Online reviews are deciding factors & a wonderful opportunity. Here’s how to write a product review that sells without making your site look cheesy…
You can’t deny the power of a good and engaging product review in 2020. Do you think that a product review can be only as good as the product itself? Well, it’s time to find out.
A product review can make or break a product. It’s always the first impression that counts, right? In the form of online reviews, you get to decide and potentially influence a customer.
But it depends on how you craft an engaging product review. It’s not effective if the review is not good. In short, you have to show and not tell what the product is about.
I’m going to walk you through a few essential tips to write a killer product review. It won’t make your website look shabby or untrustworthy in any way. So let’s begin.
What Makes A Product Review?
If you want to know what a product review is? Let me tell you what it’s not. And that’s just customer reviews only. Yes, you can read about the product from verified purchases. But it only makes a part of your complete product review article.
When writing a crisp and telling product review, you need specifics. This includes the essential features of the product. The advantages and disadvantages. And the ease of use and convenience of each and every feature.
I know what you must be thinking right about now. Won’t so much information bore the reader? Yes but there is a way to change that.
Must-Know Tips for Crafting A Compelling Product Review
1. Choose a good format
You can write a product review in many ways.
You can structure your review in the form of a list-based post. A listicle, as they call it, is less confusing and quicker. You can include multiple products under each post. It’s quicker and more effective in summing up a product’s special features and use.
Next, there is a single product review post which is more informative. Here is where you dive into the details. A single product review allows you to get ‘up close and personal’ with the product. It’s where you show your reader their experience of using the product. And not only what the product has to offer.
Lastly, there is a comparison post. It’s where you compare two kinds of products together. You can select 2 or more products of the same category.
For example, a Breville coffee maker vs a Mr. Coffee coffee maker. Comparing products offer insights into which product is better performing and top-rated.
2. Do your own research
This might seem like the most obvious thing. But there are plenty of unreliable product reviews out there. Poor quality product reviews are often poorly- or not researched at all.
If a customer review of a product on Amazon or Yelp tells you it’s bad. Your job as a writer is to figure out why. Writing that a product doesn’t work well is not enough. You need to give a good reason for every pro and con of a product.
Secondly, research trumps misleading information. This includes the cost, description, and manufacturing details of the product.
Doing your own personal research allows you credibility. Your reader is more likely to believe you if “you walk the talk” if you know what I mean. So use the product to review it. This improves conversion rates and boosts your reviewing skills.
3. Don’t always promote
One thing I’ve realized that is a huge let down is inflated product reviews. You don’t want your product review to seem like it’s promoting rather than reviewing.
Or else, it would be known as a product ad. Not a product review.
You may have many brands reaching out to you for product reviews. But you won’t get through your readers if you don’t make it personal. Always talk about the product as both a user and a customer. This means skipping the promotional aspect of a product. And confusing more on the truth, no matter how good or bad.
4. Target your audience
If you don’t target your ideal customer, your product review fails the compatibility round. Targeting an audience helps you choose your products better. Ask questions like:
- What is the product’s customer profile?
- How is the product useful?
These questions will give you a clearer idea of how to go about your review. And it will also help your reader relate to the product you’re writing about. This also helps clear up the air of misleading information.
5. Offer alternatives
The better your credibility when you have more options. So if one product doesn’t work well in your reader’s favor, they can always opt for another.
You can craft your sentences like, “If this product doesn’t seem right for you, we have something that is.”
This shows not only flexibility and adaptability. But it also shows that you’re interested in your reader’s choices. That you care about the products you have on your website. And the products that your readers would like to buy and use.
Having said that, don’t crowd your website with too many options. Having too many options for the same product can backfire. And confuse your reader into thinking you’re overreaching with your product reviews.
6. Be empathetic
It’s true that the human attention span is depleting. Especially when it comes to trending topics. So if you want to attract attention right away this is what you need to do.
Empathy goes a long way when writing good and convertible product reviews. You need to prove to your readers that you’re not a robot. This means being helpful rather than a hard sell.
You could just as easily bore your readers with cold statistics. You need to be generous with your descriptions but on a humane level. Statistics, customer reviews, and testing. You need to mold these factors to create an engaging product review.
A good way to be more empathetic is to imagine yourself as a customer. Then write the product review that way.
Conclusion
You’ve got this! Allow yourself some space and time to grow. Writing compelling product reviews is a process. You have to include the good and bad of the product. You must be generous and not hard-selling.
Most people want to read a less judgemental and more engaging product review. How you address the pros and cons of a product tells a lot about your writing style. And it can potentially influence your reader into becoming a lifelong admirer of your work.
