NB: This is a guest article by April Robb, senior manager of content at TripAdvisor.
TripAdvisor, as everyone knows, is a community where travelers can voice their opinions and share their experiences - but its size and influence sometimes creates uncertainty.
The site, equally importantly, is also an resource for travel businesses of all sizes to engage with travelers and promote their services.
While a lot of feedback and discussions occur on the site, TripAdvisor itself also generates discussion, and occasionally, some misconceptions emerge.
The following list details some of the more common myths about TripAdvisor, and the facts:
Myth 1: Reviews on TripAdvisor are usually negative.
In fact, the majority of reviews on the site are positive. Three-quarters of all TripAdvisor reviews are rated "very good" or "excellent", and the average rating on TripAdvisor is just over four out of a possible five.
It’s also important to note that – according to this traveler survey – the number one reason travelers cite for writing a hotel review is to "share a good experience with other travelers".
Myth 2: I have no control over my property’s listing on TripAdvisor.
Through the Management Center, you can immediately begin taking control of your business’ page — including adding a property description, photos, videos and more.
We also encourage you to monitor what travelers are saying about you on the site, post management responses and keep track of where your visitors are coming from so that you can tailor your marketing approach accordingly.
Myth 3: Businesses can’t share their side of the story on TripAdvisor.
Just as we value traveler options, we value the insights of business owners — and strongly encourage you to post responses reviews about your property.
These responses not only show guests and the TripAdvisor community that you take their feedback seriously, but also give you the last word.
When an owner responds promptly and professionally to both positive and negative reviews - thanking reviewers for kind words or addressing any specific concerns - a management response can be very effective.
In fact, research shows that management responses to good reviews makes 78% of survey respondents think more highly of the property, while management responses to bad reviews reassure 79% of travelers.
Myth 4: It’s against TripAdvisor rules to ask guests to write a review.
While it’s against TripAdvisor rules to offer incentives in exchange for reviews, we strongly encourage you to ask your guests to write a review. We offer tools that you can use to encourage guests to write reviews following their stay.
These include links that you can add to an email, which will send guests directly to your property page on TripAdvisor; cards and flyers that you can print and hand out to guests; and widgets that you can embed in your own website to remind travelers to write reviews.
NB: This is a guest article by April Robb, senior manager of content at TripAdvisor.
NB2:Top hat magic image via Shutterstock.