Humans are social creatures, we thrive in groups that share similar interests and learn from one another.

If someone tells us about a delicious meal they had at a new restaurant, we naturally want to try it for ourselves and tell others about our experience. If there’s talk about how a certain store charges high prices for shoddy products, we’ll make it a point to avoid that location and warn others so that they may do the same.

In the world of psychology, this phenomenon is known as “social proof.” We take on the behaviors and habits of those around us that we perceive to be correct, on the basis that if it worked for them then it will work for us. That’s not to say we’re all a bunch of sheep blindly copying others, rather, we take the actions and consequences of those around us into consideration and use their experiences to determine whether we will follow suit to reap similar rewards or diverge to avoid suffering their mistakes.

If someone were to say that the food they tried at a restaurant was too spicy, then someone who enjoys spicy food would perceive the negative opinion they heard as a potential positive, and go try the food to see for themselves. If the spiciness ends up being to their liking, they can now share their own opinion and alter the discussions surrounding the restaurant, finding community in others who agree about the spiciness as well as recognition from those who were convinced to try the restaurant after hearing this new perspective.

We all want to contribute to the discourse, to play a role in the stories being shared, to have our views validated and our opinions appreciated, and thanks to the internet, we can all share our perspectives with a worldwide audience.

Not only is it empowering to be able to share our views so freely, but having so many review sites and message forums allows people to research nearly any business before actually visiting it. Rather than wasting their time going to one business after another and risk being repeatedly disappointed, consumers can now carefully look into as many options as they want, comparing the benefits and detriments before making a thoroughly informed decision.

The plethora of reviews available today mean it has never been a better time to be a consumer, but entrepreneurs are making fine use of these reviews as well, both the good and the bad.

Positive reviews are essentially free marketing, they build awareness and hype for your business without you having to spend a dime. Satisfied customers are eager to share the story of their pleasant experience, providing potential customers extra incentive to shop from you. Even negative reviews, when they offer constructive criticism instead of just cranky whining, can be a useful way to identify problems in your business and help you develop solutions to resolve them.

I know how upsetting it can be to see negative reviews of the product or project you put so much effort into, but it’s important to remember that they can actually add credibility to your business.

Smart shoppers are less likely to trust what they’re researching if all they see are positive reviews, they want to know what problems others have faced and see if those problems are relevant to them. What really catches discerning eyes is when review sites allow reviewers to update their posts, enabling those who were previously unsatisfied to now provide new information on whether their issues were addressed on their next visit. This is very beneficial to a business’s reputation, as it demonstrates a high level of professional accountability and customer service. 

Seeing that a business cares enough about its customers to acknowledge their feedback and take steps to improve their operations can earn you a great deal of respect and revenue. However, poorly responding to criticism will only draw greater attention to the issue and reinforce the critic’s views in the eyes of other consumers, so be careful with how you proceed.

A good strategy is to start by swallowing your pride and apologize to the irate consumer. Acknowledge their complaint, own the mistake, state that your business always seeks to serve its customers’ needs, then encourage the critic to contact you offline, perhaps reaching you at a company email or business line. Do not debate the customer or escalate the discussion into an argument, ask them straightforward questions about why they were displeased and what could have made the experience better for them. Thank them for their feedback, and perhaps offer an incentive for them to return, such as a coupon or free item.

Of course, another useful way to keep bad reviews from scaring off potential customers is to have plenty of good reviews to show people that whatever complaints you do receive are rare occurrences. A useful tool for getting more people to leave reviews is to add a polite request to order confirmation emails and sales receipts. Since the transaction is fresh in their heads, they’ll be more inclined to write a review or provide a rating, helping your business’s reputation and bottom line flourish and grow.