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Consumers rely heavily on ratings and product reviews when considering a purchase. In response, the world of online retail has spawned an entire industry of tools and software to capture consumer opinions for every product and service imaginable. Most of the time, it’s a great system. However, like all good ideas, there can also be a downside. Unscrupulous individuals are gaming the system at unprecedented rates.
As a consumer, it can be hard to know which sites to trust when you are looking at product reviews. Is it fraudulent? Did somebody receive compensation to write a fake review? How can you tell? Thankfully, there are companies online that address these concerns by providing clear and unbiased ratings for consumers.
So whether you’re shopping for equipment for your business or a new gas grill for your patio at home, it pays to know which reviews you can trust. Below we list four of the best review sites out there.
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1. Testfreaks
Launched: 2007
Location: Stockholm, Sweden
Link: https://www.testfreaks.com/
TestFreaks collects ratings from all over the web. They use their own algorithm to assign an overall score to a product. The site aggregates reviews from around 15,000 sources through the use of its proprietary technology.
In short, they use everyone else’s data to come up with their own, better, data. It’s ingenious.
However, because it is based on raw data and not the actual blood, sweat, and tears of a product reviewer, the results could be skewed. Additionally, considering that hundreds of companies offer a monetary incentive for positive reviews of their products, this could easily tip the rating scale based on the law of averages alone.
The system they have developed allows businesses across the web to incorporate a rating-and-review feature with a simple line of code. We suspect this is where most of their revenue derives. What’s more, the company has some heavy-hitting clients, including HP, Pricerunner, and Finlux.
Reviewing and Scoring
Testfreaks uses a scoring system they call the “FreakScore.” This is the overall product score. It combines expert and user reviews and is based on four factors:
- Trust
Reviews from high quality, trusted sources are given higher importance. - Votes
The more votes a product has, the more reliable the information is. - Experts
Reviews from experts carry more weight than general user reviews. - Age
Testfreaks compares the age of a product with its expected life cycle and adjusts the score with this in mind.
Products with the least reviews usually receive a FreakScore which is close to the category average. Moreover, if a product has too few reviews, the score will be marked as uncertain, which is designated by an asterisk (*).
Our rating: 4 STARS
2. The Wirecutter
Launched: 2011
Location: New York, NY
Link: https://thewirecutter.com/
The Wirecutter is owned by the New York Times Company. They maintain a curated list of products they claim are the most beneficial to the average consumer. However, the site reads a little bit like a list of favorite things. All the same, product recommendations are made through interviewing, reporting, and testing by teams of scientists, researchers, and writers.
The majority of The Wirecutter’s revenue comes from affiliate commissions from their merchant partners. Therefore, in order to maintain unbiased reviews, reviewers and writers are not made aware of the commissions, if any. In short, the editorial team works separately and without any input from the revenue team.
Reviewing and Scoring:
There appears to be no specific formula for the reviews. That is, writers have quite a bit of creative leeway to convince readers of the efficacy of the product and of how they came to be an expert on said product.
For instance, near the beginning of every product review, there is a template where the writer addresses a number different categories such as, “Why you should trust us,” “How we picked the product,” “How we tested the product,” and more.
In short, this section is essentially a self-review by the reviewer who is doing the reviewing.
To give just one example, for an article about robotic vacuums, this self-review section was more than 3,200 words long. What’s more, that doesn’t even include the actual review of the product. Consequently, the average consumer will probably not have the time or inclination to read the entire discussion of a product.
Our rating: 4 STARS
3. Honest Product Reviews
Launched: 2018
Location: Palo Alto, CA
Link: https://honestproductreviews.com/
Honest Product Reviews (HPR) provides precise and accurate reviews in eight different consumer categories. These categories include: Backyard, Cleaning, Clothing and Shoes, Electronics, Home, Kitchen, Personal, and Pet. Their review style gives a side-by-side comparison of similar products. This allows the consumer to make an educated choice before purchasing. The site is fresh, clean, and easy to navigate. It focuses strictly on the products being reviewed. There are no unnecessary distractions and no fluff.
Reviewing and Scoring
Honest Product Reviews utilizes real people—writers, designers, reviewers, testers, and web designers—to compile information on hundreds of products every month. Their ratings algorithm combines the following criteria to create an overall score for each product reviewed:
- Features
- Materials and Construction
- Price
- Customer Satisfaction
- Pros and Cons
Using this easy-to-understand formula, the company provides product reviews that are simple and honest. HPR earns revenue through the Amazon affiliate program. What’s more, their unbiased reviews are limited to products that are typically found on Amazon. However, the company’s upfront disclosure of this policy reflects their efforts to remain honest and transparent.
Our Rating: 5 STARS
4. Consumer Reports
Launched: 1936
Location: Yonkers, NY
Link: http://www.consumerreports.org
Consumer Reports has long been considered the gold standard for product reviews. You probably remember that the company published a print magazine long before it ever had a web presence. And as a matter of fact, the print magazine is still in existence. Further, the company owns a nonprofit educational and consumer product testing center that is the largest in the world. Revenue comes from the company’s 3.2 million digital subscribers. What’s more, consumers around the world know and trust this iconic company for its unbiased reviews of products, from automobiles to mattresses.
Reviewing and Scoring
The Consumer Reports testing facility employs scientists, researchers, and analysts to carry out objective testing at its facility. The formula they use varies depending upon the product. Once their experts have completed testing, the company’s editorial staff writes and publishes the findings.
Because Consumer Reports has no outside agenda other than to work directly to educate consumers, they have stringent policies that ensure the company remains independent.
The main downside to using Consumer Reports is its membership fee, which is why we give it only a 4.5-star rating.
Our Rating: 4.5 STARS
The post 4 Product Reviews Sites That Aren’t Going to Rip You Off appeared first on Business Opportunities.
source http://www.business-opportunities.biz/2018/07/26/product-reviews-sites/
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