If there is a reason to know how to turn off reviews on Facebook, that is because of bad reviews. For one, any negative feedback has the potential to cause irreversible damage to your reputation. But then again, you can use reputational crisis management techniques to turn these negative reviews into advantages.
So if you want to hide reviews on Facebook from the public, you should first know the pros and cons of doing so.
Should You Turn Off Facebook Reviews?
Unfortunately, there is no way to remove negative Facebook reviews individually. In other words, if you disable Facebook reviews, you are not only hiding the bad reviews but also the positive reviews. It is this dilemma that mystifies many business owners.
At any rate, here are the advantages and disadvantages when you hide reviews on Facebook:
Pros
The only advantage when you turn off Facebook reviews is that you will not get bad reviews. On the one hand, it might be a smart move, considering these statistics:
- A single negative review is enough to dissuade 35% of consumers from buying.
- Three negative reviews can drop sales by almost 60%.
- Four or more negative reviews can decrease sales by up to 70%.
These numbers, suffice to say, are bad for your bottom line. So, it is understandable why some companies hide reviews on Facebook.
Some may also view fewer social media management services as an advantage. For example, disabling reviews means a company no longer needs to spend funds and resources on Facebook reviews management services. In addition, because there are no negative reviews, they would not need Facebook review monitoring and reputation repair services.
Cons
One can also make several cases on why brands should not pursue how to turn off reviews on Facebook. Essentially, there are four reasons it is a bad idea to disable Facebook reviews:
1. You Lose Potential Customers Who Want To See Reviews
Around 88% of online shoppers factor in reviews when making a purchase. At least 70% of them would read four reviews before trusting a business. So, it is unsurprising that many brands are turning to Facebook reviews management services to manage their online reputation.
Facebook, according to RevLocal, affects more than 50% of consumers’ purchase decisions. In addition, around 80% of Facebook users are more likely to trust a business with positive reviews.
On the flip side, 89% of customers will not take action if they do not read some feedback. Considering that you stand to lose many customers, it is perhaps not worth thinking about how to turn off reviews on Facebook.
2. You Do Not Have Positive Reviews To Help Generate More Leads and Sales
Four out of five consumers visit review sites because they intend to make a purchase. So imagine how many customers buy from your competitors if you disable Facebook reviews.
Consider these statistics:
• Around 31% of consumers are likely to spend more on a business with “excellent” reviews.
• Up to 72% say that positive reviews make them trust a local company more.
• Up to 92% of consumers will use a local business if it has at least a 4-star rating.
• About 72% of consumers will only take action after reading a positive review.
As you can see, the benefits of having positive reviews are too significant to ignore. This is why more brands are now using online reputation services for Facebook to help them collect positive reviews.
3. Zero Reviews May Harm Credibility
According to Status Labs, some 15% of online shoppers would not trust a brand with zero reviews. As it is, there are far too many dubious claims on Facebook and other social media sites. So it is hard for brands to gain the trust of consumers.
Before contemplating how to disable reviews from Facebook, think about the difficulty of building a positive brand image and how not having feedback can make it even more challenging.
4. You Lose the Chance To Use Negative Reviews To Enhance Your Brand Image and Trustworthiness
Customers value transparency and honesty. So when researching a brand, they do not only want to see positive reviews. They also want to see negative reviews. Otherwise, an overwhelming 95% will suspect censorship or faked reviews if there aren’t any negative ones, according to Reevoo.
While negative reviews can harm your reputation, they also provide invaluable benefits. For instance, users spend 5X more time on a website if they read negative reviews. Moreover, two out of three users trust reviews that comprise both positive and negative ones.
So, why do people read negative reviews?
First, they want to know everything about a product or service. Second, consumers want to see how a company responds to issues. If the consumers feel that a brand exerts effort at resolving problems, they tend to trust a brand more, knowing the brand will take care of them if they ever encounter a problem.
Negative reviews can increase conversion by up to 85%. Because of that, many companies are now using Facebook review monitoring strategies to identify negative comments and reviews. It can be through a self-service platform or online review management services provided by reputational experts.
How To Disable Reviews From Facebook
So, you have decided to remove negative Facebook reviews. Too bad it is not possible without also disabling the positive reviews. At any rate, it is easy to turn off Facebook reviews.
1. Go to your Facebook Business Page. On the tabs, click “More” and then “Manage Sections.”
2. Look for “Reviews Given” and uncheck.
What To Do So You Do Not Need To Remove Negative Facebook Reviews
Some companies do not understand the importance of monitoring brand mentions. Hence, they may not even be aware that they are receiving bad rap online. So the first thing you must do is to have some form of online review management services. It can be in-house or provided by third-party reputable Facebook reviews management services.
Once you have identified a negative review, comment, or post through active Facebook review monitoring, activate your reputational crisis management strategies. Typically, it involves responding to the complainant apologetically and courteously and offering to help.
The primary goal here is to resolve issues genuinely. But at the same time, it is also your chance to demonstrate to the public how much you care for the customers and that you are taking a proactive approach to solving problems.
A solid reputational crisis management strategy can help you turn a negative review into a powerful marketing tool. Instead of feeling frustrated or angry, customers who receive your timely attention and solution are so impressed by your service that they tend to become loyal customers. Meanwhile, people who read the negative reviews and your response will be confident that they can do business with you.
It Is Better To Turn On Facebook Reviews
Enabling Facebook reviews provides a lot of benefits. Some brands, though, choose to disable it but only temporarily. For instance, they may receive a high volume of negative reviews and not have the time to respond appropriately. There is, of course, a better solution, such as using reputation repair services.
Online reputation services for Facebook are one of those social media management services that are gaining popularity as more people research and share their experiences with brands online. So if you want to know more about how we can help you build a positive brand image, contact us.
