Online reviews in the digital age have become a must-have device for consumers to make informed purchases. Whether it’s purchasing a product, or a hotel or service hire, you can expect review sites to be accessed in order to gain the experience of others. Yet, as these sites become popular, the amount of dubious reviews grows and it becomes difficult to tell whether the review is authentic or not. Will you ever believe those review sites? In this paper, we will discuss the trustworthiness of online review websites and how to identify a forged review.
Most importantly, you need to know the workings of review sites. The vast majority of review sites will let anyone post a review without having actually purchased or used the item or service. This essentially means that anyone can make a fake profile and post a skewing or false review in order to endorse or undermine a product or service. These websites also often algorithmically filter and rank reviews, enabling fraudulent reviews to easily reach the top. This not only deceives customers, but also businesses.
Let’s see what constitutes a fake review. A fake review is a deceptive or fraudulent review that was created with the intention of deceiving customers. Such reviews are either from users who have never actually used the product or service, or they are paid to provide positive feedback. These disreputable reviews can do much good or harm for a business and either increase or decrease its brand value and profits.
But before we get into it, let’s start with what motivates fake reviews. Brands rely heavily on positive reviews to win over new customers and retain existing ones. So it is no surprise that some companies also use unethical methods, like making fake reviews, to build up their online credibility. Moreover, other people might have a bias towards either advocating for or attacking a product or service. Not only do these forged reviews deceive consumers, but they also undermine the integrity of real reviews.
So, how do you know whether online reviews are real?
The very first step is to get a handle on fake reviews. One is the negative, biased review in which a reviewer overstates his experience in order to sell a product or service. A third kind is the negative testimonial from a competitor or unhappy client. Third, paid reviews: a service or product can pay someone to write a positive review, even if they did not experience the product.
One of the most effective ways to spot fake reviews is by analyzing the language.
FAKE REVIEWS are generally overwhelmingly positive or negative, and do not include any details or anecdotes. They might also employ stock words and contain grammar and spelling mistakes. Real reviews, however, are much more in-depth, offering a concrete account of their experience, and using the appropriate language.
A similar red flag would be a sudden increase or decrease in positive or negative reviews.
When a product or service is receiving tons of reviews over the course of a few days, check to see if the reviews are real. You’re not going to see an influx of real positive or negative reviews overnight, especially if you’ve been in the market for a while.
You also can read the reviewer’s profile to determine their reputation.
The majority of review sites let people create profiles where they can view the person’s history of reviews. If a reviewer has written only one or two reviews, then they may be bogus. The same applies if a reviewer only reviews a product or service in positive terms, that’s a red flag.
Another way to identify a forged review is to observe the review timing.
If a product or service is long-established but the majority of its reviews have been published around the same time, these reviews might be inauthentic. Companies may try to take advantage of their internet reputation by setting up an overnight barrage of reviews to generate ratings.
The best way to confirm the legitimacy of an online review is to read multiple review sites.
A genuine product or service is one that is reviewed positive and negative repeatedly on multiple platforms. But if reviews vary so much from site to site, it may also mean that the reviews are a hoax.
Another way to distort reviews is through incentivizing.
Some companies provide coupons or free goods in exchange for reviews. Although this may sound great, these reviews aren’t real and can’t be trusted. You should try to avoid such offers and stick to independent reviews.
Another trick for recognizing fake reviews is to check for photos.
Authentic reviews often feature photos of the product or experience; fake reviews are usually just stock pictures. If a review doesn’t contain visual proof, you might want to question whether it is real.
Aside from these hints, some review sites have even implemented policies to discourage fake reviews. Amazon, for example, filters out fake reviews through an algorithm. They also display a “Verified Purchase” symbol next to reviews posted by those who’ve actually purchased the product. But these safeguards don’t work every time, and fake reviews still sneak through.
Conclusion:
In short, although review sites can help, you still want to take your time and keep a grain of salt. Check out these clues and save yourself from the wrath of dishonest reviews. Businesses should also be aware of these issues and take action, such as keeping tabs on reviews and logging suspicious activity. Ultimately, the responsibility lies with consumers to do their own research and background checks before leveraging a review to make a purchase. Having these factors under your belt and using them as your guiding principle, you can sift through a mountain of reviews and make the best decisions.
