“Incredibly good picture quality!” – listen to potential customers sets like these or read got, had to dealer and manufacturer numbers before: for billboards, TV or radio spots – in short, for advertising. Today, the customers write such sentences themselves, in their product reviews on online platforms such as Amazon, Zalando and others. The “incredibly good picture quality” of a user agreed, for example, a digital camera in his Amazon review.
Such a judgment. Customer reviews is increasingly influenced by what people buy. Market researchers have determined that, in the meantime, about two-thirds of all the people to inquire before making a purchase decision, whether you like the product to other buyers. In Switzerland, Digitec, for example, the numerous customer comments on the products sold in the foreground and advertises.
Better than advertising
On the Psyche of the judgments of the other customers had a often stronger, and thus from the point of view of the seller better than classic advertising, says Georg Tryba of the consumer advice centre of North Rhine-Westphalia. So traders that offer their Goods through Online marketplaces such as Amazon or Zalando a set, the reviews targeted, and replace advertising. Here, the traders were interested, but only on good reviews to boost their sales, says a consumer-protection expert Tobias Brönneke advice in Germany, the Federal state government of Baden-Württemberg.
For the purchasing decision, the reviews are mostly useless, so Tryba. The result of a study by the Technical University of Dortmund: they compared the ratings of 2473 electrical products from the period from 2014 to 2017, with the of the Stiftung Warentest for the same products of the marks and the results were very different. It testers are hardly any Overlaps in the reviews of Amateur and professional Product. “High average ratings seem to can even, to a certain degree on the actual quality of the product fool you,” says Sören Köcher, has been involved in the Dortmund study.
customer reviews are so very meaningful, because many users will naturally be able to make sensible judgements says Tryba. Buyers expressed a feeling of how you can find the product: more great or more terrible. In the case of the digital camera, for example: “The customer grabs the device, makes a couple of photos, finds the camera well, and awards five stars.” How well he knows but with similar products, and what he knows about aperture, white balance or exposure index, will remain open.
Amazon plays the Feedback of the customers for the article an important role, according to prominent it will be placed on the Websites. The online retailer will select even a kind of Premium-evaluator: Who writes many reviews, which are then perceived by other users as helpful, it can come in the Vine Club. The members get products in advance and free of charge, to test and evaluate.
There is little Overlap in the reviews of Amateur and professional product testers.
However, consumer researchers have found out that testers like these products particularly, you have tasted nothing. Who had to pay, is less enthusiastic. The consumer advice centre of North Rhine-Westphalia, which had investigated the Vine Club already 2013.
The results of that time are still relevant, says Georg Tryba: investigated reviews of members of the Vine Club, also Viner called, were, therefore, consistently four or five stars.
For a Notebook to fell even The Viner found it great, the “normal” user, however. The many positive judgments of the Viner would have then taken the average of all reviews to the top. The Verbraucherzentrale NRW described the wines even once as a “Club of the great Poet”.
Amazon is the investigation of the Consumer protection group referred to as the “completely obsolete” and “not transfused”, because they are based only on sampling. Parts of the Vine program have changed significantly. The Premium-evaluators were highly qualified to write authentic reviews. Figures in the notes to the Viner award, does not Amazon, according to its own information.
A medium, to improve the customer reviews, it could be Mails, remind clients to rate their product, so Consumer protection Brönneke. These messages were usually shortly after the purchase. If the item you purchased will go to the three months broken, a flow that is rare in the assessment. Most of the customers no longer made the effort to wear.
Amazon does not see this Problem: You do not be interested only in good reviews for the products. It is a genuine Feedback from those who have purchased the product already – so that the customers come back, decided on the basis of these reviews for a product. Anything else would damage the dealer.
Difficult legal situation
programs like Amazon’s Vine Club are lawful. Reviews of this user are marked on the sides separately. They could not be changed influenced by the providers, or processed, says an Amazon spokesperson. If traders want to go on that your products on Amazon Sites obtain many of the best notes, you can resort to less legal means – and their stars of positive reviews specialized companies to buy. Most of the fake reviews are only expose difficult. In addition, the companies that sell you have, often located in Malta, which makes it difficult to complain.
For misleading reviews should always adhere to the provider of the product, say lawyers. Amazon merely provides the platform for other traders, as is often the case, they are liable for the violation and will have to have it in the future, not of the US group.
Created: 10.07.2019, 21:35 PM
