When searching for our next meal, purchase, service, etc., it is common for us to resort to simply Googling whatever resource it is that we need. The results seem intuitive; the highest links are the most reliable (I admit I don’t even venture past the first page). But how exactly are these particular businesses promoted over their competitors? In most cases, this comes as a result of expensive SEO. Usually the business with the most online reviews, regardless of the grade, are the most likely to populate the first page of our search results.

Another important question to ask is, “Who writes these online reviews?” More and more evidence is surfacing that links online review sites to cases of promoting fraudulent reviews. These sites are being discredited as reliable sources for “honest feedback”. While only a small percentage of online reviews are deliberately false, it is still difficult to trust the remaining anonymous reviews.

In Christian Weaver’s recent article,”We all have to be Honest about Online Reviews,” a simple question is raised over who we are choosing to trust when it comes to recommendations.

In this Internet-driven era, we have moved away from simply asking a friend for their opinion. We now rely on the opinions of strangers, which begs the question, “Do we trust the anonymity of online reviews and the strangers who wrote them?”

We have to, as Weaver puts it, “review the reviewer” by examining their motives, tastes, and interests before being able to actually place our trust in them and their opinions.

A website that I have been working with, Wyngspan, differs from these anonymous review sites in that it promotes TRUST, rather than forcing users to rely on others who rate a service or experience based on a single encounter and inevitable fluctuating tastes. Instead, Wyngspan encourages users to connect with those who they actually trust, share trustworthy resources with one another, and create a platform that is built on trustworthiness and shedding a positive light on reliable businesses. Wyngspan is building a network where users can avoid uncertainties and anonymity in where they are putting their trust and more importantly, their money.

In many ways, Wyngspan is creating an online home for reliable word-of-mouth recommendations that cultivates trust and eliminates the unavoidable anonymity and fraudulence in current review site options.

Next time you are looking for a restaurant to visit, a doctor for your sick child, a plumber for your leaking pipe, or a mechanic who won’t charge you an arm and a leg for a simple repair, don’t rely on the uncertainty of online reviews. Instead, turn to your trust circle and Wyngspan.com—The Trust Network.

Also, based on the experiences you have sent to me, they have created a Platinum Founding Member program, giving you more control over your reputation, and direct contact with the company to help create a system and program that works for you, the business owner. Wyngspan is about countering the negative effects Yelp has had on our business community.  So if you are ready to step up and be seen as the most trusted provider of your business segment, then you want to be a Founding Member of Wyngspan.

 
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