HelpHound - index of essential reading

This index is primarily intended for those new to the world of reviews and review management, but it is just as useful for our clients to act as a resource for refreshing knowledge. It will be updated as and when we publish a fresh article that meets our criteria for inclusion...

1. Essential reading - legal and compliance, for instance 
2. Case histories - we all learn from each other's experiences
3. Success stories - like case histories, but all about how to maximise financial returns

Note for those thinking they have reviews and review management 'under control': please read the first article under each heading; we have yet to meet a business where we could not add value to their existing review management processes.

Legal and compliance

Nearly every business we meet - certainly those that are already proactively inviting reviews - is in breach of one or more of the UK government relating to reviews. It doesn't matter how great you look, if you got there by breaching CMA regulations you will need to take action.

• The CMA regulations analysed and explained. Spend ten minutes reading this article and you will be better informed about the law governing reviews than the top one percent of UK businesses. 

• The CMA regulations say that everyone should be able to write a review at a time of their own choosing; this rules out cherry-picking (selecting customers to write reviews) and gating (pre-qualifying customers to ensure positive reviews. What is allowed? Moderation - the crucial function that prevents most inaccurate and misleading reviews from seeing the light of day. 

Case histories

There is something for everyone to learn from each of these experiences.

• Deflection explained: since Google entered - and began to dominate - the reviews sphere there has been an unintended side-effect for businesses committing to sites such as Trustpilot or Feefo: looking demonstrably worse on Google, something we christened 'deflection' because negative reviews are being 'deflected' to Google.

• More on this in: 'Deflection, it's becoming an epidemic?' with more case histories.

• What have reviews - your own reviews - got to do with SEO? See the impact great review management has made on this business's ranking and visibility in search.

• We published 'No better proof' quoting five clients over two years ago now; all five are still clients and all five look even better in competitive searches now than they did back in March 2017.

• Did you know that Google filters businesses out of search altogether - if you score less than 4.5? See just how this happens in 'Google: the reviews filter raises the bar.'

Success stories 

By far and away the best way to learn: from the hard-won experience of others. If, once you have read one or more of these, you feel you would benefit from speaking to the client concerned, just speak to us and we will arrange it.

• Top secret: an amazing case history: How one client saw their market share double and ten thousand more potential customers visit their website.

• Not long to wait: nearly twenty percent more calls and nearly thirty percent more visits to this clients website the month after full implementation.

• The old ones are often the best ones: see the journey a longstanding client has made.

HelpHound - article index

Here is an index, with brief explanations, of some of the key articles we have published in the last five years...

First - 'must reads' for everyone in management... 

• A Guide to review management in 2017 - all the options facing a business today
• The Fear Factor - why so many businesses hesitate before engaging with reviews, and why there's no need to
• Why not just do it yourself? - and what you will be missing out on if you do
• The Future of reviews - see how we think the reviews landscape will change over the next few years
• The Competition & Markets Authority Rules - most businesses and reviews sites are currently breaking them - and why there's no need to
• Resolution™ - protecting business and consumer alike from inaccurate and/or misleading reviews. Fear is the single thing that prevents most businesses engaging with reviews; Resolution™ means that good businesses can relax in the knowledge that inviting reviews will not put their hard earned reputations at risk
• How about the independent reviews sites? These numbers finally lay to rest the Google (and your own website) v. the independent sites argument - there's even more on this subject here
• Already engaging with reviews? - a checklist of 'wrong ways' to avoid and 'giveaways' that enable the regulators spot wrongdoing (and a business's competitors to make hay)
• The 5 questions most asked about HelpHound - starting with 'How can we be sure we won't be risking our business's reputation?' and including 'What will it cost?' and 'Are there any guarantees [of success]?'

 Next - the 'salesy stuff'...

• Calls up 18%, website visits up 27% - The immediate impact of HelpHound membership
• Our latest presentation - exactly what it says on the tin - all the benefits of membership
• The answers to the six questions your competitors will be asking about the reviews solution you choose for your business

 Industry/profession related articles...

• Results for hotels - positive reviews up, negatives down - definitive mathematical  proof that HelpHound ensures your scores and rankings on Google, TripAdvisor and the OTAs will be better for adopting HelpHound
• A simple explanation of the benefits for hotels and the hospitality industry
• Results for estate agents - in their own words
• An estate agent's journey - from nowhere to glowing in search
• Recruitment and reviews - who needs reliable reviews more than someone looking for career progression - and those seeking to help them?
• Reviews and the financial services industry - wealth management, the banks and financial planners were fighting shy of reviews three years ago, has anything changed?
• Reviews for the medical and caring professions - GP or physiotherapist, NHS Trust or private nursing home - your patients don't want to search further than Google

Under the bonnet - for those who like to understand what 'makes the car go'...

• Resolution™ - in case you missed it under 'must reads' - our moderation system, protecting consumers and businesses from inaccurate and misleading reviews
• The perfect 10 (or 5!) - why your business should strive for perfection 
• Google announce the quest for 'best' increases dramatically - pushing Google ever closer to ranking businesses in search
• Google reviews accelerate - your business has a handful now? That's stands to triple in the next 12 months
• Just how many people read a review on Google? - a real-life example of a business with a single review on Google that has been seen over a thousand times in three months
• An explanation of the Google Filter - and how to avoid being filtered out of search results
• Google ramps up visibility of reviews on mobile - how to look great there

In summary...

As you can see, there is more to professional review management than might at first meet the eye. We suggest you speak to us so we can put it into the context of your business and your current experience with reviews.

Please feel free to comment on this article - link below - and subscribe - centre right - so you can be sure to receive every article as it is published. If you would like more information just email fiona.christie@helphound.com.