Ratings and reviews

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Introduction 
User contribution 
Ratings and reviews 
Tagging 
Editorial control 
User-generated content 
Social networking 
Implications 

Customers have been contributing and relying on ratings and reviews for years, from Amazon’s product reviews to eBay’s seller ratings. This feedback mechanism enables users to talk back to you and to each other, and it creates instant credibility for sites that expose honest user opinions. Increasingly, users trust the wisdom of the crowd and reward these sites with their loyalty.

Some companies are turning one-way user feedback into a two-way dialogue by responding to reviews. Eastern Mountain Sports encourages customer reviews and responds to complaints with authenticity and action. Not only can a reply to a user review improve that customer’s experience, but others will see this genuine dialogue as well and become more likely to stick around.

What would your customers want to rate or review? Products or content are the most likely opportunities. Other options include people, places, companies, events, topics and site features. Users are likely already sharing opinions about your company somewhere; wouldn’t you rather have that feedback occur in an environment where you can participate and engage customers in a conversation?

Next: Tagging