How To Write An Online Review
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Fiona Hilliard
Fiona Hilliard is a blogger for car hire company http://ArgusCarHire.com , she regularly writes for the Argus Car Hire Reviews section of their blog and is a guest poster on multiple travel blogs By Fiona Hilliard
Published on 11/23/2009
Want to review something for your blog or website? Not too sure about how to write it? This article will teach you how to formulate an online review
Curious about the new Twilight film? Want to know what other fans thought about your favourite band in concert? Need to research a new car/phone/stereo/camera?
What would we do without review sites?
Review sites are what make or break any brand. In a world of 5 star ratings and angry, frown-y faces, online reviews are what stop you from booking into a dingy hotel, eating at an over-priced restaurant or purchasing a cheap (but outdated) laptop. On the flipside, it's worth remembering that a rave review has the power to get you off the sofa and down to the local cinema complex.
But what about sitting down and writing a review yourself? If you're eager to share your opinions, the following tips should help you get your point across:
When writing an online review, you should always think about what the reader will want to know. You could write the funniest, most outrageous article but if it doesn't contain the vital statistics about the product, place, film, band, your reader won't hang around for long. The trick is to cut yourself out of the piece, who cares that you were tired, had a long day or found a stray dog on the way home? They want to hear about the price, the dimensions, the speed, and well, depending on the subject, the atmosphere and how to get there. This is what separates review writing from writing for a blog.
You should keep your writing simple too. Nobody is going to be impressed that you were able to come up with 24 different ways to say you hated a film. While we're on the subject of language, try to avoid using cliches. Describing a romantic chick-flick as a real "tear-jerker" doesn't quite get the same message across as telling the reader that the film packed an unexpected emotional punch.
There's no point being vague either. Explain exactly what you mean by a statement. If you think a product is shoddy, tell the reader why you feel this way. What in particular made you think like this? Was it the design? Does it represent bad value for money? Is it not what you expected? Did the advertising/ trailer/poster talk it up too much?
You should always make an effort to put the product/band in context. How does it rate against competitors - is it cheaper? Better? Faster? It is definitely worth doing a little research on this one. It will give your review a much greater sense of authority.
Finally, before you take the step of posting your review. Ask yourself what makes it different from every other review out there. Why would people want to link to it? Have you made an interesting discovery about the plotline that nobody else seems to have picked up on? Is there a potentially dangerous fault with the product? Do you have some exclusive breaking news about the small-time band you saw playing last night - has a huge record company just signed them?
What would we do without review sites?
Review sites are what make or break any brand. In a world of 5 star ratings and angry, frown-y faces, online reviews are what stop you from booking into a dingy hotel, eating at an over-priced restaurant or purchasing a cheap (but outdated) laptop. On the flipside, it's worth remembering that a rave review has the power to get you off the sofa and down to the local cinema complex.
But what about sitting down and writing a review yourself? If you're eager to share your opinions, the following tips should help you get your point across:
When writing an online review, you should always think about what the reader will want to know. You could write the funniest, most outrageous article but if it doesn't contain the vital statistics about the product, place, film, band, your reader won't hang around for long. The trick is to cut yourself out of the piece, who cares that you were tired, had a long day or found a stray dog on the way home? They want to hear about the price, the dimensions, the speed, and well, depending on the subject, the atmosphere and how to get there. This is what separates review writing from writing for a blog.
You should keep your writing simple too. Nobody is going to be impressed that you were able to come up with 24 different ways to say you hated a film. While we're on the subject of language, try to avoid using cliches. Describing a romantic chick-flick as a real "tear-jerker" doesn't quite get the same message across as telling the reader that the film packed an unexpected emotional punch.
There's no point being vague either. Explain exactly what you mean by a statement. If you think a product is shoddy, tell the reader why you feel this way. What in particular made you think like this? Was it the design? Does it represent bad value for money? Is it not what you expected? Did the advertising/ trailer/poster talk it up too much?
You should always make an effort to put the product/band in context. How does it rate against competitors - is it cheaper? Better? Faster? It is definitely worth doing a little research on this one. It will give your review a much greater sense of authority.
Finally, before you take the step of posting your review. Ask yourself what makes it different from every other review out there. Why would people want to link to it? Have you made an interesting discovery about the plotline that nobody else seems to have picked up on? Is there a potentially dangerous fault with the product? Do you have some exclusive breaking news about the small-time band you saw playing last night - has a huge record company just signed them?