Do you intend to buy a product or service? It is quite certain that you will find hundreds of reviews online. What you need to do is to google things you’re searching for. Among the many reviews, you’ll find both positive and negative opinions. But which reviews are true? Online reviews can be quite controversial. However, they are considered a good tool for consumers. On the other hand, it is a powerful manipulative tool of commerce. That’s why you must know how to perceive fake online reviews.
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What Do We Need Online Reviews For?
If you want to buy a product you don’t know much about, it’s natural to seek for advice. Especially if it’s an expensive product like a car, a computer, or a trip to exotic countries. Before deciding to pay, we need a little reassurance. We must know if the product or service we’ve selected is worth the money invested in it. Therefore, we turn to reading online reviews. If you are not among those who follow online criticism, be sure you belong to the minority. The truth is… As many as 92% of people follow online reviews before purchasing. The level of trust in online reviews is very high. Statistics say that 85% of people believe in online reviews as much as they do with personal recommendations. Online reviews can seem very helpful. But are they really?
Should We Trust Online Reviews?
It depends on the authority in reviews. Some sources claim that over 70% of consumers have read a fake review at least once a year. On the other hand, there are websites with trusted guidance and reviews. Such websites would not allow themselves to be compromised with fake reviews. It is also depending on the category of manufacturers. Users of certain product categories are less prone to false reviews. This is the situation with pet product users. According to Oohlalapets.com, their consumers are more than satisfied with the reviews found on their website. Proven reviews by professionals and real pet owners are quite helpful, users claim.
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Why There Are Fake Reviews Online?
It is simple to answer this question. Fake reviews are cheap and can be very effective. Let’s consider the effectiveness of data first. Numerous surveys showed that positive reviews will boost the sale by about 18%. Even more, it will enlarge average spending by around 31%. That is a one really profitable investment. As some research has shown, just one additional star in ranking can be very significant. It may increase the revenue by 5 to 9%. This is why many entrepreneurs are ready to pay more money. Practically, they pay to add three stars instead of one and get a revenue boost for almost one-third.
How To Recognize Fake Reviews?
There are few tips on how to spot some fake reviews.
- Watch Out For Common Statements
You can get suspicious from the start if you read some commonly used statements. Descriptions like “highly recommend” , “cool product,” or “the best product of all,” are probably indicating fake reviews. Therefore you should investigate the reviewer’s account. If anonymous, recently created, or without a review history, chances are high it’s a paid fake review.
- Extreme Statements
If you see a list of extremely positive or reviews, don’t give your trust to it. In many cases, a paid PR campaign stands behind. It is usually sponsored by a brand itself or its competitor.
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- The Language
Language is also something you should pay your attention to. See if sentences sound natural. Would you make a similar choice of words? True reviews usually contain many details. They would be more concrete with praises or complaints.
- The Time Frame
This can also be a good indicator. If you see a lot of reviews posted in a short time period, they are probably fake ones. In most situations, that indicates a crowd-marketing campaign.
If this sounds too complicated for you, you can always turn to online services that can help you. All you need to do is copy the URL of suspicious review and the service will check if it’s trustworthy.
