Facebook users are used to showing their appreciation, agreement, and enjoyment of various topics with a simple “like”. But now Facebook is implementing a 5-star rating system for some business Pages, which has some questioning whether or not they want their ratings displayed.
From mobile to desktop
Although Facebook created this rating method in 2012, they are now making it a much more prominent part of some business Pages, displaying the stars directly under the Page name. It had also been confined to mobile Facebook apps in the past, and is now being brought to our desktops.
Who gets a rating?
Currently, Facebook is only allowing the rating system to be utilized for businesses that provide a physical address. Now it seems that many companies are trying to decide whether or not having their ratings displayed is positive or negative. Unlike other review sites like Yelp, Angie’s List, and Citysearch, reviewing a business on Facebook through the star system requires nothing but a click of a button. You don’t have to give your name, no detailed written review is required, and there is no filtering system or algorithm for this rating process. However, the one thing you must have to review a business? A Facebook account.
Are these ratings beneficial?
Many companies are leaving their ratings on their Facebook Pages because they want potential customers to see their credibility and expertise in their respective fields. But what about the companies that are not receiving top-notch ratings? Is it because they are not doing a good enough job providing their services, or is the fact that Facebook has not implemented the proper methods to filter out the fake reviews?
Either way, companies are now in the position to decide if they should keep their Pages’ star ratings visible for customers to see. The caveat to eliminating the rating? In doing so, they are removing their businesses’ physical address from the Pages, along with the popular “check-in” feature, a great element for many Pages.
If you have a business Page and no longer want your star rating displayed, the process to remove it is simple.
How to remove the star rating from your Page:
- Go to your Page
- Under your profile picture, click About
- Click on the Edit icon in Basic Info
- Find Address and click the Edit icon on the right side of the screen
- Where you see the map, uncheck the option: Show this map on your Page and enable check-ins
- Click Save Changes and you’re all set!
It’s apparent that Facebook is trying to catch up to other review sites and incorporate this type of feature into their own website. However, they may want to think about going about it a different way before too many businesses decide that they no longer “like” it.
