Online reviews are now an indispensable ally in saving money.
The word “savings” refers both to saving time to choose a good product or service at an unbeatable price, and to an additional gain in customer satisfaction. Those who check online reviews also do so to avoid subsequent problems, such as managing potential returns or payment reversals.
THE POWER OF REVIEWS
To summarize the concept, the reasons that push almost 90 percent of digital consumers to check online reviews from various sources before making a purchase are the following:
● optimisation of time for online shopping
● speeding up the purchasing process, including any visits to physical shops to compare the various prices and features of the products
● possibility of purchasing by combining product quality with savings
● access to specialized opinions , in some particular areas, in the event that the reviews are hosted by sector-specific portals
● possibility of taking advantage of the best promotions, when the reviews are proposed by comparison/review platforms, even sector-specific ones
This growing trend toward consulting reviews is constantly growing, and goes hand in hand with the growth in the online offering of products and services. According to Trustpilot, 50 percent of digital shoppers are strongly influenced by positive feedback when finalizing a purchase, but there are also those who seek out negative or, better yet, fair opinions. When seeking information on a desired product or service, comprehensive reviews that highlight a product’s strengths and weaknesses tend to be more truthful , precisely to avoid annoying post-purchase issues.
But how can you distinguish a reliable review from one that isn’t, considering that unfair business practices also include commissioning exclusively positive reviews for marketing purposes?
RELIABLE REVIEWS
Mentioned above is the Trustpilot tool, which launched a user support service to identify genuine customer reviews and opinions, not those forced by online businesses for the sole purpose of increasing sales. Those who use the “verified” review tool provide an important indication to readers that the purchase in question is genuine. If a hotel or a clothing or cosmetics shop uses Trustpilot, it informs the consumer or potential customer that everything they read is true, both pros and cons. This results in a strengthening of the company’s credibility and brand reputation , an important factor in generating traffic and conversions in terms of purchases.
EXPERT OPINIONS
However, there are not only reviews from other members of the Internet community, whether expressed in the form of stars or ratings or combined with in-depth text and comments on the various experiences.
Indeed, some sectors have seen the emergence, over time, of more complex, sector-specific, specialized review services, delivered through various channels.
The world of technology, and particularly that of hi-tech products like smartphones, digital TVs, and PCs, has seen the arrival of reviewers comparable to true influencers , who publish their content on video platforms like YouTube or dedicated portals. In this case, it’s the “quality” component that counts, but in other cases, the price or cost of a service also plays a role. For this reason, expert reviews are also disseminated by platforms specializing in areas like online entertainment and utility services, which often offer a comparison service. Gaming is a classic example, where a good reviewer will also be able to indicate where to find a game or console on sale, just as a site with expert opinions on legal gaming should provide information on casino free spins, welcome promotions, more or less advantageous and/or commission-free payment methods, and so on.
Changing scope and moving to user services, a comparison platform for bills and domestic consumption from various operators or for telephony will have to publish reviews only after a real test of the service itself, indicating which additional or variable costs may affect the final supply prices, for example.
These are all aspects that remain difficult for individuals to manage, and review and comparison platforms help greatly in this direction and streamline the search, always in a qualified and cost-effective manner.
CONSUMER PROTECTION
The phenomenon of reviews is so widespread that European legislators have also adopted protections in this regard, combining them with protection against unfair commercial practices.
In particular, the “Omnibus Directive,” recently implemented in Italy by decree, requires websites and e-commerce sites to clarify how reviews are collected. For transparency purposes, reviews must be separate and distinguishable from paid promotional ads.
It follows that the publication of paid positive reviews is prohibited, under penalty of even heavy sanctions, since opinions and comments must follow a real experience of use and consumption.
In addition to these safeguards, there are also ways to protect yourself from fake reviews. First of all, you should be wary of generalized positive reviews without comments, published by unidentifiable users. A review, however positive, often also includes small “cons” or suggestions for improving products and services. When this isn’t the case, and the details aren’t detailed enough, it’s likely that the review is commissioned or intentionally “inflated.”
It’s always better to be careful and follow the basic rule of common sense.
