DECISIONS
How much do online reviews influence your decisions?
We live in a society influenced by what we glean from online reviews, consumer reports, number of stars, ranking, and the like. Today more than ever, consumers want to know they can trust businesses to provide a positive experience before deciding to make a purchase, sign up for a service, or even visit a place of business. Media reports can make or break any business almost overnight - especially a new business.
Here's an example - a new restaurant may get a bad report in a local paper because someone has issues with the owners. Once read, it can seriously damage the reputation of the restaurant as if casting a negative spell on its success. (Too metaphysical? OK ... Guess I'm still stuck in the Magic of October blog.) How about ... a negative review can cause serious damage to an otherwise great restaurant. Or ... the restaurant could be owned by one mob faction or another, as many are in NYC, and the reviewer is in serious trouble. (I think I watch too many cop shows.)
For years, I wasn't into online reviews because I process decisions differently than most - based on what Z shows me. My history, as many of you know, in shopping with Z, has always led me to the right item, which seems to be waiting for me when I get there. I call Z my personal shopper. Today, if ordering something new online, I will read reviews to get an idea of others' experiences. But when it comes to online reviews, you never know who wrote them in an age where many people love to vent. You tell them something and you can sense the judgment kicking-in before you finish your thought.
Each person's experience is unique and though one person may endorse a product or service, someone else may have had a totally different experience. The best thing to do, let's say if you're shopping on Amazon, is to glance through many reviews, check out the number of stars a product has, then go from there. I have learned to trust Amazon, though I have never written a review.
When it comes to major products like cars - consumer reports will always help guide your decision - and of course there's the test drive. You don't know if a car is yours until you get behind the wheel.
Ninety per cent of consumers say that online reviews impact their buying decisions as well as other trending topics people follow. Over the last few years, many small business owners have developed a love-hate relationship with online reviews. On one hand, when you consider the popularity of sites like Yelp, TripAdvisor, or Foursquare - online reviews are a great way to get discovered online. On the other hand, if you've ever received a negative review, you know just how frustrating it can be.
So why am I writing this blog now? TripAdvisor ... Another "Ellie trip" is planned leaving 11/6. This time there will be no workshop or clients that I am aware of - just fun. It's a journey through Florida with John, the friend I met on my California adventure last December, who lives in Tampa where we begin. Next on to the Gulf Coast -> then to another Marriott Grand Vista - this one in Orlando - > then on to Ft. Lauderdale to meet up with George and do our thing in southern Florida. Will I ever stop laughing? Doubtful.
When you think about it - all of our experiences here - are at some point reviewed mostly by us. They can then be evaluated and help us understand who we are today or - they can just be written off as bad (code) programming as one should never dwell. If you were writing a review of your time on planet Earth - here and now - what would you say?
How would you rate the way your experiences were programmed in this reality? Would you based the rating on personal growth, how you help and heal others, or something else? Don't be too hard on yourself. You are only (a) human having an experience that is soon to end.
Look at the image above. You are an "insert" looking to get "home" by moving between the "spaces". You "pause" ... you "scroll" .. and you "review" when necessary. You would like to control the keyboard - but that's not this program. Another experience perhaps ... I still can't find the "Delete Key" for this reality to get us there but time seems to be slipping away like a lucid dream.
The amount of human consciousness this reality requires to keep the programming running is almost depleted. We came from chaos .... we return through (into) chaos ... when the souls have all had enough. Until then things will continue to deteriorate until no one has the energies to keep it running. What could cause all of the souls to want out...? Earth changes.
Quantum Chaos
The connections between Chaos and Quantum Mechanics
Scientific American - October 27, 2008
Thor Heyerdahl was a Norwegian adventurer
famous for his expedition on the Kon-Tiki sailing by raft
4,300 miles from South America to the Tuamotu Islands.
He is related to sci-fi actor Christopher Heyerdahl.
the reality that proves that time does not exist.
Progress is man's ability to complicate simplicity.
