全民点评时代：没人点评的生意做不长

如果你不是开餐馆的，你还需要担心网上的点评吗？你可能会觉得网上的评价对你的顾客来说并不重要，或是觉得不值得花时间和精力去管理网上的评价。你也可能担心负面的评价会摧毁你的生意。

你应该重新想想网络点评的重要性。以下五个理由阐释了为什么每个小企业主都应该欢迎甚至是积极鼓励网络上的点评。

1.大多数消费者都会阅读在线点评。

根据一家名叫“询问你的目标市场”（Ask Your Target Market）的公司进行的调查，大约有50%的受访者表示，他们在购买一件商品前，会“总是”或“大多数时候”先查看一下网上的评价。还有25%的受访者表示，他们大约有一半的时间会视网上的评价而决定是否购买。只有16%的消费者很少查看网上评价，完全不看网评的受访者仅占了10%。

2.网上的评价会影响购买行为。

在该调查中，约有四分之三的消费者表示，网络评价对他们很重要。对于商家来说，网络评价的重要性，以及消费者对它的依赖程度，取决于你所销售的商品。比如如果你卖的是科技产品，那么你应该知道，有70%的消费者在购买科技产品之前，都会经常查看网络上的评价。46%的消费者经常查看关于家居产品的评价；40%的消费者会查看餐厅、酒店和旅行相关业务的评价；35%的消费者会在买衣服配饰前先看看网评；23%的消费者会关注本地零售商店的评价。

3.消费者会综合利用多个在线点评网站。

消费者最经常登录的在线点评网站是亚马逊。就算你不在亚马逊上卖东西，你也应该意识到你所销售的产品或许正在亚马逊网站上被人点评。谷歌、Yelp和Facebook也是热门的点评网站。另外，消费者还经常会在某个地区或行业的特定网站上发表评论。你的产品在越多网站上被人点评，对你的企业的效果就越好。

4.大多数消费者只看不写。

关于在线点评，有这样一个奇怪的现象：小部分消费者对绝大多数消费者产生了相当大的影响。在受访者中，仅有6%的消费者表示，他们总是会在购买一样商品后在网络上写点评。15%的受访者表示他们大多数时候会写点评，24%的受访者表示他们约有半数的时候会写点评。不过也有35%的消费者表示他们很少在网上对所购商品进行评价，20%的受访者则从来不写点评。

如果你不去鼓励顾客针对你的生意写点评，你就错过了一个很好的方法去获取潜在顾客的信任。更严重的是，少数那些写点评的顾客会对其他消费者造成不成比例的巨大影响。比方说，如果几乎没有人针对你的产品写点评，那么只要一条差评，就会对你的生意造成很大的负面影响。

你可以采取以下方法鼓励消费者写网上点评：

• 在你的网站上添加点评网站的链接，这样消费者就可以通过你的网站看到Yelp等点评网站上的评价了。

• 在你的店里设置Yelp等点评网站的标志，让消费者知道可以在哪个点评网站上看到关于你的评价。

• 你可以在收据、结账小票或发票上写上“你可以在Yelp上找到我们”之类的话。

• 当然，你还应当定期查看关于自己的在线点评，迅速地对其中的重要点评做出回应。

5.负面点评其实一般都很少。

还在担心消费者可能对你写差评吗？完全没必要。根据该研究，近半数（46%）的消费者表示，他们的评价通常是正面或非常正面的。只有3%的消费者表示他们经常在网上写负面或非常负面的评价。（财富中文网）

译者：朴成奎

If you don’t own a restaurant, do you need to worry about online reviews? You might believe that online reviews don’t really matter to your customers. You may think they’re not worth the time and trouble it takes to manage them. Or you may worry that one bad review will destroy your business.

Think again: Here are 5 good reasons why every small business owner should welcome—and actively encourage—online reviews.

1. The majority of consumers read online reviews.

In a survey by Ask Your Target Market, 50 percent of respondents say that before making a purchase, they check online reviews “always” or “most of the time.” Another 25 percent do so about half the time. Just 16 percent rarely check online reviews, and only 10 percent never do.

2. Online reviews affect purchasing behavior.

About three-fourths of consumers in the survey say online reviews are important to them. The importance of reviews, and how frequently consumers rely on them, varies depending on what you sell. For example, if you sell technology products, you should know that 70 percent of consumers regularly check reviews before making a tech or gadget purchase. Forty-six percent regularly read reviews for home items; 40 percent read reviews for restaurants, hotels or travel-related businesses; 35 percent read reviews before purchasing clothing or accessories; and 23 percent read reviews for local retail stores.

3. Consumers use a variety of online review sites.

The most popular site for consumers looking for online reviews is Amazon AMZN -0.35% . Even if you don’t sell products on Amazon, you should be aware that products you sell may be reviewed there. Also popular:Google GOOGL -0.86% , Yelp and even Facebook FB -1.02% . In addition, customers may be reading reviews on local sites specific to your region or on sites related to your industry. In other words, getting reviewed on as many sites as you can will help your business.

4. Even though the majority of consumers read reviews, most don’t write them.

Here’s the thing about online reviews: A small percentage of consumers are making an outsized impact on the rest. Just 6 percent of respondents in the survey say they always write online reviews after making a purchase. Fifteen percent leave reviews most of the time, and 24 percent do so about half the time. However, 35 percent rarely leave reviews, and 20 percent never do at all.

If you’re not encouraging your customers to write reviews of your business online, you’re missing out on a great way to gain perspective customers’ trust and get them to try your business. What’s worse, the few customers who do write reviews are having a disproportionate effect on what everyone else thinks of your business. Think about it: If hardly anyone writes reviews, one bad review has a much bigger effect than it otherwise would.

Here are some ways to encourage customers to write online reviews:

• Add links prominently on your website where customers can review you on sites such as Yelp.

• Use signage in your location, such as Yelp decals, to let customers know which review sites you’re featured on and where they can find you.

• Include language on receipts, restaurant checks or invoices saying something like, “Find us on Yelp.”

• Of course, be sure to regularly read your online reviews and respond promptly to any that are critical.

5. Negative reviews are few and far between.

Still worried about what customers might say about you? Don’t be: Nearly half (46 percent) of customers in the survey say their reviews are usually either positive or very positive. Just 3 percent say they frequently leave negative or very negative reviews.