How To Use Online Reviews To Invest In The Best Technology For Your Office Friday, March 1, 2019 by Mark DiGiammarino oneperson's lemonis your lemonade on a (NAPS)—Anyone who’ in charge of hotday. For example, a honeymoonermight purchasing technology for a small business notlike a hotel that you, with kids, would knows there’ a bit ofalchemy in the proconsider a perfect vacation destination. Negative reviewsare most useful when curementprocess: You applyinstinct. You askyourcolleagues foradvice. You research youcan find specific patterns: Ifmostofthe reviews say the company has an excellent whatthecritics in the magazines say. Increas- ingly, you're also reading the online reviews on specializedsites. Readingonline reviews isalogicalextension of how people once bought goods— through word ofmouth. Technology, however, is even better, because it provides access. product but substandard customer service, then take thatinto accountbefore you decide to buy or move on. Also, lookfor a vendorresponse:Ifthe vendorhasn't responded to the negative reviews, then that's useful to know. When the business responds to the reviews—if, for example,it says it’s working to improve customerservice considerthata pointin its favor. to many more experienced. Online reviews give depth andbreadth. Theyexplainthepros andconsofanyproduct orexperience. At theirbest, they're incredible tools, perhaps the best thingto have happened for consumers in decades. At their worst, they're a scam. Consider this: A Londonjournalist once created numerous fake reviews ona restaurant site and made his humble garden shed an opening-nightrestauranthit. As the manager ofreviews for Capterra—a_ snapshotin time.Take into accountrecency and don'tfault a vendorfor somethingthat Lookforverified reviewers: Reviewers dorhas respondedtothe negative review. Beopento discovering new product: At Capterra,its commonfora user to cometo thesite looking for a marquee-namesoftware product. Butafter someresearch, that shouldbe verified as being real people and actual customers.You'll also need to knowif they're buying products forlarge enterprises free site for software buyers to read objective or small businesseslikeyours. Knowingwho's andinsightful reviews—I’ve learned how to navigate the worldofonline reviews. Here are four top tips: writing the reviews matters. Asan example, think about when you’ein the market for a newcar, and youget a recommendation review: Confirm thesite has an FAQ page Isn't it important to knowif that neighbor Check to see if the site monitorsits Remember that negative reviewsare alsoa Mark DiGiammarino, Manager, VendorReviews, Capterra. from a neighbor onthebest vehicle to buy. ‘occurred two yearsago, especiallyiftheven- user may then decide upon software from a smaller, less well-known provider. Often, its becausetheproducts betterpricedandbetter suited to the user's business. Andusually, its because others in the reviews community with transparentpolicy statements. Does it clearly state howthesite makes money? Check toseeif there’s a wayto report fake reviews. Make sure the site screens and reads prefersa plush, magisterial ride—ora sports car with tight handlingforthe side roads? monitor reviews—oroffer a way to report the fakes—thesite isn't there to help you. Its essential to report fake reviews because sidelines, making unqualified assessments. unexpected when you read reviews. Finding the best reviews in a sea of bad theproduct, however, theyhave something to say. Theyknowthe productspros and cons. offer you a chance to avoid the mistakes of others and gain from the wisdom inherent all reviews before they golive. If it doesn't the reviews community depends on honest participation. When users share reviews, they helpyoutolearnfromtheir discoveries. Fake reviewstear at the fundamental trust everyone in the community must havein each other whenthey readandshare online reviews. Verified reviewers shouldalsobe actual customersofthe products they write about. Noonelikes a rubbernecker standing at the Whenusers haveeither bought or demoed ‘They're often passionate aboutthe product and wantto share their experiences with you. Read the negative reviews but read them fairly: Make sure to understandwhat’truly behind a negative review—it could be that thoughtit was a better product. ‘Thosesoftware vendors that havea smaller footprintin the marketplace may have more utility andsuitability for you. Be opento the onesisnosmall challenge, butonline reviews in onlinereviews. Use these tips to learn from reviewers whohavehonestly shared their positive and negative experiences. Use reviewsto discover new products and services that can take your business to a new level. --- PHOTOS --- File: 20190816-142250-20190816-142249-86680.pdf.jpg --- FILES --- File: 20190816-142249-86680.pdf