Smart Cookies

Believe it or not, a lot of companies are paying employees to write bogus reviews of their products and services. Here are 3 tips to help you avoid being duped by an employee’s bias review:

1. Consider online options as part of your research. Don’t just go to one source. View a few different sources to see if the reviews match up or sound similar.
2. Look beyond consensus’ ratings. According to the CMO at Bazarvoice.com, about 80% of user ratings are positive. The problem is that many reviews might be influenced by advertiser incentives, so be sure to watch out for the negative vs. positive patterns on a product/service.
3. Know the signs of a bogus review. All pros and no cons is one way to possibly spot a fake; comments that read like an ad with no mention of personal experience is also a clear sign. Also look out for any sponsorship disclosures that the reviewer has been paid for.