If you run a local business then online reviews could potentially make or break you. Positive feedback could earn you increased custom, while a negative review could seriously hamper your chances to source new clientele. The ability to offer an opinion of a business on an online forum, through Google Maps or even on a company website can be great for consumers that can find out the truth from real people that have used a certain organisation. Unfortunately though, it seems that in recent years rival businesses have started to realise that these largely un-moderated means of communicating an opinion can be used in their favour to destroy reputations.

Let’s take the example of a small hotel that can be found on Google Maps. The hotel is relatively new, and doesn’t have any feedback yet from clients that have taken advantage of its facilities. Instead, the first review to appear is distinctly negative, informing all other users that a better hotel exists on the other side of the town. This review was created by the rival hotel in an attempt to tarnish the reputation of the new business and, as far as any of the general public knows, could be genuine.

Likewise, there is little to no protection in place for your own name or the name of your organisation. Any other individual could use your name falsely to spam negative reviews of other companies, eventually effecting your own reputation in your niche market.

While Google insists that it has software in place designed to detect spam and false reviews, it seems to be largely ineffective against reviews that genuinely seem real but are designed to lower the credibility of a company or individual. It is possible to mark a review as spam on most websites, but many have claimed that they received no response from this action. With the only other potential route to removing spam reviews being expensive legal action, this could leave you at a loss.

Fortunately many review websites are now aware of the issue, and are starting to take steps to stop false reviews from circulating and damaging businesses all over the globe. Clever new algorithms will filter review posts in order to identify if many of a similar type have come from one computer, or if the information within simply does not line up to the business being reviewed. Some review websites offer more credibility to a review that offers more information, pushing those false testimonials that simply include a sentence or two slating the company to the bottom of the pile.

The technology to prevent review websites from being used inappropriately is still very much in development. This may not be great news to you if you yourself have suffered from attacks from a rival company or a dissatisfied employee, but consumers and businesses alike should be happy to hear that work is being conducted to ensure that all information to be found on such review websites is accurate and up to date.