Manipurated: How Business Owners Can Fight Fraudulent Online Ratings and Reviews

A manifesto for business owners struggling against an online ratings and reviews industry that is holding their businesses hostage through manipulative practices. The book uniquely combines an exposé of the shifty inner workings of this industry with a step-by-step playbook to empower the 30 million American business owners desperately trying to fight back. In todays hyperconnected world, business owners are confronted with the challenge of managing their online reputation right out of the gate. The first weekend for a new deli, salon, café, or boutique store can be make-or-break with online reviews. Few business owners understand that amazing businesses can be permanently damaged with a few bad reviews. Managing a reputation online requires skills and tactics that are not always intuitive to business owners. The book gives business owners an insiders view of how the multibillion-dollar ratings and reviews machine systematically stacks the cards against them -- and more important, empowers business owners to fight back with a six-step playbook to defend, control, and enhance their businesss online reputation. Both a warning and a call to action, this is a must-read for all small business owners who depend on online reviews.