Now THIS is a Review Site
By Anna Johnson on September 6th, 2008Not too long ago, Mike Filsaime promoted his “Review Crusher” software – software designed to enable everyone and their dog to set up a “review” website or, more accurately, an affiliate marketing website in the guise of a site offering product and service reviews.
There’s certainly nothing wrong, per se, with this kind of business model – and apparently there are marketers making tons of money with it. But if more and more affiliates are going to set up such review sites… I have to wonder about the longevity of those sites with a weak implementation.
Chances are, more and more consumers will start tuning out when they realize that all those review sites are really just trying to push their favored affiliate products, rather than offer honest, helpful reviews and advice. (And those affiliates implementing Review Crusher and similar software in “cookie cutter” fashion are likely to fare even worse.)
But that doesn’t mean a consumer review business model can’t work. In fact, the plethora of faux review sites may intensify the demand for genuine, objective product and service reviews.
And that’s a key reason why a business such as Angie’s List – an online subscription-based service that lets consumers share their ratings of local service providers – has grown into such a hugely successful business.
Angie’s List has attracted more than 330,000 paid members and expanded into 124 cities around the United States. Members post more than 40,000 reviews a month, and the site accepts only limited advertising from vendors.
MarketingSherpa recently profiled Angie’s List. Some of the reasons why the business has thrived despite so much free competition are:
- steadfastly insisting on staying reliable and independent;
- supplementing user-generated content with editorial content and value-added services;
- expanding the breadth of local services it covers; and
- using metrics and testing to making ongoing improvements.
None of this is rocket science – yet it seems to escape those who jump on the latest “online bizop” and then wonder why they’re”business” doesn’t last. Take a leaf out of Angie’s List: build a business that delivers real value and you’re likely to prosper.
