The Age of the Internet has really changed how and where we get our information about products. Before computers and social media websites were invented, most people would ask friends or family members for advice before they would buy a product. He or she might take weeks or even months looking in different stores or calling around to see whether or not they should make their purchase. Nowadays you can sit at your computer and have what use to take weeks and even months available to you at the click of a button. Blogging has become the “phone a friend” technique for the 21st Century.
When consumers are shopping on the internet they are able to view multiple reviews written by consumers that have purchased that specific product. The reviews sometimes clearly and simply illustrate how the blogger feels about the product by showing thumbs up or thumb down and can range to a full list of the product’s pros and cons. Of course this is all dependent on the person who is writing the blog and that they are not simply blogging to complain about a product. There are pros and cons to relying only on blogs for opinions about products. As mentioned earlier those who are blogging might be the extreme opinions involving those who loved the product and those that hated it. The fact that they have extreme opinions could overshadow the everyday opinion about the true usefulness of the product. I believe that as long as you look at multiple blogs and other resources then you can weight out any potential bias. Personally I enjoy blog reviews because I believe consumers are more reliable then the reviews on the product’s website. As part of marketing, I am sure a lot of the reviews on the product websites are very positive and illustrate the product in a positive light. Consumers, however, are more likely to give their honest opinions about pros and cons. I know I would trust a consumer that recently purchased a product and wrote an honest review of how the product worked. A lot of rookie consumers seem to fall in this trap and trust that what the company is saying about the product is the truth. But think about it? They want to sell it to you because it’s their product. The positive in all of this is that now reviews are easily available to any customer that takes the time to turn on their laptop. Not only can they save money in the process but they also save time having to make a return of a product that they ended up not being pleased with anyway.
I have never been a huge fan of blogging, or even the idea of blogging. When I joined this class and saw we had to have our own blog, I was somewhat disappointed. There are so many blog out there that are inaccurate or pointless, they just cause confusion to the reader, especially blogs about online products. However, there have been some pluses to using blogging as a form of social networking. I have learned about many different topics and received comments and feedback on certain subjects. I do not know if I would personally use blogging as my first choice of networking or research, but I understand how it can be useful to those who are avid bloggers.
ReplyDeletePositive perceptions are exciting news if the reviews are big enough. The real area to focus on is the negative consumer perceptions towards brands within blogs. This is important in order to show how the organization should step up if their is an issue. For every negative comment hundreds of positive ones but negatives stick out further. A companies strategy would be to show full concern and take care of the negative influence and show motivation to do so in order to flourish with great consumer relationships through social media.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the position that many blogs can be skewed to the point that the information in the blogs are almost worthless. So, where do we draw the line, or determine if the information is accurate. I like your statement that a consumer must check company websites, consumer protection sites and multiple blogs if necessary to make informed decisions. This also creates a headache for companies, as they try to put the most positive light on their brands, and monitor social mediums to find way to enhance their image on the internet.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you. In order to form the best opinion about a product, it's important to get feedback from an unbiased source. Consumers provide that, and blogs are an excellent place for them to voice that opinion. Personally, I have gone to blogs and message boards several times when I am trying to make a decision about buying a product. The only downside is having to sift through reviews that don't have relevant information to me.
ReplyDelete