How to Write Really Useful Online Reviews
Before the advent of the Internet, the ability to read reviews of a restaurant, product, or company was rather limited. But now, with a few clicks or taps on our phone, we can know exactly what thousands of people think of this new bagel shop. And as helpful as some of the reviews are, they end up being bullshit. Some of them are useless and evil, while others are so glowing that they cannot be real. The best ones walk between the two, and regardless of the experience of the reviewer, they offer information that is invaluable in making a decision. Here’s how you can write reviews like this.
A few years ago, I was fortunate enough to attend NPR On Point where we discussed the usefulness of online reviews and how those reviews influence people’s buying decisions and the companies in question. I was surprised to find out how many companies have not yet realized that even the harshest reviews can contain a useful message behind their hate , and how many people did not trust positive reviews at all. We also discussed how important it is to contribute to the overall improvement of the Internet . It’s time to put into practice what you have learned.
Think Before You Write: A Few Tips to Remember
Include relevant details and omit unnecessary
Don’t get me wrong, everyone loves good stories, and some of the best online reviews I’ve read are how the reviewer sets things up so that I can identify with his or her experience. However, you want to make sure that you include things like the date you went to a restaurant or store, when you placed an order or opened your product, who you ordered, if it was not the site you are reviewing and of course, share your experience with relevant information in your complaint or compliment.
For example, if you found it difficult to get service in a restaurant, other readers will want to know what time of day you went, if the restaurant was overcrowded, if the staff ignored you right away, or was it something specific (for example, your order took too long or took too long did not sit down). Trim fat, such as the weather, what you were wearing or where you sat, if that doesn’t matter.
Leave your own names
One of the biggest criticisms of online reviews is that too many are vindictive and targeted at specific people, rather than addressing an actual complaint or issue. It might be tempting to compliment a particular server in a restaurant by telling everyone on Yelp who they are, or blow up an apartment manager in an apartment ranking by telling others to “beware of so-and-so,” but it ultimately makes you less useful the review. even if it’s more pompous. If the server is upgraded to a manager, or if the apartment manager only replaced it for a week, your review is already useless and outdated. Instead, discuss your experience and omit individual names.
“Good” is not always positive
Remember that a “good” review is a review that is helpful to the people who come after you. If you need to take a little break from the keyboard to really organize your thoughts and think about your experiences from different angles of the problem, use this. Don’t start writing in a fit of anger. Check spelling and grammar, use complete sentences, remove exclamation marks. Even if you write anonymously, write as if someone would read your words to you. It won’t, but it will make you stop and think about how you are making your case, which must be reasonable, consistent, and honest, even if you have had a terrible experience with in-store support or a manufacturer who refused to replace a damaged one. cargo.
Offer yourself for verification
This one may not work for everyone, but it can go a long way in making your review stand out from others and no one doubts its veracity. Open up to the comments. If you’re posting on Yelp or Amazon, use your real name, or invite readers to write to you if they have further questions about your experience. If you would like to receive a response from a company or a manager, leave some contact information, even if it is an email address that you opened specifically for the task. Letting people connect with you to validate your story, or even share their own experiences, makes your words more persuasive. Again, this is not for everyone – sometimes you need the cover of anonymity to be truthful and honest without fear or reprisal, and we understand that. But if you can stand behind your own words, it will help.
Remember and note that your review is simply your experience.
Complete your statements with this – no one should hear, “and I heard that many other people have the same problem.” It sounds like you are creating these “other people” to support your opinion. Make it clear that this is what happened to you and that other people’s experiences may be different, even if your experiences were particularly positive. State why you think you had your particular experience – perhaps you were late with your meal because of what you ordered? Or maybe the hotel has upgraded you to a suite because you treated them with kindness. Don’t be afraid to make assumptions – future readers will benefit from it.
Turn to the other side of the story
Finally, remember that there is another side to your story. Positive reviews are almost never questioned, but they are also most often ignored by future readers. Negative reviews get the most attention, and while most people are smart enough to go through all the reviews and omit those that are odd, especially useless or inappropriate for them, even negative reviews can be helpful if you can explain why you think your the experience unfolded. how it happened, putting yourself on the other side of the issue. Sometimes there is no excuse for mistreatment, poor service, or a terrible experience, but if you can show a little understanding it will go a long way in confirming your review as honest, even if the prospective reader does decide to stay away from the site.
Review template that can be used anywhere
Even if you are determined to start writing correctly, you still don’t know how to put it all. Let us help! This is a review template that you can use anywhere. Just fill in the blanks with information relevant to your experience.
Service / restaurant / store name
Pros : specific, simple, one or two words you experienced, highlighted by you, separated by commas.
Cons : Same – don’t miss any of them – every experience has both! Even if there is nowhere to put them, write them down to keep your thoughts in order.
Cover the basics. Time, date, etc. “On February 11, I went to Bob’s Deli on 12th and M Streets for a sandwich. It was around 1:30 pm and I was hoping I missed out on the dining crowd. I didn’t expect a queue, but I definitely have one. When I got to the table, there were about five people in line for lunch, and five more people were waiting to pay at the checkout, and there was only one person working at each location. I heard there might be a lot of people here, but that was ridiculous. “
Information specific to your situation. Keep the above rules in mind and tell the whole story regardless of the outcome . “The cleaning team arrived on time, which was impressive considering I only made an appointment this morning. The janitor in charge entered first, the others pulled their equipment out of the truck and completed the paperwork with me. She looked around and presented a rating that was slightly higher than I expected. I indicated that their dispatch informed me that their services would be less than that and showed her the email rating I received. She explained that their control room was calculating the rate for a smaller house than mine, but said they could make it work for a lower price. When I made the appointment, I had the feeling that the representative on the phone was busy, and I did not hear me when I answered his questions, but I was not going to pay for the mistake. I’ll remember that the next time I call their number 1-800, but I’m really glad the people in the field are flexible enough to make adjustments on the fly. This alone has earned respect. “
It’s time to draw your own conclusions, invite yourself for comments and make them stylish. “Overall, my experience with the Roadrunner SuperFast 128GB SSD has been positive. I was up and running within minutes of installing it and it is much faster than the old WIL-E 128GB, which I had to return as faulty. DriveShop really helped me by getting a shipping label and swiftly swapping out a replacement drive, but it was a shame that I had to act so aggressively letting them know it was urgent. If you’re going for a ride, I have no complaints about the Roadrunner SuperFast; I was doing well last week. However, the WIL-E model could be a one-time or systemic issue. I probably won’t buy WIL-E anymore. If anyone has any questions about Roadrunner, please leave a comment on my review and I’ll get back to you. “
Obviously, you don’t need to share your impressions that long and you can feel free to get down to business, but it is important to make sure that you include information relevant to your story, keep your point of view in check and honest. This is the best way to make sure your reviews are useful, influential, and relevant.
This story was originally published in 2012 and was updated on 12/03/19 to provide more complete and up-to-date information.