Many buyers want to feel confident in their purchase decision before closing the deal. Product reviews are a great resource for customers to research their purchasing options and consider the pros and cons of a product or service. Businesses can also use product reviews as a powerful marketing tool to increase positive perceptions of a product or service and increase brand awareness.
In this article, we define product reviews, describe how to write a product review to grab readers’ attention, promote a product or service, and discuss their main benefits.
What is a product review?
A product review is an examination of the strengths and weaknesses of a particular product or service. Today, most of these reviews exist online, but they can also appear in print. Consumers read product reviews to help them make important purchasing decisions.
In general, the more important or expensive the product or service, the more time consumers spend researching and reading reviews. There are different kinds of product reviews, including:
Industry Professional Reviews: This category includes reviews from influential individuals within the industry, such as experts or experienced buyers.
Marketing team and in-house author reviews: This category includes reviews by the marketing team and in-house writers of a brand or business, whose goal is usually to increase the positive perception of a product or service.
Customer reviews: These reviews are from actual customers who want to share their experiences with other potential buyers.
Blog and social media reviews: This category includes reviews by bloggers and social media influencers who may work with brands, review products or services, and share their experiences with online audiences.
Affiliate reviews: These reviews come from affiliates of the brand and usually involve positive reviews in exchange for business deals or partnership terms.
How to write a product Review
While the goals, authors, and readers of product reviews may vary, in most cases the process of writing a review is similar. Use these step-by-step guides to help you write a successful product review:
1. Introduce the product or service
Begin your product review with a brief one – or two-sentence introduction to the product or service.A concise presentation of your review can help you get the attention of highly motivated buyers. Use positive, engaging words and phrases to help readers easily identify your comments from a lengthy list of customer testimonials.
In your introduction, you may also provide a brief overview of the upcoming review. Try to keep this section to two paragraphs or less, describing various aspects of the product or service your review is discussing.
2. Empathize with your readers
You can differentiate your comments by connecting with your readers on a personal level and empathizing with their needs. Instead of using your reviews to list the features of the product or service, provide useful information on how the product or service solves the reader’s problem.
Consider why customers would consider buying your product or service, and apply those features to real-world scenarios to show how it solves their problem or adds value to their experience.
3. Explain benefits and features
Discuss the details of benefits and features in a way that helps readers imagine themselves using and benefiting from a product or service. Providing this personal visualization can help readers understand how the product or service applies to their unique situation. When describing benefits and features, consider including the following:
Core features: These are the features that most directly address the reader’s problem. Try to describe each core feature in a sentence or two, and be sure to include all important information.
Actions: After describing the features in detail, describe how they function in the product or service. The description of each feature is limited to one or two sentences, while providing an accurate description of the functionality.
4. Include additional social proof
To provide additional proof of value, consider providing additional references or reviews for your readers to refer to.You can quote other reviewers, link to other review sites, or include reviews from influential users, such as bloggers, industry professionals, or experts. You can also provide comment options in your comments so that others can share their experiences with the product or service.
5. Summarize your summary
End your review with a short summary. Restate your opinion of the product or service and emphasize the main points of your review. Make it clear whether you believe the product or service will benefit others. In your conclusion, you can discuss the price of the product or service to show whether it provides good value to the buyer. The conclusion of your review provides your final verdict on the product or service to help guide the reader’s purchasing decision.
6.Post your review
When you have finished your comment, decide where you want to post it. You can post your review directly on the company’s website to reach out to potential customers. Other options include product review sites, blogs or social media. Make sure your comment format is appropriate for the platform. For example, some sites may allow you to add stars to your comments or upload pictures. Check the format carefully and post your comments.
