You may recall that last year Wal-Mart tried to create a MySpace-styled community site. Boy, that didn’t work out too well, as chronicled by this short, funny article. http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20061003/074614.shtml
Well, the fine folks from Arkansas are back in the consumer-generated world with a vengeance, and an idea that will most probably turn out a lot better for them. Seeing the number of unique visitors to their on-line commerce site surpassed by rivals such as Target, Wal-Mart just announced that they will begin to allow consumers to post reviews of products on their site. This is smart for a couple of reasons.
Companies from Amazon to Petco have discovered that these consumer reviews improve sales and customer loyalty significantly. It makes the on-line retail experience seem more honest. And even the occasional negative review (positive reviews significantly outnumber negative ones—seven to one according to one source) only adds to the feeling that the site wants you to get the best possible product for your needs.
The other reason this makes sense is that those all-important search engine spiders put a heavy emphasis on unique content, making it more likely that Wal-Mart’s specific product pages could move up in search engine results.
There is a lesson here for all CPG companies. Consumers want to talk about your products, and they are going to have more opportunity to do so. So let’s encourage them to share their thoughts on our product sites. Heck, at the very least it’ll be cheaper than all those focus groups you paid for last year.
1 response so far ↓
greg // July 24, 2007 at 3:15 am |
The subject of this article is exactly why I created iQmer.com. First, iQmer is not consumer reports. It is “web-based word of mouth” which means it is not as much about rating and ranking as it is about having access to the opinions and advice of others within a circle of influence. Right now iQmer is just being launched so we are focusing on content. Our meditate development plans include iQmmunities. This will be a profile link tools that allows people to link friends and family profiles. Invitations and requests to link with other profiles will also be available. Finally, the search functionality of the site will soon allow searches based on profile data. In summation, the difference between iQmer and any other review website is:
#1: iQmer is not trying to sell anything other than the fact we are all MUCH smarter and much more efficient through collective consumer intelligence. We are also not trying to induce reviews with any payments or revenue sharing plans because that seems to alter motives and lead to irrelevance.
#2: A massive collection of rated reviews can be a little helpful. A selective collection of rated reviews can be more helpful. A local network of reviews from trusted friends, family and acquaintances is very helpful. Having access to a massive collection of rated reviews, a selective collection of rated reviews and 24/7 access to reviews and advice from a local network of friends, family and acquaintances in a very user-friendly, pragmatic format that allows and promotes easy analysis and comparison…That goes beyond helpful…That is advantageous, valuable and time saving. That is iQmer.