Neutral reviews are as important as any other review. They create opportunities to win the reviewer and those who will be reading it. Unfortunately, many businesses ignore neutral reviews altogether.

Responding to all kinds of reviews helps your business grow and it also strengthens your brand’s online presence. Negative reviews, for example, give you the opportunity to respond to unsatisfied customers. They give you the opportunity to win them back and to show the world that you, as a business, can respond to irate reviewers without losing your top. Remember, around 70% of people who leave bad reviews only want their concerns addressed. Once that is done, they will keep coming back to you. Positive reviews, on the other hand, give you the opportunity to thank your reviewers and turn them into loyal customers or brand advocates. You need customers like these because they will tell over 10 friends about you.

Neutral customer reviews are almost as bad as negative reviews.

Positive reviews, on the other hand, give you the opportunity to thank your reviewers and turn them into loyal customers or brand advocates. You need customers like these because they will tell over 10 friends about you. That means more business for you.

Neutral Reviews Are Not Really Neutral

Neutral reviews are never really neutral. A neutral review affects both negative and positive reviews and can also reinforce both. Statistically, neutral reviews are a good thing because without them, positive reviews will be overestimated and negative ones will be underestimated. Neutrals give consumers a better understanding of a brand or a business.

The Anatomy of a Neutral Review

Many think that neutral reviews have no impact at all but recent studies show that neutrals change the way people perceive reviews from either side of the spectrum.

There are two types of neutral reviews, according to the American Marketing Association’s Journal of Marketing. The first type is the mixed neutral which has both negative and positive comments. The second type is the indifferent neutral where no negative or positive feedback was included. Mixed neutrals are good because they help businesses improve. They also have the capability to influence readers to read more positive and negative reviews. Indifferent ones, on the other hand, can hurt a brand.

Mixed neutrals are good because they help businesses improve. They also have the capability to influence readers to read more positive and negative reviews. Indifferent ones, on the other hand, can hurt your brand.

Replying to neutral reviews can be tricky. For neutral reviews that contain both positive and negative comments, follow the steps below:

1. It I always a great idea to thank the customer for taking the time to leave a review.
2. Make sure to repeat the positive parts of the review.
3. Apologize for the negatives.
4. Inform them that they are always welcome to your establishment.