reblog: How Peer Review Sites Overcome Information Overload

In the age of information, we’re starting to face a new reality. There is such a thing as too much data. Each day, consumers are exposed to between 4,000 and 10,000 brand messages.This overconsumption is overwhelming us and contributing to distrust among people. Leading PR firm Edelman reported the largest-ever drop in trust between in their 2017 Trust Barometer, reporting trust in businesses dropped from 45% in 2016 to 33% in 2017.

These changes are impacting the way businesses are making purchasing decisions. Research by Forrester shows organizations have increased the number of decision makers involved in a single purchasing process, and we now prefer to do most of our research online prior to engaging with an organization. More specifically, 60% of decision makers prefer not to interact with a sales rep as the primary source of information. As much as 68% prefer to conduct online research instead of speaking with a company representative. And, 62% even develop short lists based on online research alone.

So, where are people spending most of their researching time online? The 2018 Edelman Trust Barometer reports the top 3 sources of information include (1) technical experts, (2) academic experts, and (3) a person like yourself. Hence, it’s not surprising to see the rise of industry analysts, expert research, and business software review sites.

Even among peer reviews and review site content, decision makers often struggle to determine which sources are most credible. Are review sites “pay to play?” Are people sharing fake reviews? Who decides what vendors are included in research? Here are some things to look out for when reading peer reviews or reports from peer review sites.

Peer Review Sites Publish Methodologies

Prior to looking at vendor comparisons on a review site, do some research. Does the site publish their methodologies to the public? Are they easy to find? Do they make sense to you. If the methodologies are so complicated you don’t understand them, perhaps another site is best for comparing vendors. Additionally, just because a site says they care about “transparency” doesn’t mean they actually are transparent. Ask yourself whether the site offers specifics into their methodologies or just says they have a “proprietary algorithm” so they can’t share any details.

PRO TIP: Leading business software review sites Trust Radius and G2 Crowdpublish their scoring methodologies publicly for visitors to understand how they rate vendors and how vendors are incorporated into their TrustMaps, lists, and Buyer’s Guides. G2 Crowd’s are published here. Notice how specific these sites get when it terms of scoring methods? Notice how much detail they go into to help readers understand their vendor comparisons? Notice how easy to digest they are? These are great resources!

How Peer Review Sites Validate Reviews

There are plenty of ways to determine product use. For example, some sites like Trust Radius and G2 Crowd ask for proof of use via screen shots. They also require reviewers login with a company email address or a LinkedIn profile. These methods ensure reviewers are who they say they are and are using products they review.

PRO TIP: One way to find out if these verification methods are encouraged is to leave a review yourself! If you’re taking the survey and find yourself having to complete these verification methods, you have your answer.

How to Spot Fake Customer Reviews

 Unfortunately, nothing is sacred anymore. CBS News reports roughly 30% of Amazon reviews are fake or unreliable. We haven’t seen a terrible amount of fake reviews in the business software review site space, especially on the sites that leverage strong verification methods as discussed above. However, there are a couple ways to determine whether reviews were written by product users.

Read the full article on LinkedIn.