McCain Launches Beginner’s Guide to TripAdvisor

McCain Foodservice has launched a beginner’s guide to TripAdvisor to help operators make the most of the potential opportunities it offers, and better manage any negative business impact.

With 400 million users, and containing around 570 million reviews, whether you’re a pub, restaurant, hotel or casual dining operator, it’s highly likely that a customer has logged on to the site and left you a review. So, it’s important to understand how to maximise the benefits of positive reviews and minimise negative reviews.

Jo Holborn, McCain Foodservice Marketing and category Controller, said: “While many operators have come to dislike (or even fear) the site, many have found the success of the platform rewarding. In fact, a recent survey by Nisbets found that 72% of respondents working in foodservice felt that TripAdvisor has had a positive impact on their business.

“If you’re for or against TripAdvisor, or even if you’re not entirely sure what it is, when used properly the site can be an easy, cost-effective way to help you stand out from the competition, and let the world know about the great food you create every day. So, if you’re looking to maximise the benefits of positive reviews, learn how to deal with negative feedback, or find out how ratings are really calculated, take a look at our beginners guide.”

The guide begins by explaining how rankings are calculated, highlighting three key metrics – how recent the reviews are, the quality of reviews, and the number of reviews held by a listing.

So for example, a restaurant with six 5* reviews posted within the last week, would in theory rank higher than a restaurant with five 5* reviews posted within the same time period, as the first listing has more reviews. Similarly, a restaurant with six 5* reviews will rank higher than a restaurant with five 5* reviews and one 4* review.

The guide also explores other key operator queries, including ‘Can I opt out of TripAdvisor?’, ‘How do I list my business on TripAdvisor?’, ‘Does TripAdvisor cost money?’, ‘How should I use TripAdvisor?’, as well as the importance of ‘Staying up to date’, ‘Keeping active’, ‘Remaining positive’, and ‘logging off’.

To view the full Beginner’s Guide to TripAdvisor visit http://www.mccainfoodservice.co.uk/news/beginners-guide-tripadvisor/