You’ve just found an online retailer that charges too much for an item you need. You’ve been a customer for a while and order occasionally to test the waters; when this month’s bill comes, you’re not pleased to see the increase in cost. So what do you do? You could write a review. But is it best to simply complain or offer some constructive criticism?
To ensure that your review is effective, we recommend that you follow a set of guidelines. Luckily, online retailers have made it easy for you to do this. So let’s take a look at the best advice to follow when writing an online review or complaint.
Focus On The Good
Although it’s natural to want to point out the flaws in an item or service, if you want the reader to have a positive experience, you must focus on the good. Instead of saying, “I hate this product because it’s not as good as the one you usually sell,” start off by saying, “I like that this product allows me to __________.”
For example, I like that this product makes my life simpler because
- it saves me time
- it’s easier to use
- it’s less expensive
.
By mentioning the various advantages of your product or service, you’re more likely to convince the reader to buy it or use it. To sum up, when writing an online review, focus on the good – not the bad.
Customers Are The Priority
Whether you like it or not, customers will always come first. So whether you’re speaking with a customer service representative or writing a review, you must always put the needs and wants of the customer first. If you can’t satisfy the customer, then you’ll never make a profit – regardless of how great your product is.
For example, if you’re writing a review about a clothing store, you must remember that the customer is more important than anything else. If the customer is having a hard time deciding what color to choose, then you can be certain that you’re not going to make any sales. So be sure to take the needs of the customer into consideration.
Avoid Plagiarism
The customer is always right, but in this case, the customer is you. If you’ve had experience with a particular product or service, then you know what to write – but you also know what not to write. Stealing ideas and language is plagiarism and will get you in trouble.
For example, if you mention a specific product or service and then use language that is almost identical to the words that the company itself uses, you’re probably going to get in trouble. It’s not always easy to tell what is and isn’t plagiarism, so just be careful.
Along those same lines, if you’re writing a review for money, you’re probably going to be tempted to simply copy and paste language from other sources. However, just because you’ve found a phrase or word that is repeated doesn’t mean that you can simply copy it. Instead, make sure that you cite the source of the language so that it’s clear where you got the idea.
The Facts Must Match
Even if you’re trying to be helpful and give good advice, your review or complaint is only going to be useful if it’s based on fact. In other words, just because a company is big doesn’t mean that it’s correct or that you should do business with it. In the same way, just because a product is expensive doesn’t mean that it’s a good buy. You must think of everything you’ve experienced and used the product or service for before you can give good advice.
For example, if you’re writing a review about a mattress company and you’ve never slept on one, how can you possibly suggest that they make mattresses? While it’s important to give your opinion, it’s also important to base it on facts – not assumptions or rumors.
Along the same lines, if you’re calling a company and asking for help, you must have the right information. Sometimes people will answer the phone or email simply to help out a customer, but if you’re not polite and brief, they won’t have much to work with. So be sure to provide all the relevant information that they might need.
Make Sure Your Review Is Legitimate
Even though you’re focused on the customer, it’s still not right to post phony reviews or complaints. Companies have ways of detecting these reviews, so be sure to check that you’re not using a fake email address or a disposable phone.
For example, let’s say that you’re writing a review about a mattress company and you’ve been contacted by one of their sales agents. You must ensure that this email is legitimate and that you actually ordered the product you’re reviewing. It’s not always easy to tell whether or not a person contacting you is actually associated with the company they say they’re from.
In another case, let’s say that you’re writing a review about a clothing store and they’ve contacted you by email. However, when you go to the website that you’re reviewing, you see that the email isn’t from the company but instead was forwarded by a friend. In this case, your review could be considered fake, especially if you don’t mention that the email wasn’t from the company.
Just because someone is trying to help you doesn’t mean that you have to take their word for it. Instead, use a little bit of common sense and verify that everything is legitimate. If you have any doubts, then don’t take the risk.
Use Websites Like ReviewBuzz.com
Deciding whether or not to write a review is difficult enough as it is. Trying to find the right website to post to is even harder. The various review websites that exist have varying rules and regulations, so it’s important to read the various terms and conditions before you start. In addition, not all websites are created equal, and some are better than others. As a general rule, avoid using websites that require you to log in with a social network account.
For example, let’s say that you’re writing a review for a mattress company and they require you to log in with your Facebook account in order to post. Not only is this a pain, but it compromises your anonymity – something that you truly want to keep in case you happen to criticize a company or product that is affiliated with a social network.
Instead of using a social network account to post your review, you could create a fake email account and use that to post your review. Although this is an easy option, it can also be considered cheating, especially if the company you’re reviewing finds out.
As you can see, following these guidelines will arm you with the necessary information to write an effective review. From here on out, all you need to do is sit back and wait for customers to come flooding in – satisfied that you did your homework and that your efforts will not go unrewarded.