Product and service reviews are very popular online. If you look at the major online stores, many do include a form or some sort of procedure for offering your thoughts on products purchased. Some of these feedback mechanisms are as simple as clicking stars to indicate your satisfaction (or lack of) while others actively encourage detailed discussions of what you’ve purchased and what you think of the item(s).
If you’ve ever looked around online for information about a product you’ve been thinking about buying or have clicked to travel information written up by typical tourists, you’ve tapped in on the trend for long distance friends and neighbors to share experiences and tips with a bigger worldwide audience. While you may have called your best friend to ask how she likes her new stroller a few years back, now you can see what many others think about the same model and also can compare items not owned by those you know and trust.
Here's how it works:
On a recent online trip to Macy’s, I saw a cute pair of leather boots with laces that tied at the ankle. Looking at the picture online, I just knew that those boots would compliment some of my long rather flowing skirts. I was absolutely certain I would be hot in those boots. There were three reviews from customers discussing the boots. All three noted the sizing was off and that it was a good idea to order up one size. One reviewer said that she thought that the materials used to make the boots looked and felt rather “cheap.” I ordered up one size and anxiously awaited the arrival of my fashionable leather boots. Even in the larger size, they did not fit quite right, and the overall look was low budget. I ended up packing the boots up and returning them. I wish I’d paid a little more attention to the reviews, and I also wish the writers had included a little more detail. Now, I’m more careful when I see even hints that something is not as it seems at first glance.
With more planning, the purchase is a real success:
On my last visit to Ebags, I was looking for hiking backpacks for my boys. The site included a few reviews on the models I had under consideration. Since the feedback was rather limited (but growing over time), I ran the models being considered through the search engine with the word “reviews.” A number of hiking sites and individual hikers with home pages also checked in with information about the backpacks. In the end I saved money, since the highest rated packs by owners were not the top-of-the-line in cost. The backpacks have worked out very well. I’m glad I took the time to read and to consider what others had to say about the items that landed under the Christmas tree last year.