The 7 Elements of a Product Review

There are 7 elements that go into a great product review:

* Image/Video

* Product Description

* Buyer Description

* Proof

* Negatives

* Call-to-Action

* Keyword Phrase

It’s the merchant’s job to sell the product.  Your job is to pre-sell the product.  A good product review will assist the visitor with their buying decision so that they buy the right product, and feel good about that purchase.

1. Product Image/Video

Always include an image and or video of the product or service that you review.  The visual is more powerful than the words: both together are more powerful than the one.  The picture persuades the reader/viewer to spend a few extra seconds to read your verbal description.  For this class project you can copy an image from Google or from the merchant’s.  For best results, select a picture of someone using your product.  Before-and-After pictures are also effective. 

Want Super results?  Produce a video product review.  Show yourself or a friend ordering, unboxing of physical products and assemblage if required, and using, along with a description of how the product solves a problem.

2. Product Description

Next, describe the product in detail: describe its size, number of pages if it is a book, features, and the ordering process, delivery method and speed, package details, benefits, expected results, your specific results.  People are wary of scams, and of the actual value of a product. They want to know exactly what they’ll get if they order this product today.  Include your personal thoughts and personal experience about the product or the decision to order the product. This helps your reader relate throughout the review, as they are now in the position that you were when you purchased that same product.

3. Buyer Description

Who is this product for? Who is this product NOT for? No one product is a fit for everyone (that’s why we have an entire wall of toothpaste to choose from at the store!) so don’t frame it that way. Be sure to describe the ideal buyer in a way that your reader can easily decide if this is the right product for them - or not.  The point of your product review is to make sure the right people buy the right product.

Example:

IPod4 is completely new. For those of you that have the previous version of iPod in your car, you’ll be getting a completely different communication experience when you purchase the iPod4. It’s not just an updated version, but contains brand new up-to-date marketing strategies and ideas...

4. Proof

There are two types of proof to include in your product review:

a.      Proof that you actually reviewed the product.

b.     Proof that the product works.

People are skeptical of product reviews and believe that product review sites are biased, and that reviews are based on payment or compensation. Your job is to prove that you have the product yourself and have provided an unbiased review.  Proof can be achieved by using photos or video, by describing the product in more detail than can be found on the merchant’s website, mentioning unadvertised bonuses and by addressing the negatives (see next section).  People are also skeptical of results, so you should include proof on how the product works if possible.  This can include images, video or details about your personal results with the product.

5. Inform Your Readers of the Product’s Negatives

Pointing out any negatives with the product itself, or with the ordering process, will make your review objective – and will dramatically increase the ‘believability’ of your product review. If you don’t mention an obvious negative, it will increase skepticism.  Don’t be afraid to tell your readers the negatives! They are probably already worrying about the negatives.  Addressing them provides you with an opportunity to solve that negative for them.  When addressing the negatives, immediately follow that up with the solution or with the reason why the negative didn’t deter YOU from making the purchase.

6. Call-to-Action

Don’t forget this important element! Your call-to-action tells your reader exactly what they should do next, and it needs to contain very specific directions with a smooth transition. For example:

· Ready? Click here for ordering instructions.

· Get free shipping today by ordering through Amazon.com

· Click here to download XYZ.

· Click here to read more consumer reviews on Amazon.

· Get the best deal on ABC by ordering online at XYZ website.

Take a look at the landing page you’ll be sending visitors to from your product review and frame your call-to-action in a way that encourages them to click through and lets them know exactly what to expect when they do.

7. Keyword Phrase

As always, every piece of content that you create on the internet should be optimized for a specific keyword phrase, and reviews are no different. You may be optimizing your review for the actual product, or you may frame your review around a specific problem or need.  Choose your keyword phrase so that you attract the ideal reader.