Review Site?
I believe a lot of consumers are becoming increasingly confused as to what a “Review” site is and what an “Affiliate Review” site is. After speaking with a few friends and other bloggers around the web its become apparent that an explanation is in order. There are a few types of “Review” sites out on the web today and I’ll be outlining the two most popular.
I’m sure you’ve even seen or been on one of these websites while searching the web for reviews.
Top Two Review Sites you’ll find on the web today:
- A site reviewing one product with a link to purchase
- A site reviewing reviewing up to two or three or more products
Lets explain what a Review sites looks like and what it entails – Here is an example of a type of review site: Utility Poster Review This site has a few items that make it a quality review site. Using the list below will help you identify what a review site is and what its not.
- It talks about one product and only one product
- It has a link to the product under the review for you to purchase or not
- It has Pro’s and it has Con’s regarding the product under review
- The reviewer has used the product for at least 30 days
- Finally the reviewer recommends or does not recommend the product and gives you a link to make the decision to purchase or not to.
(Tip – I believe that this is the most important part of any review or affiliate site for that manner, if the person reviewing the product has not used the product under review then you should leave as its not a true review and can’t be creditable)
Now lets talk about the Affiliate Review Sites that I’m sure we’ve all seen, these are the sites that give a negative review of a featured product then advise you to purchase another product instead. There are two types of these so I’ll explain both since both are very popular. Below are some tell tell signs that will let you know which site your on.
Affiliate Review Site Layout 1
- Its looks similar to the review site above and others like it however there is one major difference – It has two products under review
- The first product is usually given a negative review finding some fault with it
- Te reviewer then recommends another product that’s suppose to be better
- There is only one link to a product even though two are being reviewed
Example: “While reviewing the latest version of widget 1 I found it to lack certain feature’s I would prefer however I did find another widget called widget 202 and it’s much better and here is the link you can purchase it from. ”
Now here’s the interesting part about this, if it were a true review site it would have the link to both products. Don’t let this fool you though as most Internet marketers are catching on to this so just pay attention. If it feels like an Affiliate site then more than likely it is and that’s OK but make sure you know what your basing your decision on.
Affiliate Review Site Layout 2
These sites are set up much like the first review site we discussed Utility Poster Review there are a few differences that you should be aware of though.
- The site explains that its a review site and that it has searched the Internet and found the top three or so programs that work
- Layout of the sites vary however its typically in a graph form in order of price
- Typically they are cookie cutter websites, meaning you see them everywhere and the only thing that’s different are the products being reviewed
- Products have not been tested nor is the site Web2.0 enabled
Review sites should all be Web2.o enabled allowing people to make comments of their experiences with the product and how they have used it. That’s the NUMBER 1 way to find out what type of site you are on. If you are allowed to make comments on the review itself and have others respond and share their experiences then you’ve found a good source of information to base your decision on.
Most if not all review sites these days are some how an affiliate site allowing the reviewer to make a portion of the purchase price should you chose to buy. There’s nothing wrong with this in fact its good business, but the risk falls on the consumer sometimes when we don’t understand which site we are looking at. I own a few of these affiliate sites myself but the sole difference in my eyes is that I NEVER RECOMMEND A PRODUCT I HAVEN’T TRIED.
The best reviewers in the industry use products for 30 days or more or less depending on the type of review it is. If the reviewer has not used the product or had some trusted advisers use the product and the site is not enabled for comments (web2.0 as they call it) then you should leave.
I hope this clears up some of the confusion between which site is which. The information provided is not to say that one is better than the other. Affiliate Review Sites and Review Sites are great ways to get information on products your looking to purchase online just make sure that do your research correctly.
Good luck surfing and to your success,
James – TheBlogView
