Whether you’re reading them for entertainment value or for their informative nature, reviews have always been useful in guiding opinion. That said, the very nature of reviews has changed hugely in the previous couple of decades, with every person and their dog now able to both write and access reviews with just a few clicks of the mouse and several strokes of the keyboard.
Though this can sometimes cause malicious practice or misleading information, online reviews are, generally, hugely helpful as an impartial, independent tool for understanding the value of a product or service. Indeed, it’s been reported that millennials only felt comfortable purchasing items that had positive online reviews attached to them, a measure that’s become increasingly common as time goes on.
If you’re keen to share your experience of a product or service and help the next customer make an informed decision, then good on you; here’s 7 reasons you should start writing online reviews.
TO SAY THANK YOU
If you’ve had a wonderful experience, this simple way to say thank you goes a remarkably long way. Not only will it make the company feel appreciated, but studies show that saying thank you can lead you to feel happier too! Indeed, research reveals that “gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness”. Enough said.
SHARING IS INDEED CARING
Leaving truthful online reviews can help warn others of a product or service which fell short of expectations, steering them clear of purchases they might regret and also giving them a more realistic outlook of what the product will actually, genuinely be like. From there, an informed decision can be made about the purchase.
Read: 4 IDEAL tips for navigating online reviews
IT’S A POWERFUL FORM OF CATHARSIS
Did you have a bad experience? Leaving a review can be a cathartic experience, helping you get over your ill-judgment or, indeed, ill treatment, and release a little anger.
However, be warned that you can be sued for a scathing review. The BBC recently reported that “Trustpilot has warned users after a business sued a man for leaving a negative review on the platform”. They go on to say that “The warning comes after a man was ordered to pay £25,000 in libel damages to solicitors who sued, on the basis the review was false and defamatory”.
Always remember that on the other side of your keyboard, there’s just a person doing their job and, oftentimes, an independent business just trying to get by.
YOU CAN PUT POSITIVITY INTO THE WORLD
As the Guardian points out, “The internet can be an angry place full of cynical opinions”. Are you going to join in on a chorus of negativity? Or, will you instead try to spread some sunshine onto the web?
Indeed, every reviewer has a choice to either be a force for good or a toxic keyboard warrior; be the former, and bring some positivity into the world, helping drive custom to a great independent business you’ve recently enjoyed.
HELP THE COMPANY IMPROVE THEIR PRODUCT OR SERVICE
Constructive criticism can be helpful to companies, with your views valued by those who are trying to improve their offering, particularly in the early days of trading. How about writing a review or feedback for such a company but not making it public? Rather, you could send your feedback to the business privately, enabling them to benefit from this constructive criticism without slating them to the world.
Read: 4 IDEAL tips for navigating online reviews
SHAPE THE WORLD IN A MORE POSITIVE IMAGE
Reviews hold more power than many people might think. It might be that a recommendation encourages someone to try a life changing product or ward them off from a dreadful experience. In many ways, they shape our society, guiding people so that they might live their most fulfilling lives and promoting businesses of special excellence.
This is the ethos behind ReviewMaster, a trustworthy domain where good-natured product enthusiasts publish their informed opinions. Moreover, there’s a progression system of sorts at work here, where prolific reviewers are awarded with badges and trophies.
They may also receive brand invitations to sample products for free if their reviews are influential. This means that no matter what you’re an expert on, whether it’s video games or makeup, your reviews are truly valued in this space where everybody lifts each other up.
FIGHT AGAINST FAKE REVIEWS
Once upon a time, in the not too distant past, a review would only appear, weekly, in a trusted print publication, penned by a paid expert and as such carrying a certain authority.
However, today we have to negotiate the minefield of budding journalistic laypeople, robot reviewers and unscrupulous business rivals, all purveyors of flawed, fictitious feedback and writing with their own agenda – not the public interest – in mind.
A lot of online reviews are from fake bots. As the New York Posts points out, “Since many small businesses rely on online reviews to help grow and sustain their reputation, a future where someone – like a rival or angry customer — could hypothetically spam their page with negative reviews written by a machine is pretty worrying.”
Fake review farms have become big business, with the BBC reporting that “Amazon’s website is flooded with fake five-star reviews for products from unfamiliar brands.”
To redress the balance somewhat, do make sure you make your positive feedback known if you’ve had a good experience with a company.