Friday, December 13, 2013

Bazaarvoice Looks To Bolster Trust In Online Reviews

Austin-based Bazaarvoice kicked off an effort this week to bolster consumer trust in online reviews, with a new program it calls the Authentic Reviews Trust Mark. Bazaarvoice said it is hoping to help end fake reviews with its effort, which flags consumer reviews that comply with its "authenticity policy". Bazaarvoice said it had linked up with such clients as Samsung, Leapfrog, Whirlpool, and KitchenAid on the program, and has many other national brands who will be online in coming months. The firm said it recently ran a survey where 48 to 50 percent of its respondents believed that one or more of the reviews they had recently read online were fake, despite using those reviews to help make purchase decisions. It also found that more than half of all respondents believe that companies remove negative reviews from their websites. Bazaarvoice's new program revolves around indicating third party management of reviews, use of anti-fraud technology, and preventing self promotion, cherry picking reviews, or automated submissions.