Travelmole Guest Comment: The power of online reviews, by Paul Nadin
Online reviewers are changing the holiday habits of British consumers, says Paul Nadin, founder of reviewcentre.com.
Here, he explains why:
“The consumer power of websites such as Review Centre and social networking sites like Facebook have shown firms the influence consumers have and how they can affect industry changes.
People can ask on message boards about countries they are thinking of visiting and before long they will have a breakdown of best car hire companies, hotels, flight companies and even eateries.
This people power sees big travel companies being lobbied to ensure they meet consumer demands from the moment they arrive at the airport.
A negative review online can cause untold damage to a travel agent, restaurant or even destination, adversely affecting sales and reputation.
But, it’s not all doom and gloom as happy customers regularly log on to praise good service and nice resorts.
Around 40% of the online postings are overwhelmingly positive and there is clearly an appetite to communicate good news about a brand, rather than focusing on the bad.
It is these loyal consumers who are like gold dust to marketers. There is a considerable consumer force which should not be underestimated by marketers in today’s climate where competition is fiercer than ever and brands are at the mercy of the consumer voice.
If a consumer’s trust is broken by substandard or poor service, the floodgates of customer opinion are unleashed on the web and this is when companies can find themselves falling victim to the widespread sharing of negative information on the web.â€
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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