{"id":2061,"date":"2017-03-03T14:31:43","date_gmt":"2017-03-03T22:31:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.surveypolice.com\/blog\/?p=2061"},"modified":"2022-11-28T09:34:36","modified_gmt":"2022-11-28T17:34:36","slug":"what-to-look-for-when-reading-online-paid-survey-reviews","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.surveypolice.com\/blog\/what-to-look-for-when-reading-online-paid-survey-reviews\/","title":{"rendered":"What to Look for When Reading Online Paid Survey Reviews"},"content":{"rendered":"

Before you join any survey site, you should ensure that it\u2019s legitimate. After checking for basic things like a privacy policy, a proper contact page, and information about the parent company, the next natural step is to consult online reviews.<\/p>\n

In 2020, 87% of consumers read online reviews of a local business, and out of consumers that write reviews, they wrote an average of 9 reviews per year1<\/a><\/sup>. With reviews being so critical to formulating opinions, what can you do to ensure the reviews you’re reading are relevant and of value?<\/p>\n

How to spot good reviews sites from bad<\/h2>\n

If you know what to look for, you’ll be able to differentiate quality business directory websites from poor ones. Here are some things you can easily spot:<\/p>\n

Not having to register to leave a review<\/h3>\n

\"ReviewSome sites have basic review forms which anyone can fill out, without a user having to join the website before leaving a review.<\/p>\n

Although convenient, there are many problems with this. One of the biggest issues is that it makes it virtually impossible<\/span> for the website owner to spot problem users. Whether it\u2019s someone leaving good reviews for their own survey site, bad reviews for competitors, leaving more than one review for the same site, posting multiple low quality reviews, etc., without the user registering with the reviews site, they can be difficult to detect.<\/p>\n

Even though basic information about the reviewer may be gathered by a comment form or plugin (such as a user\u2019s IP address), hiding behind a basic web proxy can make the rudimentary information these plugins collect, essentially useless.<\/p>\n

Even though it can be annoying to have to become a member of a website before being able to post your review, it\u2019s the mark of a quality website. Think Amazon, Yelp, TripAdvisor \u2013 together, these websites have millions of reviews on them, all from users who took a few minutes to become members of these sites.<\/p>\n

Negative reviews are hard to find<\/h3>\n

\"5Many poor (and biased) directory-style websites will be extremely selective in terms of which reviews are published, and will discard most negative review submissions. Positive reviews can mean an increase in the number of referrals they generate, so it is in their best interest to ensure that survey sites listed in their directory feature mostly positive reviews. Therefore, they will focus on publishing favorable reviews.<\/p>\n

If you notice an absence of negative reviews, be especially wary \u2013 it\u2019s probably best to find a more credible website directory to consult, as without balance, you won\u2019t truly be able to get a real sense of the business being reviewed.<\/p>\n

Suspicious reviews<\/h3>\n

\"PositiveReviews that are a little too enthusiastic, list obscure information that only an employee could be familiar with, etc. are red flags and should be taken with a grain of salt. Many businesses have people on staff whose job it is to leave fake positive reviews for their own business, and negative ones for their competitors. Sometimes the directory website themselves will post fake reviews \u2013 there\u2019s even software out there that can automate the process.<\/p>\n

Remember the old adage \u2013 if it\u2019s too good to be true, it probably is!<\/p>\n

Low quality reviews<\/h3>\n

\"reviewReviews that are extremely short and provide little information, are written poorly, or solely consist of a question, can barely be worth the time it takes to read it. These types of reviews typically also include a star rating for a survey site, and despite its low quality, will count just as much as a review that\u2019s well written.<\/p>\n

Poorly run websites will often publish these reviews (especially when they\u2019re positive), just so they count towards the overall user rating of the business, positively impacting its overall star rating.<\/p>\n

Reviews that are incentivized<\/h3>\n

Many people don’t realize that review websites like TrustPilot allow companies to offer incentives for leaving reviews. Although they disclose this on company listing pages, we all know that providing incentives can skew results to be more positive.<\/p>\n

Ever wonder why so many companies are rated 4 stars or 5 stars on TrustPilot? Be sure to investigate how many of these companies incentivize their reviewers before trusting any of the reviews and the overall star ratings presented on TrustPilot.<\/p>\n

Why are there so many poor-quality reviews, anyway?<\/h3>\n

As creating websites becomes easier and more accessible, more and more people are building websites and posting information online. Whether it\u2019s mommy bloggers, web hobbyists, or people who want in on referral marketing, creating a website is now easier than ever.<\/p>\n

\"Editor'sWith this new-found accessibility, more and more survey taking review sites have popped up. Anyone can create a directory-style website which ranks survey panels<\/a>, GPT sites<\/a>, and other types of businesses. These are then often reviewed by the website itself (aka an “editor’s rating”), and ordered according to highest star rating.<\/p>\n

Although visitors to such websites may contribute their own reviews, because of the selectivity in what is published, and the proliferation of poor quality information, unless the website itself is doing a good job handling the reviews, the information posted may, or may not be of quality.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, despite survey taking existing for over a decade now, every year, there are thousands of people who still fall prey to online survey scams<\/a> and end up sharing their personal information with marketers rather than market research companies. Poor quality review sites are partially to blame.<\/p>\n

You will frequently see the same businesses or services rated the highest across multiple review sites, as advertisers who offer the most lucrative referral programs may conveniently be rated best across the board. Although reading reviews is always a good idea, take note when you start spotting patterns across low quality websites.<\/p>\n

Protect yourself \u2013 keep that grain of salt handy!<\/h2>\n

When reading user reviews on sites that don\u2019t require their users to log in before leaving a review, be sure to take such opinions with a grain of salt. Although some of the information presented may be helpful, ensure you do proper due diligence before joining a survey panel through any directory-style website.<\/p>\n

Things to watch for when reading reviews and consulting review websites:<\/span><\/p>\n