I recently came across an article entitled “Is that online review a lie?”
Reviews have become an important part of consumer’s online purchasing strategy. Be it cars, TV’s or hotels, if we find one negative review after another posted online then something must be wrong with that product or service, right?
But somewhere along the line we’ve all forgotten that not EVERYTHING we read online is necessarily true. In fact many critics, who may first appear to be honest, are actually misleading you in an effort to sway public opinion.
Bottom Line/Personal (BottomLinePublications.com) recently discovered some startling information regarding online reviewers.
It seems that some of the glowing reviews posted online are actually being done by people who work for the business being reviewed, by marketing firms hired for the sole purpose of controlling public perception or even by consumers who’ve been coxed into writing a favorable review in exchange for free merchandise or services.
But negative reviews can also be misleading – written by competing companies or disgruntled former employees.
Sadly, the internet provides anonymity for people to express their thoughts and ideas, no matter how skewed they might be.
So what can we do?
In short, do your homework and don’t rely on only one website, one set of reviews to sway your decision. Be leery of those comments which have strong opinions, but offer little in the way of facts and specifics about the product or service.
Never forget that not everything you read online is necessarily true.
