It’s All Good News for Product Reviews

Posted on | December 18, 2007 |

Maybe I’m a selfish person.

I don’t spend a great deal of time - aside from my own sites – writing product reviews. In fact I barely write reviews myself anymore and instead pay 40 freelancers for their poetic opinions on consumer goods.

I do ask questions on Trip Advisor, Chow and at one point of TheKnot, but I must admit it’s by in large a one-sided relationship. I ask when I need something specific. I don’t review just to review.

But there’s a segment of folks who are who are driven to share their opinions. Findings from a new study by Bazaarvoice - a provider of online reviews and technology

• 90 percent write reviews in order to help others make better buying decisions
• 70 percent want to help companies improve the products they build and carry
• 79 percent write reviews in order to reward a company
• 87 percent of the reviews are generally positive in tone

What I find really remarkable is that positive reviews outweighed negative reviews 8 to 1. Is it that we don’t want to post negative reviews or that we’re not allowed or fear the repercussions in our litigious society?

If anything I’m more likely to post a negative review if I had an atrocious experience. However on several occasions I’ve had my comments removed – Chow took down

a comment I posted about getting food poisoning twice from a local restaurant and The Knot prohibits naming vendors by name in negative message board posts. Positive experiences are allowed.

Thoughts on this phenom? Are you an active reviewer? Do you post only positive reviews? Have you had reviews removed? As a business owner is there any value in a negative review?

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