an open platform, whereas we have yet to see an agent embedding a link to a site like Trustpilot on their own site (and very few clients are going to find it of their own accord).

For your reviews be credible:

You must give up control over:

• Who is allowed - invited - to write a review
• When they are allowed to write a review
• Whether their review is published on your website or not

The main reason our clients love their HelpHound modules is that they give their reviews total credibility (as if there is anything in consumers' eye but total credibility!). 

• Anyone can go to our client's module and write a review, at any time, day or night, weekends, when they first become a client or months or even years later

 Here's a standard HelpHound module. The second link - 'write a review' is critical to the credibility of your reviews - and it tells your prospective client that you welcome (and publish) reviews from anyone at any time

Which means our clients can tell their prospective clients:

• That anyone can write a review
• Whenever they choose
• And it will be published

How powerful a message does that convey to your potential client? How much would you like to do business with someone who promised to publish your opinion, whenever you chose to give it?

Those of you who are new to HelpHound will be asking - quite rightly - what about misleading, inaccurate or fraudulent reviews? They are managed through Resolution (click and read) so that concern evaporates.