Customer Review Sites Provide Valuable Information

By Stacey Massey


Customer review sites are somewhat like information directories that give various individuals the opportunity to state their opinions about numerous services and products. Customers can author a review of a particular product they bought online or in a conventional store, or a specific service provided by a local company. They may even choose to complete a book review. Such websites can be viewed as positive or negative by various companies, depending on the information they contain and how many customers read the reviews.

Prior to the advent of the Internet, there were only a few publications of which one could avail himself or herself when seeking information about a particular service or product. Such information was often limited to mainstream products that were popular at that time. However, because of the fact that such information is now readily available online, it is possible to find a review on virtually any product or service in existence.

Many consumers will not buy any kind of service or product unless they first review customer ratings on the item. This is due to the fact that in today's modern world, most individuals now realize that manufacturers do not provide unbiased opinions of their own products, as their goal is to make money. However, other customers are usually more than willing to share their experiences with prospective consumers.

In numerous instances, consumers are not even impressed with ads seen on television unless they can go online and read the opinions of individuals who bought the product being advertised in the commercial. In many cases, after reading reviews, potential customers are either motivated to purchase the product or ignore that specific advertisement in the future. Even though all products and services will receive a negative review at some point, even ones of high quality, most reviews should be positive if the products or services are as good as the manufacturer states.

With positive consumer reviews a business may experience an increase in sales and revenue. However, the loss of money is also possible if the product or service offered by the company consistently receives poor reviews. For this reason, more and more companies are logging on to customer review sites to determine whether or not their goods and services are being viewed in an overall positive light by most consumers.

Websites of this type are generally not affiliated with a specific manufacturer. This is because the owners of such websites want to offer unbiased facts, and view customers across the globe as their clients. If a specific company owns a review website, it is likely that the only reviews published will be those containing positive information.

Testimonials should not be confused with customer reviews. The former are typically posted on the sites of numerous companies. Unbiased reviews, however, are not written by an advertising executive, but rather by a real customer who has used the services or goods being advertised. Testimonials are not usually written by genuine consumers, and are typically published on the manufacturer's own site. For this reason, the only ones listed on the company's site are those that contain only positive information.

Both business owners and consumers can benefit from customer review sites. Those thinking of purchasing a new service or product should review at least 5 to 10 posts prior to making a final choice. This course of action is beneficial to essentially every consumer.




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