Author: Mike Blumenthal
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Google Review Summaries: What’s New & Different
January 19, 2021 by Mike Blumenthal
Google Review Summaries have long annoyed and to some extent baffled business owners.1 But things appea[…]
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Google Review Issue – New Reviews Not Posting
November 12, 2020 by Mike Blumenthal
Update 11/15/2020 11 AM: I spoke too soon proclaiming that Google was back to normal (whatever Google norma[…]
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What We Learned From A “Google Only” Marketing Approach
October 21, 2020 by Mike Blumenthal
(This post is a 15-minute read, and/or take in the 60-minute video of Mike Blumenthal's presentation.) C[…]
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How To Get A (whacko) Google Review Removed
September 29, 2020 by Mike Blumenthal
Updated 1/22/21 Have you received any reviews like this? "I was denied service because I wouldn't wea[…]
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What Impact Will Apple Reviews Have?
August 31, 2020 by Mike Blumenthal
Last week, 9to5Mac discovered that the beta of iOS 14 offered the ability for consumers to leave review[…]
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How One Business Made a Mess of Masking
August 18, 2020 by Mike Blumenthal
Two companies, Menards and Costco, were first out of the blocks in requiring that all customers and employe[…]
Read morein: Covid, Reputation Management,note:7 comments -
The (Almost) Complete List of Google Review Attribute Categories
August 10, 2020 by Mike Blumenthal
We've worked to compile a list of Google My Business (GMB) categories that have review attributes. Our titl[…]
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Do Consumers Support Businesses Requiring Masks?
August 04, 2020 by Mike Blumenthal
The pandemic has turned business upside down and we have observed how this has impacted reviews. Most busi[…]
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Google’s Management of Reviews and Q&A During COVID-19 – Updated
July 14, 2020 by Mike Blumenthal
This post is being updated as we follow Google's management of reviews and Q&A during COVID-19. The mos[…]
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Reviews Don’t Mask The Truth: A Look At COVID-19 And Reviews
July 13, 2020 by Mike Blumenthal
Last week a business, Teter’s Faucet Parts Center in Dallas, reported on the Google My Business forum tha[…]
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Have Review Attributes Fixed A Google Review Problem?
June 30, 2020 by Mike Blumenthal
Google is killing it on the review quantity front, but far too many of those reviews have zero content. Rat[…]
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Will Google’s New Privacy Policies Affect Reviews?
June 26, 2020 by Mike Blumenthal
Google recently announced that they would now delete private web and location history data from their serve[…]
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Reviews & Your Business: Developing Your Review Strategy
June 11, 2020 by Mike Blumenthal
Right now is a good time to pause and think about your review strategy and where you are asking for reviews[…]
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Survey: How Willing Are Consumers Willing To Write Reviews?
June 01, 2020 by Mike Blumenthal
The latest update to our ongoing survey shows consumers are less likely to write a review than they used to[…]
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Google Review Attributes Expand To New Categories
May 20, 2020 by Mike Blumenthal
Update 6/17/20: GatherUp Launches Google Review Attributes Monitoring Recently we started seeing Google […]
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What Exactly Is A Review Rating?
May 04, 2020 by Mike Blumenthal
As consumers and business owners we want review ratings to reflect some objective reality. We decided t[…]
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Google Q & A is Starting to Return
April 24, 2020 by Mike Blumenthal
Update 5/6 Google Q & A has disappeared again. Status unknown at this time. Update 4/30 We tr[…]
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Listening To Customers
April 02, 2020 by Mike Blumenthal
Now, more than ever, listening to your customers is one of the most important things you can do as a busine[…]
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The Law and Your Reviews – How Not To Run Your Review Campaigns
March 02, 2020 by Mike Blumenthal
Poorly run online review programs have been a topic we have covered from multiple angles over the years. Am[…]
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B2B Services Need Reputation Management Too
November 21, 2019 by Mike Blumenthal
Recently I spoke with Apoorv Dwivedi, the head of an agency that specializes in servicing accountants and f[…]
Read morein: Company News,note:2 comments -
Google Q&A Drops 55%. What is Going on?
November 07, 2019 by Mike Blumenthal
Update 11/23/19: It might be too early to "declare victory" but several Google Product Experts have noted […]
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The FTC Takes on Fake Reviews, Kinda
November 06, 2019 by Mike Blumenthal
FTC Mission Statement: Protecting consumers and competition by preventing anticompetitive, deceptive, and u[…]
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Does Review Gating Impact Star-Ratings?
October 17, 2019 by Mike Blumenthal
In April 2018, we performed a grand experiment. Google had publicly declared that "gating" was formally ban[…]
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What is Yelp’s Actual Impact in the Real World?
September 27, 2019 by Mike Blumenthal
Yelp seems to focus into view at every turn in the review space. Yet, in looking at website analyti[…]
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When is a Review More Than a Review?
September 12, 2019 by Mike Blumenthal
As you work to earn new reviews, don't overlook the value of aggregate review content This headline[…]
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The Best Review Incentive is… No Incentive
September 05, 2019 by Mike Blumenthal
A good friend showed me an eco-hotel that was offering a very creative review incentive and asked if I thou[…]
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Tell Your Brand Story Across Search With Google My Business
August 28, 2019 by Mike Blumenthal
The other day I was asked to contribute to a blog post by answering the following question: What is the mos[…]
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Google Launching Place Topics Adding More Value to Reviews
July 11, 2019 by Mike Blumenthal
Last month Google rolled out Google Q&A Auto-Suggest Answer, using reviews to help consumers answer the[…]
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Google Expands Business Profile Answers For Mobile Results
June 17, 2019 by Mike Blumenthal
It appears that Google has expanded and enhanced the display of "Business Profile Answers" on mobile search[…]
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TextBack Case Study: Driving Big Reviews For A Small Restaurant
June 10, 2019 by Mike Blumenthal
The TextBack call to action sits on every table top and at the front counter. I am a sucker for a go[…]
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Google Fully Rolls Out Q & A Auto-Suggest Answers
June 03, 2019 by Mike Blumenthal
In April, Google rolled out a cool Business Profile (aka Knowledge Panel) feature that auto-suggested answe[…]
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The FTC Takes Action On Companies Barring Consumers From Writing Negative Reviews
May 16, 2019 by Mike Blumenthal
Including language in your contracts or agreements that bar your customer from writing a negative online re[…]
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Google Upgrades Q & A to Auto-Suggest Answers To Your Questions
April 26, 2019 by Mike Blumenthal
Google appears to be rolling out an upgrade to Google Questions & Answers (Q & A) that uses previou[…]
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How Google Uses Reviews To Understand A Business
February 26, 2019 by Mike Blumenthal
It's been known for some time that Google looks at reviews for long tail information and that reviews with […]
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The Economics of Customer Complaint Resolutions
February 19, 2019 by Mike Blumenthal
What is the optimal path to recover from a complaint? When things go wrong and your business ends up with[…]
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When You Don’t Need to Ask for Reviews – You Are Just That Good
December 03, 2018 by Mike Blumenthal
I recently returned from a vacation to Vietnam and Cambodia. It was amazing as we motorbiked around Ho Chi M[…]
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Why I Love 1st-Party Reviews & Just Might Marry Them
October 01, 2018 by Mike Blumenthal
When my children were in elementary school and I would say that I loved something like asparagus, they would[…]
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The Whacky World of Reviews: A 5 Star Spam Review “Attack”?
September 21, 2018 by Mike Blumenthal
Online reviews and the world that swirls around them can often descend into the surreal. Two weeks ago th[…]
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Reviews & Lawsuits – You Can Win for Losing and You Can Lose for Winning
June 13, 2018 by Mike Blumenthal
Several weeks ago two businesses were in the news having started lawsuits in regards to reviews. In one ca[…]
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When Asking for Reviews Is Just Too Much And Not Enough
May 31, 2018 by Mike Blumenthal
It's a brave new world of online reviews. As a business owner you get that. You won't just wait for reviews […]
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Google to Notify Reviewers of Owner Responses
May 11, 2018 by Mike Blumenthal
Google announced on the Google My Business Forum today that when owners respond to reviews, the reviewers wi[…]
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Google Write a Review Link Generator – Free Chrome Extension
April 02, 2018 by Mike Blumenthal
Sometimes it’s the little things in life that slow us down. As an agency or digital marketer, one of those[…]
Read morein: Local Search, Pro Tips,note:5 comments -
Webinar: The Ins & Out of Reviews & Reputation in 2018
February 20, 2018 by Mike Blumenthal
With the start of the new year, our team members Aaron Weiche and Mile Blumenthal took part in a webinar l[…]
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5-Step Plan For Success With Google Q & A
January 23, 2018 by Mike Blumenthal
This is the 3rd article in a 3-part series on Google Q&A. We started with an introduction to Q&A, […]
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The Big Guide To Google Questions And Answers (Q & A)
January 22, 2018 by Mike Blumenthal
Update: Download our new eBook - GOOGLE QUESTIONS & ANSWERS - What you don't know can hurt you Our firs[…]
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Google Q & A – Get To Know Google’s Latest Local Feature
January 18, 2018 by Mike Blumenthal
This is the first post in a three part series on Google Q & A. Part 2 is a Big Guide To Google Q&A a[…]
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Indiana Attorney General Sues Hotel for Deceptive Review Practices
December 19, 2017 by Mike Blumenthal
In what goes down as one of the dumbest review policies and practices ever, a hotel in Indiana solicited rev[…]
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A Google Combo That Works For Your Reputation
October 30, 2017 by Mike Blumenthal
Google Posts is a very cool product that allows a business to tell their story directly in Google's search r[…]
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New Testimonial Widget, Rich Snippets + Speed = Real World Benefits
October 02, 2017 by Mike Blumenthal
We're excited to announce that we updated our Testimonial Widget and Badges to a new javascript based format[…]
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Something Amazing Happened On The Way To A Google Review
September 05, 2017 by Mike Blumenthal
For Barbara Oliver, of Barbara Oliver Jewelry, something amazing happened on the way to a Google review. She[…]
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Google As the New Home Page – One Big Tactical Guide
August 21, 2017 by Mike Blumenthal
Increasingly, consumers are getting in touch with your business directly from the Google search results […]
Read morein: Local Search, Pro Tips,note:18 comments -
Cool Google SMB Review Marketing Tool
July 29, 2017 by Mike Blumenthal
First noticed by Chris Barnard, the owner of 1LocalBusiness.com, Google is offering up this very slick way f[…]
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How Willing Are Consumers to Leave Reviews Internationally?
July 03, 2017 by Mike Blumenthal
Our previous survey results showed clearly that US Consumers have been increasingly embracing the idea of wr[…]
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Why Won’t Happy Customers Write A Review?
June 21, 2017 by Mike Blumenthal
Irene Abdou, a photographer, asked this question on a recent post about how willing folks are to leave a rev[…]
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How Willing Are Consumers to Leave Reviews?
June 19, 2017 by Mike Blumenthal
We all know that most consumers read reviews. But how many are willing to actually leave reviews? In the U.S[…]
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New Feature: Tag Testimonial Widgets
May 30, 2017 by Mike Blumenthal
Using GetFiveStars to collect customer feedback and testimonials provides a great way to understand customer[…]
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Google Upgrades Hotel Reviews With Granular Detail & Graphics
May 25, 2017 by Mike Blumenthal
Google has recently update hotel reviews to include much more granular review detail by traveler type abou[…]
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Case Study: In Local Attribution Word of Mouth Dominates
April 25, 2017 by Mike Blumenthal
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) in local digital marketing are an indicator of your marketing success. But[…]
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Case Study: Key Performance Indicators in Local Digital Marketing
April 24, 2017 by Mike Blumenthal
Finding, tracking and collating Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)* that demonstrate the performance of your […]
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Understanding Google Schema Guidelines: Review Snippets vs. Critic Reviews
March 31, 2017 by Mike Blumenthal
We recently received this question via support: Google guidelines state the following: "Only include crit[…]
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Basketball Referee Calls Lead To Death Threats & Fake Reviews
March 29, 2017 by Mike Blumenthal
This story falls right into my sweet spot; the intersection of sports and reviews.1 [caption width="784" id[…]
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Car Dealers Fined $3.6 Million For Fake Reviews & Deceptive Practices
March 27, 2017 by Mike Blumenthal
Cars play a huge role in the local economy and a large part of every family’s budget. Because of that and[…]
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Google Drops Review Star Threshold to 1 or 2 Reviews AND Stops Using Bayesian Average
February 06, 2017 by Mike Blumenthal
Last week we reported the fact that Google had lowered the threshold for showing review stars in the search […]
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Google Lowers Local Pack Review Star Threshold to 3
February 03, 2017 by Mike Blumenthal
Update: Google Drops Review Star Threshold to 1 or 2 Reviews AND Stops Using Bayesian Average A post at the[…]
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Can 5-Star Reviews Backfire?
January 30, 2017 by Mike Blumenthal
In the new world of online reviews where users describe your products and services many customers will make […]
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Reviews, Incentives and the Law
December 08, 2016 by Mike Blumenthal
In an effort to gain visibility in Google search, some businesses have made a mad rush to solicit and acqui[…]
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3 Ways to Find the Google Review Link URL for Your Business
October 10, 2016 by Mike Blumenthal
Updated: May 28, 2020 Finding the Google Review link URL for your business is one of the most important thin[…]
Read morein: Pro Tips,note:2 comments -
5 Things You Can Do to Improve Your Google “Reviews From The Web”
September 21, 2016 by Mike Blumenthal
Google's research has indicated that having reviews on your Google listing resulted in a 140% increase in dr[…]
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Google Updates Schema Review Guidelines – Again
September 09, 2016 by Mike Blumenthal
With the rollout of the Reviews from Around the web feature showing aggregate review summaries on non-Google[…]
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Why A Business Needs Reviews Everywhere – Including Your Website
September 08, 2016 by Mike Blumenthal
Often I hear from business owners and marketers that they just want Google reviews or just Yelp reviews or […]
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Updated Google Schema Review Guidelines for Local Businesses
August 26, 2016 by Mike Blumenthal
Google with release of their critic review snippet extension has also significantly updated their rules for […]
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The Real Reason That Review Incentives Are Bad
July 20, 2016 by Mike Blumenthal
I've written in the past about review incentives and the risks they involve. While a big part of this can be[…]
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Yelp Implements Active Cleanup Alerts When a Business Review Hits the News – Tituss Burgess Vs Frank’s Express
July 14, 2016 by Mike Blumenthal
Tituss Burgess from the Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, tangled with one of the infamous NYC Moving crooks compan[…]
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Net Promoter Score – Your Word of Mouth Index
July 06, 2016 by Mike Blumenthal
Most businesses track their online reviews religiously yet they have no metric to assess an even more impo[…]
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13 Ideas to Make Your Business More Complaint Friendly
June 29, 2016 by Mike Blumenthal
In June, Mike Blumenthal takes a deep look at customer complaints with a series of articles. View all of t[…]
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8 Steps for Dealing with Customer Complaints
June 27, 2016 by Mike Blumenthal
In June, Mike Blumenthal takes a deep look at customer complaints with a series of articles. View all of t[…]
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SURVEY: How Quickly Should A Business Respond to a Complaint?
June 20, 2016 by Mike Blumenthal
In June, Mike Blumenthal takes a deep look at customer complaints with a series of articles. View all of t[…]
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SURVEY: Are We As Good As We Think We Are?
June 15, 2016 by Mike Blumenthal
In June, Mike Blumenthal takes a deep look at customer complaints with a series of articles. View all of t[…]
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SURVEY: What Happens When Things Go South? You Lose More Customers Than You Ever Know
June 13, 2016 by Mike Blumenthal
In June, Mike Blumenthal takes a deep look at customer complaints with a series of articles. View all of t[…]
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Survey: 8 Things That Really Cause Consumers to Complain
June 06, 2016 by Mike Blumenthal
In June, Mike Blumenthal takes a deep look at customer complaints with a series of articles. View all of t[…]
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5 Good Things About Customer Complaints
June 01, 2016 by Mike Blumenthal
In June, Mike Blumenthal takes a deep look at customer complaints with a series of articles. View all of t[…]
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Google Reviews Just Got Easier – G+ No Longer Required
April 02, 2016 by Mike Blumenthal
It would appear that Google is now allowing users with just a Google account to leave a review. The account […]
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Integrating GetFiveStars Into Your Email Marketing or CRM Platform
February 29, 2016 by Mike Blumenthal
At GetFiveStars we pride ourselves on making the whole flow of reputation development, customer feedback, […]
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Customer Spotlight: An Insurance Agent Shares How He Uses GetFiveStars to Improve His Business
January 07, 2016 by Mike Blumenthal
Allan Kaplan runs Kaplan Insurance in Wappingers Falls, NY. His agency is a full service, independent agency[…]
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Google Reviews – One URL To Rule Them All
December 03, 2015 by Mike Blumenthal
It’s never easy running a business. This is particularly true if you are running your own online review ma[…]
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Review Incentives? Are the Benefits Worth the Cost?
October 27, 2015 by Mike Blumenthal
Reviews and testimonials are powerful social proof of your business’s capabilities but they are often hard[…]
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SURVEY: Why Do Consumers Leave Reviews?
September 14, 2015 by Mike Blumenthal
I have long wondered why consumers leave reviews. Using Google survey we asked 600 consumers that report bei[…]
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6 Good Things About Negative Reviews
August 18, 2015 by Mike Blumenthal
Running a business is hard. The long hours, the unrelenting demands, the physical and emotional investment s[…]
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