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How To Write A Powerful Product Review in 8 Simple Steps

Kasia Perzynska

13 min read

Mar 13, 2023

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Think about your buying habits for a while.

Normally, the higher the price (or the more crucial to your well-being a given product is), the harder you strive to make sure your choice is the only right decision. To feel confident about the purchase, you look for solid proof of the product’s quality.

And it doesn’t matter what that purchase might be — whether it’s food, books, kitchenware, vacation rentals, or even dog toys – you always check out online reviews.

OK, now switch perspectives. This time you aren’t a buyer but a seller — or, even better — a promoter of a given product. A reviewer, to be specific. Here is a simple fact any marketer (or blogger or website owner) should take to heart:

No matter what you are trying to sell — one of the easiest ways to make money on your blog is by writing great product reviews. The question is: how to write a product review that actually gives people value?

But first: what are product reviews?

A product review is an evaluation of a product that shares the reviewer’s opinion about its features, performance, quality, and overall value. The purpose of a product review is to provide potential buyers with a detailed and honest assessment of a product to help them make an informed decision before making a purchase.

A product review can include information such as the product’s specifications, its benefits and drawbacks, and comparisons with other similar products in the market. It can also include personal experiences or stories about how the product was used, as well as any issues or concerns that the reviewer encountered while using it.

Product reviews can be found on various platforms such as e-commerce websites, social media, blogs, and review websites. They are often written by consumers who have purchased and used the product, as well as professional reviewers who specialize in testing and evaluating products.

What’s more, reviews often prompt readers to discuss, rate, and comment on products they might have purchased or are thinking about buying.

The role of product reviews

Customers are heavily-dependent on reviews which are often authentic articles written by real users. So, reviews are social proof and help build trust and loyalty.

The more product reviews an item receives, the more transparent it seems and this boosts its credibility. People trust social proofs — especially when the review’s author isn’t related to the brand and isn’t anonymous (i.e., can be addressed by name and their social profile can be looked up).

Consequently, if proof of a product’s or service’s quality gets corroborated by multiple and unrelated sources, this positive vibe resonates across the web. This boosts the odds that a prospective buyer will pick that particular product.

Obviously, writing product reviews is also a great way for affiliate marketers to share their thoughts about the product they affiliate with and share their affiliate link with an audience. For example, you can create a YouTube video about LiveChat and then share your link in the video’s description.

Why do people read product reviews

Why do people read product reviews in the first place? After all, do savvy shoppers buy anything without checking online reviews?

Here’s an example. Imagine you are reviewing Headspace, the meditation app. This is a real-life example because, personally, I’m a Headspace believer and practitioner. 🙂

Or we can go with a different example — this time, let’s make it something B2B. For Instance, LiveChat:

So, what should you begin your review with? People want to get to know some practical facts, so:

• Talk about how the product grew on you and share first impressions (and all the consecutive ones!).
• Share your experiences with the product.
• List real pros and cons of the product.
• Tell the readers if a product is aimed at them [who the target users/buyers are].
• Rule if the product is of the highest quality and whether it’s simply worth buying.
• Is it user-friendly?
• Discuss some potential pain points.
• Provide alternatives.

Online reviews should touch on both pros and cons of a product, service, or even a whole brand so that shoppers understand the key selling points as well as its market strengths and weaknesses.

A powerful product review should clearly point out who the product is for. Another reason why people read product reviews is even simpler. Users want to make sure the product is the best of its kind. Take marketing tools — people want to make sure they’re straightforward, user-friendly, and generally easy to handle.

Moreover, people are curious about alternative solutions. Though, to be honest, they just want to make sure that the product they want to buy is the undisputed king of its category. Also, other users’ experiences aren’t meaningless. Readers want to confront as many opinions as possible before making an actual purchase.

So, in short, a product review is a blog post or a video that will help your target audience to make a purchase decision. It describes product features, pricing plans, how a product performs, and your personal recommendations. It should answer questions that highly motivated buyers can have.

What are the benefits of writing product reviews?

First and foremost, people trust product reviews — a whopping 88% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. There you go — positive product reviews can bring a substantial rise in sales.

Here’s what you get out of writing reviews:

• Money– you can earn some extra money by reviewing products as an affiliate.
• Authority– you build authority as a reviewer and people will trust your opinion if you play it right.
• Freedom– as an independent reviewer and marketer only you decide what products you want to review, recommend, and write about.
• Traffic– your content helps you gain organic traffic and you can rank your website for strategically chosen keywords.

There are also many other perks (and also drawbacks) of becoming an independent product reviewer. Okay so now, with all those reasons in mind, it’s time to figure out what you can do to craft a genuine product review.

How to write the perfect product review

1. Get your hands on the product

Being an independent marketer and reviewer demands that you get access to products you are going to review. You might just go ahead and buy them or pitch the manufacturers and just ask for access. It’s quite likely that a company’s marketing representative will be happy to give you access to the product at least for the time you’d need to review it.

2. Join the affiliate program

However, the best idea is to become an affiliate partner if it’s an option.

This will come with additional perks like, for instance, a fixed and sometimes even recurring commission paid on each sale you referred. Being an affiliate makes sense because you’re promoting these products anyway, so why shouldn’t you get a cut and generate some passive income on the side?

Becoming an affiliate is a whole other story, however, so here’s where you can learn more about becoming an affiliate with LiveChat.

3. Learn about your product(s)

Once you join affiliate programs or get access to products in any other way, make sure you do your research and study the product. You want to become an expert. Be curious and find out everything about the brand and the product itself. Include competitors in your research and the whole industry as well, before you get started on your reviews.

Remember that reading reviews that are already out there is a must. It will give you an idea of what was important for your competitors. You might also want to take a look at alternative products reviews

4. Be honest. Don’t hype it

Full transparency is key. Eyes on the prize and remember this:

• People will quickly put two and two together, and they’ll notice (and inevitably raise a fuss) if you aren’t honest.
• It’s always better to look at products through the buyer’s eyes. It makes no sense to trick your audience into thinking that your product has no flaws. Be balanced instead.
• Honesty wins you credibility and users will become loyal and visit your blog or site anytime they want to make a purchase.

5. Confront other players

Product comparisons are crucial to any good review. They provide your readers with a clearer picture of the whole category. Your readers will know what the options are and will feel more confident about getting the recommended model.

Talking about alternatives will lend you credibility — especially if you can say something more than, “Hey, these are available, too!”

6. Get a discussion going

Anytime you publish any content (not just reviews), ask for feedback and kindle discussion. Let people speak their minds and create a dedicated space for discussion and try to build up a community.

This will invite your readers to leave reviews — and user-generated reviews are tremendously powerful. For instance, millennials, trust user-generated content 50% more than other media.

So, empower users to generate that content!

The more social proof you accumulate below your own review the better. There are also some solid SEO reasons for this. A discussion thread makes a web page longer which helps it index and rank better.

7. End a product review with a take-home message

The last few paragraphs are perfect for expressing your private opinion. This is where you can get slightly subjective and speak your mind freely.
Recap all the key points you touched on in the review, disclose the price and tell the reader if there’s a free trial (remember, the word “free” is intoxicating — if applicable, sprinkle it throughout your article and emphasize free options to get people excited. It usually works wonders). Sum everything up and make the final verdict.

8. Implement 5-Star rating and rich snippets

Enable a simple 5-star rating system with CSS and HTML radios on your review page and also add rich snippets that will be visible in the search results. This isn’t all that difficult.

Such a visual rating score in the search results will certainly make your reviews stand out, boosting your CTR and driving more traffic. And don’t forget that the CTR translates to SEO results in the long run!

Also, remember to include affiliate links within your review here and there. Mind their frequency of occurrence, so they don’t overwhelm the reader or dominate your copy. Not sure how to get this right? Read how to use affiliate links correctly.

A product review template

Writing a product review is much easier when using a template, so let me show you one.

Title: [Product Name] Review: [Brief Summary of Your Overall Experience]

Introduction:

• Briefly introduce the product and what it does
• Explain why you decided to use it and what you were hoping to achieve

Features:

• List and describe the main features of the product, such as live chat, chatbots, customization options, and integrations
• Explain how each feature works and how it helps you achieve your goals
• Evaluate the usefulness and effectiveness of each feature

Ease of use:

• Describe how easy or difficult it was to set up and use the product
• Explain how intuitive the interface is and whether it’s easy to navigate
• Evaluate the overall user experience and whether it meets your expectations

Performance:

• Evaluate the speed and reliability of the product
• Explain whether it meets your needs and whether it’s able to handle your workload
• Mention any issues or limitations you’ve encountered while using the product

Support:

• Describe the customer support experience and how responsive and helpful the support team was
• Explain how easy or difficult it was to find answers to your questions
• Evaluate the quality of the documentation and resources provided by the product

Value for money:

• Evaluate whether the product provides good value for its price
• Compare it to other similar products and evaluate its pricing relative to its competitors
• Explain whether you would be willing to pay for the product again in the future

Conclusion:

• Summarize your overall experience with the product
• Mention any standout features or benefits of the product
• Explain who you would recommend the product to and why

And now, an example of a filled template.

Title: LiveChat Review: A User-Friendly and Effective Live Chat Solution

Introduction: LiveChat is a software tool that enables businesses to provide real-time customer support through a chat feature on their website. As a customer service representative, I decided to use LiveChat to improve customer satisfaction and engagement.

Features: LiveChat’s main feature is the live chat, which allows me to communicate with customers in real-time. Additionally, it has chatbots, ticketing, and reporting features that make it easier to manage customer interactions. It also integrates with other tools such as CRM and social media platforms, which enhances my workflow.

Ease of use: Setting up and using LiveChat was very easy, and the interface is intuitive and user-friendly. Navigating through the software and accessing its features is straightforward, making it easy to engage with customers and provide prompt service.

Performance: LiveChat’s performance has been exceptional, with fast and reliable connections even during high-traffic periods. The software’s chatbot feature has been particularly helpful in handling routine inquiries, freeing up my time to address more complex customer needs.

Support: LiveChat has an excellent customer support system, with responsive and helpful support teams available through live chat, email, and phone. The software’s documentation and resources are also comprehensive and well-written, making it easy to find answers to any questions.

Value for money: LiveChat’s pricing is reasonable and competitive, considering its features and functionalities. Compared to other live chat solutions, LiveChat offers a good value for its price. I would definitely pay for the software again in the future.

Conclusion: Overall, LiveChat is a user-friendly and effective live chat solution that has helped me to deliver prompt and high-quality customer service. With its extensive features, fast performance, and responsive support, I would recommend LiveChat to any business owner or customer service representative looking for a reliable live chat solution.

And now, let me leave a quick checklist of what has to be included in every great review:

• core features (or a feature list if there are just a few features),
• real life product photos (or screenshots if your reviewing software products),
• product price,
• description of your experience with the product and your opinion.

Et voilà, now you know how to write a product review!

Online reviews are a great way to monetize your blog, start your affiliate marketing business and get it up and running. It’s a proven method, and we’ve got hard data to back it up. BrightLocal conducted a consumer review survey, an annual exploration of how consumers read and use online reviews.

What are their key findings?

• 84% of people trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation,
• 7 out of 10 consumers will write a review for a business if they’re asked to,
• 90% of consumers read less than 10 reviews before forming an opinion about a business,
• 54% of people will visit the website after reading positive reviews,
• 73% of consumers think that reviews older than 3 months are no longer relevant,
• 74% of consumers say that positive reviews make them trust a business more,
• 58% of consumers say that the star rating of a business is most important.

Interestingly, according to Econsultancy, even bad reviews improve conversion by 67%. Hope these facts are convincing enough for you. As you can notice, there is a point to creating product reviews.

Go ahead, become a LiveChat affiliate and start reviewing our product, making a solid profit. Don’t limit yourself to just us — feel free to review brands and products from other industries to fully harness the power of your site.

That’s all for now on writing a powerful product review. Once something new comes around, I’m going to supplement and update this write-up.

Congrats, you’re ready to write reviews!