If you search the internet for reviews, you will come across thousands and maybe tens of thousands of reviews. Of consumers who have bought a certain product, have done business with a certain store or who have purchased a certain service from a company. Reviews come in all shapes and sizes and the quality varies greatly. In addition, there is a clear difference between a store review and a product review. In this blog, we will explain exactly what that difference is.
Rate if possible
Reviews are extremely important in convincing potential customers that they should buy a particular product or service and whether or not they should do business with a provider. Both manufacturers and retailers sometimes promise the moon, but do these statements also really hold up? Who better to judge that than the customer who has already done business with a particular store or purchased a particular product or service. That is why it is important to write a review whenever possible. You help other customers with that!
Store reviews
Store reviews are written when customers want to rate a store or webshop. They have purchased a certain product or service from a store or a provider and they would like to tell you how the experience with the webshop or company was. In a store review, you usually discuss how easy the website is to use and how easy or difficult it is to order and pay for something. You can also elaborate on, for example, what the store has to offer or other matters related to the website. Be careful, because it doesn't have to be a commercial break. While a store review should also have useful information for consumers as well as the store.
Example of a bad and a good store review
Let's take an example of what not to do:
“Placed an order online yesterday and did not hear anything. Lousy! I won't be buying anything from here anymore!".
This review doesn't say much. Except for the fact that the customer is not happy and will no longer be coming back as a customer to this store. The store itself could still act on this and get in touch with the customer to discuss the problem, but consumers can do very little with this. Other customers are not interested in whether you come back to the shop as a customer or not. Let's take an example of how to do it:
“I placed an order in the webshop yesterday. I quickly found my product, because the website is very clear. I have paid accordingly, but unfortunately, I did not receive a confirmation. I called the store and was greeted promptly within a few minutes. She eventually sent me a new confirmation and I received my package the next day. Unfortunately, the wrong product was delivered. I think that's a shame and I had to return the package again. I won't be ordering again anytime soon, because these experiences make me doubt the expertise of the shop."
In essence, exactly the same is said in this review, but in a completely different tone and with much more information. The substantiation is especially important because you as a customer now also know that this shop sometimes forgets to send confirmations and is also known for sending wrong products. Even then, it doesn't have to be a bad shop. That of course depends on how they solve the problem and whether these complaints are more frequent or if this was just an incident. Always remember that mistakes are human.
Why write a store review?
With a store review, you help other customers to make a well-informed decision about whether to order from a particular store, while the store itself benefits a lot from the feedback you give. Are the reviews purely positive? Then the retailer knows that the service must remain as is. But if there is some negativity, they can optimize their processes and improve their services for future customers. So this is very valuable!
Product reviews
Unlike a store review, with a product review you write about the product or service you have purchased. In these reviews you are not talking about the store, but about the product itself. For example, about the refrigerator you ordered from Media Markt. In the product review, you can elaborate on whether the product exceeds or disappoints your expectations or whether or not a product meets the description you have read. You can also rate a service. For example, of a painting company that claims they can ensure that your windows are painted perfectly, but after the task, you discover that it is not finished so neatly after all. So you could write a little more about this service in your review.
Example of a bad and a good product review
Let's take an example of a product review that is not very good:
“I picked up a refrigerator yesterday. Great stuff!”.
This review says very little. You know that the refrigerator being reviewed is good, but why? Why is this customer so satisfied? Let's take an example of a good product review:
“I picked up a refrigerator yesterday and it is such a great product! I was able to reverse the door very easily myself, because, once at home, I found out that the doors are wrong. So that was not convenient at all. But in the description, it was well explained how I could easily do this myself. In addition, the controls are super easy and the fridge was cold in no time! That way I could quickly put my tasty beers in the fridge!”.
Okay, you don't really care that this reviewer enjoys a cold beer, but he does provide useful information. Such as that the product has a good description and that the product is also easy to operate. That is information that you would like to read, because these are things that can help you decide to buy this refrigerator.
Why write a product review?
By reviewing products and services, you help other customers to make an informed decision. Customers want to make sure they don't make a bad purchase, so product reviews can be very valuable. Unless they are meaningless reviews that say little about the product. Stores also benefit from product reviews, because if there is a sea of complaints, they may decide to remove a certain product from the range. Or, with a well-reviewed product, decide to take extra stock.
