Online shopping has been a rapidly growing industry, and with recent promotions, it will become only more important in shaping the way we shop. Of course, shopping locally is still one of the best ways to see and test a possible purchase. The advantages with buying from stores that we know and trust include the ability to return items easily, no shipping cost, and personalized service. But, sometimes what we want to buy is not available locally, so we shop online.
But, with the incredible number of “stores” selling the desired item, we are faced with choices that we may not have to make if we were not online. The most important seems to be; is the product good, and is it worth the price? The old adage that “word of mouth” is the best advertising is true. We are more likely to trust a friend saying that a product is worth trying. But online, we are in a vast wilderness and have to make a determination as to the risk of making a purchase. We may have the manufacturer saying that it is the best, the competitor saying that it is the worst, and then we have online reviews from “actual” individuals that have bought the item and either endorse or provide reasons as to why not to spend the money. And these reviews are from trusted virtual friends who have our best interests at heart right? Wrong!
Reading online reviews is similar to throwing a dart at a moving target. It is impossible to know if the review is real or fabricated. And, it is even more risky to follow the 1 to 5 star ratings. Some of these are based on one word reviews like “Terrible”. Why is it so difficult to trust the reviews? Surprise, surprise, it all has to do with money and competition. There are companies that can be hired to provide reviews on any product imaginable. They hire people from other countries to write bogus reviews for cash. For very little cash outlay, they can make a product sound good or very bad. Some of the online stores have software to “test” for validity, but they can be defeated with some crafty writing. I will be the first person to admit that I can spot phony reviews; but, I would be lying! I have no way of telling the real reviews from the fabricated ones. A really good article in the CONSUMERIST ends with this quote:
“Unfortunately, right now a lot of people are presuming because they can easily identify *some* online reviews, they believe they can easily detect all bs marketing reviews. This is not even close to the truth. Many marketers are stupid and lazy, many are honest and legit, and many are smart, devious, and crafty. The third category is filling many review sites under your nose without your awareness. Be skeptical of online reviews, period.” The link is here. I just bought a new Brand X laptop and it is the best computer…
But, with the incredible number of “stores” selling the desired item, we are faced with choices that we may not have to make if we were not online. The most important seems to be; is the product good, and is it worth the price? The old adage that “word of mouth” is the best advertising is true. We are more likely to trust a friend saying that a product is worth trying. But online, we are in a vast wilderness and have to make a determination as to the risk of making a purchase. We may have the manufacturer saying that it is the best, the competitor saying that it is the worst, and then we have online reviews from “actual” individuals that have bought the item and either endorse or provide reasons as to why not to spend the money. And these reviews are from trusted virtual friends who have our best interests at heart right? Wrong!
Reading online reviews is similar to throwing a dart at a moving target. It is impossible to know if the review is real or fabricated. And, it is even more risky to follow the 1 to 5 star ratings. Some of these are based on one word reviews like “Terrible”. Why is it so difficult to trust the reviews? Surprise, surprise, it all has to do with money and competition. There are companies that can be hired to provide reviews on any product imaginable. They hire people from other countries to write bogus reviews for cash. For very little cash outlay, they can make a product sound good or very bad. Some of the online stores have software to “test” for validity, but they can be defeated with some crafty writing. I will be the first person to admit that I can spot phony reviews; but, I would be lying! I have no way of telling the real reviews from the fabricated ones. A really good article in the CONSUMERIST ends with this quote:
“Unfortunately, right now a lot of people are presuming because they can easily identify *some* online reviews, they believe they can easily detect all bs marketing reviews. This is not even close to the truth. Many marketers are stupid and lazy, many are honest and legit, and many are smart, devious, and crafty. The third category is filling many review sites under your nose without your awareness. Be skeptical of online reviews, period.” The link is here. I just bought a new Brand X laptop and it is the best computer…
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