An astonishing 95% of customers turn to online reviews to help them decide whether to purchase a product or service. Based on what they read, shoppers will either buy or go to other stores with much better reviews.
So, what makes for a good review? Clear, honest, specific, and comprehensive. These are just some of the elements that make a review helpful to customers and businesses alike. In writing reviews, you may want to consider these six quick tips:
- Specify strengths and areas that need improvement: Every customer has a different experience. What you consider as a bad experience may not necessarily be true for others. As a customer, each of us has a different perspective. As such, when writing reviews, it is recommended to present both strengths and weaknesses, and expand on them by citing examples. This practice is far more helpful to others as opposed to providing general feedback.
- Provide details: It pays to support your feedback with details. By being more specific with your reviews, you are providing businesses with valuable feedback on how to improve their products/services. Consider touching on a range of components, from prices to service delivery and quality.
- Be courteous: Being rude doesn’t help anybody – neither customers nor companies. If anything, this turns off others and reflects badly on your character. It may also lead you to say things that might be construed as libelous. If you have had a bad experience, explain it in a manner that will show you are extending suggestions to help improve the system. This is more productive and helps the dialogues to be more constructive. Always remember that no system is perfect, and improvements are always welcome.
- Be mindful of your grammar: You should not only watch your language. Equally important is clearly conveying your feedback y using proper grammar and spelling. Ambiguity will only cause confusion.
- Stick to the program: Including details not relevant to your overall experience / the topic at hand defeats the purpose of giving reviews. You should stick to information that will add value in a concise manner.
- Make your reviews actionable: Ultimately, when writing reviews, you are aiming to help your fellow community members arrive at a better and more informed purchasing decision. It is important to write your recommendations as well as advice towards a particular product or service, clearly explaining why you have taken your specific position.
Sharing reviews is important and it both empowers customers as well as enables businesses to improve. Therefore, it is important to be highly detailed and specific, among other things, to ensure you add value with every review that you write.