Very simply, reviews increase conversion rates.  And several studies point to the fact that, yes, even negative reviews help.

It all boils down to credibility.  Customer reviews simply have more credibility than your sales copy, so they inspire more confidence in the buyer.  And negative reviews lend credibility to the review process itself, standing as visible proof that the reviews are not edited.

Makes sense right?  Sure it does, until you find yourself staring at the (perceived) ability…

...continue to read "You Can’t Edit Your Way Out of Negative Reviews"

Hot on the heels of a recent comScore report, we hear the interesting news that product videos views are up some 40%, year-over-year basis last October.  Now, that was done on a single rather small sample, but still this speaks to the increasing influence video will exert on product marketing online.

We’ve commented any number of times on GrokDotCom that rampant poor product imagery represents a consistent loss of sales for online businesses. Most retailers just end up using the low-quality,…

...continue to read "Video Views Up, When Will Sales Follow?"

A San Francisco chiropractor, Steven Biegel, has sued Christopher Norberg over negative reviews he published on Yelp, the Web site that rates businesses, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. In his review, Norberg criticized Biegel’s billing practices and said the chiropractor was being dishonest with insurance companies.

When the chiropractor complained about the review, Norberg replaced it with a new entry a few weeks later that said:

“I think that he is trying to scare me into removing a negative post (that…

...continue to read "Yelp Reviewer Lands in Court"

The latest trend in online retail…..Brett Hurt, CEO of Bazaarvoice just sent an email out to his advisors with Paris Hilton in the subject line. I was surprised and CURIOUS, but of course, it was totally appropriate and completely business related. Are you curious too?

Hmmm, I wonder if her name triggered some sp*m filters.

Check out this Paris Hilton Celebrity Review and let me know who you think will be next

...continue to read "Paris Hilton, Yes, Paris Hilton"

Let’s see, um, well. . . I’m thirty. . . Make that twenty-nine. . . I enjoy sushi. Except octopus; the suction cups freak me out. I love long walks on the beach, especially with my dogs — which is fun since Natasha loves to terrorize Yorkies and Boris likes to roll in seagull poop.

My idea of a good time is curling up with a soy protein shake and reading about neurology, quantum physics, or Harry Potter. I think I’m…

...continue to read "Is there a Dating Profile Doctor in the House?"

Book Review: Marketing in the In-Between I have a confession to make. I’m a geek. Really. If I were a guy, I’d have a pocket protector.

I was reminded of this on a recent plane ride when my seat-mates were reading the latest James Patterson book, The Memory Keeper’s Daughter and You: On a Diet. I had my usual pile of books, including Playing the Quantum Field, The Female Brain, 50 Psychology Classics and Marketing in the In-Between: A Post Modern…

...continue to read "Data Can Tell You ‘What’ People are Doing, Not ‘Why’"

Books are hard to sell; trust me as a two-time NY Times best-selling author I speak with some authority on this subject. Guy Kawasaki sold me a book, with his review, I wasn’t really sure that I cared to read. He showed the picture you see and he provided fifteen excerpts from Founders at Work by Jessica Livingston to make the sale. So couldn’t I have read a little bit of it in a book store or online? Weren’t there other…

...continue to read "Founders at Work – Sold!"