When shopping for anything these days, we tend to look first at reviews, even when considering something as simple as where to eat dinner. Educated consumers know to not just look at the overall rating of the company or product, but also, how many reviews there are because anyone can have a few friends write up some good reviews! Consumers and businesses are more inclined to believe other customers that claim to have had a good experience with a business or product.
Customer reviews and ratings have become very important in the digital age. Searching through dozens of valid, unbiased, and reliable reviews can make a big difference between a poor buying decision and a smart one.
Customer reviews offer a number of benefits for businesses. These include the following.
- Educating potential clients about what kind of experience they should expect
- Advertising / Marketing for the business
- Improved search engine results for potential customers
- Peer recommendations that have a big impact on purchase decisions
- Constructive criticism and suggestions, offering insight for improvement
- Bridge the distance between businesses and their customers
Despite their importance, customers should look at more than just peer-reviews. Recent reports show that reviews are open to manipulation by businesses, so what do you look for?
THE BIG PROBLEM: Where is the review coming from?
When you search on Google or any other search engine for pharmacy software reviews, one site that predominantly appears in results is www.pharmacysoftwarereviews.com. If you do not look closely, you miss the small print, which helps protect them from being sued, which states it is owned and operated by Pioneer RX, the very same company that is always listed as number 1 on the site.
Many review sites allow vendors to change their rankings based on “who pays more”.Review sites like Capterra.com or Softwareadvice.com rank company positions as 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc. based on who is willing to bid more money for those prime positions. This is why rankings and “5-Star Ratings” are not always the best way to judge a business or its products. Reading the review content is crucial for making an informed purchasing decision.
This practice is also fairly common on social media where page moderators often get bloggers to post favorable reviews of their product to attract more customers. Apparently, there are no restrictions on it and it is difficult for platform moderators to detect or stop nonsense reviews and ratings posted in this manner.
Software and App Review Importance
According to Forbes, “The number of online consumers who read and trust online reviews is increasing”. A survey from BrightLocal showed that 88 percent of consumers trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation.
Paying to get higher ratings is quite common for software and applications. This holds true for retail pharmacy software reviews just as it does for any other product review.
When looking at pharmacy software reviews, readers should make sure that they read it carefully to understand whether it was written by an actual customer or someone who was biased and paid to write a favorable review.
Favorable, paid reviews can make apps appear better or more popular than they actually are.
Things to Look Out For:
1. Who Wrote The Review? – Valid pharmacy software reviews come from real customers and product users. Consider whether the reviewer is providing their information. Reviews written by anonymous posters may not be written by actual customers. Satisfied clients would gladly share their identity when writing about their experiences with a pharmacy software company.
2. When Was the Review Written? – Products and companies are always evolving, growing, and changing. Old reviews may no longer hold relevance if a software company has updated its pharmacy software since the review was originally written. Recent reviews are more relevant and actually useful for potential buyers. If a company has a bunch of positive reviews all within days of one another, 5-star ratings, but very little feedback, then it can be a tell-tale sign of bogus or potentially paid reviews.
3. Review Content – Consider whether a review simply has a “5-star” rating or if there is actual content to it as well? A 5-star rating does not accurately reflect how the company or its products work. If a client has had a good experience, they are never shy about writing a few lines, even lengthy favorable review about each detail of the product. Detailed Information – The most useful pharmacy software reviews are the ones with information about the software features, advice on how to use it effectively, and opinions about its utility.
4. Be wary of reviews without any cons. No product can function perfectly at all times. Real reviews often have a few negatives as well. If nothing else, the reviewer may share some suggestions on how the product can be further enhanced. It should not be surprising to see pharmacy inventory software reviews mention some points for improvement. Remember there are many real users who are trying to help and educate potential buyers by presenting an accurate picture of the pharmacy management software.
Pharmacy Management Software Reviews Ethics
Businesses are always going to try to manipulate mass media in order to promote their brands, one way or another. Posting fake reviews is unethical and illegal, but that does not mean businesses are going to stop doing it. Catching fake reviews is very difficult and ranks low in the list of priorities for search engines, and certainly not a priority of any reviews site that is being paid for better ranking.
So how can consumers counter this?
The first way of doing this is to be wary. Look out for signs that indicate the review is paid and bogus.
Consumers can also make a change by posting their own real reviews about a business and its products and services. For most listing sites, businesses do not have the power to delete or alter customer reviews. You can write a detailed review of pharmacy software features that you liked or point out its flaws. Good businesses are always looking for constructive feedback because it allows them to improve their products and services for customers.
When looking at pharmacy software reviews, you should also consider which standout features are mentioned about the application. These can help you understand the strengths of the software and how it would improve your business. If the software has any limitations, most reviewers would point them out as well.
When trying to assess the usefulness of pharmacy management software for your business, read the reviews, look for the source, and consider the content. You should make your decision after taking these steps. After all, it’s a big decision!
Kevin Minassian is the President of Datascan Software. Under his leadership, the company rapidly expanded to provide pharmacy management software on a national level. Over the last 15+ years, he has ensured that Datascan has continuously evolved to offer innovative solutions for independent pharmacies while still offering world-class customer support. He is passionate about helping independent pharmacies to remain competitive, achieve success, and offer the very best service to their communities.
