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The Entrepreneur’s Source Reviews Why You Should Take Search Results with a Grain of Salt
The Entrepreneur’s Source Reviews Why You Should Take Search Results with a Grain of Salt
Nowadays, we Google everything. We turn to Google to find recipes for what to eat for dinner, to find the answers to questions that we don’t know, to conduct research for investment opportunities. Similarly, Google is oftentimes the first place that someone in career transition turns to when they want to conduct research on alternative career options.
The Internet can be a powerful tool when you know what you’re looking for, but when you are not exactly sure, the search results that come back at you are likely to paralyze and disempower you more than helping you narrow down your search. Today, The Entrepreneur’s Source reviews why those aspiring to be self-sufficient should take their search results with a grain of salt.
How Do Search Results Work?
Although Google provides an abundance of good information, it can provide bad or inaccurate information as well. We all want to rely on Google to provide us with the most accurate information, but search engines cannot guarantee that the most truthful or correct information is displayed at the top of a search result.
According to Google, their algorithm searches for websites that contain what you searched for, then assign a rank to each website based several, undisclosed influences. From there on, the “best” websites, according to the algorithm, relating to your search query are theoretically the first ones listed in the Google search result. The keyword here is: Theoretically.
Google’s search algorithms aren’t perfect; that’s why they are constantly updating and changing. For this reason, it’s important for prospective business owners or franchisees to take search results regarding a franchise’s brand with a grain of salt.
The Entrepreneur’s Source Terry Powell on Unreliable Websites
It’s imperative for prospective entrepreneurs and business owners to understand that not all websites have the best intentions when it comes to effectively evaluating opportunities, and falsified or incorrect information is commonly found on the Internet.
“The Internet provides a platform to share information about a business, but anonymity also means false and inaccurate information is difficult to distinguish from the truth,” Founder of The Entrepreneur’s Source Terry Powell noted.
When researching prospective business ventures, entrepreneurs should look at each complaint and review posted online and examine if they are to be trusted or if they may have ulterior motives. For example, websites like Ripoff Report have been created as a clearinghouse for customer complaints. The website allows users to post anonymous complaints or “reports” about any business or individual – regardless of if they are true or not. If the individual or company wishes to get these untrue or falsified claims removed, they have to jump through hoops.
“Companies can’t respond, even if the claims are false,” Cassie Slan, a reporter for The Huffington Post Tech Section and BestTechie.com. When companies try to get these untrue complaints removed, they often have to pay a steep fee ranging anywhere from $5,000 to $100,000, according to Forbes.
However unreliable websites, like Ripoff Report, tend to rank very high in Google searches, leaving attacked people and companies defenseless in its storm. Because of this, it’s important for prospective franchisees to take search rankings with a grain of salt and to learn how to be mindful when researching a business or franchise opportunity.
“Reputations are also shaped from opinion, and the Internet allows for the opinions of few to be seen by many,” The Entrepreneur’s Source Terry Powell said. “Once a negative opinion has been published online, whether through a complaint, review or social media posting, the damaging effects are instant and powerful.”
How to Conduct Good Franchise Opportunity Research
Just because some review websites like Ripoff Report are fraudulent doesn’t mean all review sites are. Websites like The Better Business Bureau (BBB) and The International Franchise Association (IFA) offer reviews of franchise systems and franchisors, but also operate on high standards for accuracy and impartiality. Because of this, they are great resources for prospective franchisees to refer to for research purposes.
Similarly, aspiring entrepreneurs should consult multiple website, such as those for the BBB and IFA, when checking if reviews or claims are accurate to ensure that they are getting more than one side of the story. Utilizing credible websites, such as Forbes, The Wall Street Journal and Inc.com in the research process is suggested because they are held to high journalistic standards, so publishing falsified information can lead to libel or defamation lawsuits. But in addition to all of this, we would encourage you to align with a coach. Coaching allows you to tackle things form a different perceptive, it helps you see possibilities perhaps where you previously saw none, it challenges your limiting beliefs and possibly some misconceptions, it really could open up a world that you never knew existed.
Contact a Coach at The Entrepreneur’s Source Today!
A great way for you to certify that you won’t be bombarded with untruthful information research is to turn to with a business coach. Having a coach at The Entrepreneur’s Source guide a future franchisee through the research process will position them to find accurate information because coaches are trained professionals in the franchise industry and know the ins and outs of each brand and will easily be able to identify a true claim from a false one.
For more information about how coach at The Entrepreneur’s Source franchise can help you in your franchise search, contact a business coach today.