如果你不是開餐館的，你還需要擔心網上的點評嗎？你可能會覺得網上的評價對你的顧客來說并不重要，或是覺得不值得花時間和精力去管理網上的評價。你也可能擔心負面的評價會摧毀你的生意。

你應該重新想想網絡點評的重要性。以下五個理由闡釋了為什么每個小企業主都應該歡迎甚至是積極鼓勵網絡上的點評。

1.大多數消費者都會閱讀在線點評。

根據一家名叫“詢問你的目標市場”（Ask Your Target Market）的公司進行的調查，大約有50%的受訪者表示，他們在購買一件商品前，會“總是”或“大多數時候”先查看一下網上的評價。還有25%的受訪者表示，他們大約有一半的時間會視網上的評價而決定是否購買。只有16%的消費者很少查看網上評價，完全不看網評的受訪者僅占了10%。

2.網上的評價會影響購買行為。

在該調查中，約有四分之三的消費者表示，網絡評價對他們很重要。對于商家來說，網絡評價的重要性，以及消費者對它的依賴程度，取決于你所銷售的商品。比如如果你賣的是科技產品，那么你應該知道，有70%的消費者在購買科技產品之前，都會經常查看網絡上的評價。46%的消費者經常查看關于家居產品的評價；40%的消費者會查看餐廳、酒店和旅行相關業務的評價；35%的消費者會在買衣服配飾前先看看網評；23%的消費者會關注本地零售商店的評價。

3.消費者會綜合利用多個在線點評網站。

消費者最經常登錄的在線點評網站是亞馬遜。就算你不在亞馬遜上賣東西，你也應該意識到你所銷售的產品或許正在亞馬遜網站上被人點評。谷歌、Yelp和Facebook也是熱門的點評網站。另外，消費者還經常會在某個地區或行業的特定網站上發表評論。你的產品在越多網站上被人點評，對你的企業的效果就越好。

4.大多數消費者只看不寫。

關于在線點評，有這樣一個奇怪的現象：小部分消費者對絕大多數消費者產生了相當大的影響。在受訪者中，僅有6%的消費者表示，他們總是會在購買一樣商品后在網絡上寫點評。15%的受訪者表示他們大多數時候會寫點評，24%的受訪者表示他們約有半數的時候會寫點評。不過也有35%的消費者表示他們很少在網上對所購商品進行評價，20%的受訪者則從來不寫點評。

如果你不去鼓勵顧客針對你的生意寫點評，你就錯過了一個很好的方法去獲取潛在顧客的信任。更嚴重的是，少數那些寫點評的顧客會對其他消費者造成不成比例的巨大影響。比方說，如果幾乎沒有人針對你的產品寫點評，那么只要一條差評，就會對你的生意造成很大的負面影響。

你可以采取以下方法鼓勵消費者寫網上點評：

? 在你的網站上添加點評網站的鏈接，這樣消費者就可以通過你的網站看到Yelp等點評網站上的評價了。

? 在你的店里設置Yelp等點評網站的標志，讓消費者知道可以在哪個點評網站上看到關于你的評價。

? 你可以在收據、結賬小票或發票上寫上“你可以在Yelp上找到我們”之類的話。

? 當然，你還應當定期查看關于自己的在線點評，迅速地對其中的重要點評做出回應。

5.負面點評其實一般都很少。

還在擔心消費者可能對你寫差評嗎？完全沒必要。根據該研究，近半數（46%）的消費者表示，他們的評價通常是正面或非常正面的。只有3%的消費者表示他們經常在網上寫負面或非常負面的評價。（財富中文網）

譯者：樸成奎

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.