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Many article websites, including Associated Content, Reviewstream and Ideamarketers, include product reviews. But how to write a product review? What are some of the guidelines that you need to follow to write an effective product review.

Almost any product can be reviewed, from foods to books to satellite TVs. Almost any new product can be reviewed. You can also review classical products. Again, how do you write such a review.

There are many articles on writing book reviews and the guidelines for such a review. But, again, how do you review a product, and any product?

Reviews have to be well-written, they have to express your opinion, they have to be pertinent, and they have to be effective.

What is the purpose of a product review? Usually a product review is to rate the quality of a product, how does it compare with other products–or is it an original product?–and whether or not people should buy the product? What are the virtues of the product? What are the flaws of the product?

There are many types of reviewers. You have the review of the so-called general public and members of the general public, and you also have what are called professional reviews by the so-called experts. Sometimes they have similar opinions and sometimes they have differing opinions.

Usually you don’t consider people “products,” nevertheless the popular show American Idols serves as an example. You have the so-called experts–Randy, Paula, and Simon–reviewing the various candidates for the Americal Idol. Many times they differ. You can pretty much tell how they differ in their opinions. Sometimes they agree. However, they also allow the audience, the general American public to vote. Sometimes they agree with the so-called experts. Sometimes they put forward someone who the experts are amazed at those the general American public selects as their American idol. Sometimes they agree on the same American Idol. Sometimes they disagree.

Certainly, again, human beings are not products. But this American Idol is metaphor for reviewing products.

What are the products that we can review?

What is a review? A review is simply an evaluation of a product.

There are many methods that you can use. You can for example contrast and compare with other products.

For example, if there is a new food on the market. Contrast and compare with other foods of the same variety.

Also, what are you personally looking for in foods?

For example, if you believe in healthy foods. Then this is going to contribute to your evaluation of foods.

Suppose you have to review fast foods, but you believe personally in healthy foods. Then your belief in healthy foods is going to “color” your review. Maybe this is the tastiest food you’ve ever eaten. Great taste. The best taste. Nevertheless, if you personally believe in healthy foods, you’re going to find out the ingredients of that great tasting food. Once you find out the ingredients, even though you tell the readers–if you’re writing for a magazine, for example, or an ezine–that even though this is the best-tasting fast food on the market, nevertheless the ingredients make it so you can not recommend this food, unless in small quantities, mixed with healthier items. You would also recommend that the manufacturer of the food item try to get the same great taste using healthier ingredients. You might even recommend those healthier ingredients as substitutes.

For example, there’s a new soda on the market that now advertises all natural ingredients rather than the previous artificial ingredients. This is certainly commendable, and any reviewer reviewing this new soda would certainly have to compare the taste with the previous version. Is it indeed better flavor along with healthier. If so. Bravo for this new soda. The reviewer might then recommend this new soda to all the other soda. However, the review nevertheless must find out what they mean by “natural.” Are the ingredients truly “natural” or is this just a market ploy like with some of these products. What does the manufacturer mean by “natural”?

Esther Schindler, a professional product reviewer, in her article How to Write a Product Review, states the most important thing for a product reviewer is the reviewer attitude. To quote, “The most important component in a writer’s toolbox is her attitude. At all times, you need to keep in mind that you’re writing for the reader. Not for yourself. Not for the vendor. Not for the editor….. It’s your job to give that reader the most useful advice you can, based on your expertise in the subject area, a thorough understanding of the reader’s needs, and how well this product serves those needs.”

Schindler goes on to say that a common mistake of novice reviewers is to think that the reader is the same as “me.” This is an important point. “This process isn’t about your needs. It’s about your readers’ needs.”

This is an important point, and probably why also the experts on American Idol differ from the “needs” of the general public. But this is another matter.

To go on with Schindler’s “expert advice” on reviewing.

The cares and problems of the reader are important in the review. What’s the level of knowledge and understanding of the reader. How do you explain according to that level of knowledge, given the magazine, journal, or online publication you’re writing for? What type of language do you use?

Since almost all publications target specific types of readers, generally you can find that out easily. Even online markets target certain types of readers. And some markets are more “international” than others.

For example, is the product a local product, a national, an international? For what age group? For example, children’s products. Are you addressing your comments to the children themselves and/or to adults buying the products for their children? Children playing with products and adults buying the products for their children might have different needs and requirements. As for books, books written for a popular audience are very different from those written for an academic audience. For example, should a book review compare a popular novel with James Joyce or Henry James? Is that necessarily the point? Or should a jazz album be compared to classicial music in its musical understanding?

Who is the reader? How savvy is the reader?

For jazz, if you’re writing for a jazz magazine, you assume your readers are pretty savvy about jazz. If you’re writing for a general public that knows very little about jazz, then you have to write a different type of review.

To quote Schindler further, “Also, keep in mind that every product exists in a context. What is it? What other products claim to solve the same problem?”

So we have to think reader. And we have to think context.

You describe the product. You tell how the product is different from the competition.

This is similar to book publishing. Usually a writer must provide the publisher, editor or literary agent not only a description of their book, but how is their book different from every other book on the market.

In a previous article we talked about container gardening. There are many books on container gardening. If you’re writing or reviewing such a book, how is that book different from every other container gardening book on the market. Suppose, for instance, yours is the only container gardening book written for children. Then a publisher, editor, or literary agent might consider your book. Or if there are other container gardeing books written for children, how is yours different and what makes it a greater book than all the others?

These are the essential questions that Schinder says a product review should answer: “What does the product promise? How well does it achieve those goals? Is it a good value? for whom?”

Of course, Schindler says, that before writing the review that you must evaluate the product. In evalutating the product, you must make use of the product. If it’s new software for writing screenplays, then you must make use of the product. If it’s a new soda, you have to drink it and find out how it tastes. If you’re reviewing a restaurant, you have to go to that restaurant, eat the restaurant’s foods, evaluate the restaurant as a restaurant.

According to Schindler, this is not just about “personal appeal” but the significant for the reader. Suppose you like a certain type of restaurant food, but you know most of your readers are not going to? What about books?

If Schindler is indeed correct, there are a lot of reviewers that are not necessarily very professional. Many reviews are “personal appeal” reviews. Many book reviews are that. No matter how “expert” these reviewers. Even for Randy and Paula and Simon? How much is “expert advice” and how much are the needs of the American public for their Idol? As for the entertainment industry, some people just have star quality? They just have the so-called “It” factor. And some of this “It” factor is generational.

Suppose the software for writing screenplay you find easy to use, but know most of your are going to find problems using this software? Then, of course, you have to write of these potential problems of making use of this software that the reader has to be aware of.

Suppose you prefer Mexican food but know most of your readers prefer French cruisine? Should you review too many Mexican restaurants?

Many of these types of questions are pertinent? Or maybe you find a magazine to write for that has readers that appreciate Mexican cruisine?

Not many popular novels, for example, are reviewed in acadmic journals, unless it’s an academic journal of American popular culture.

Schindler also discusses the types of reviews.

For example, the soda.

There’s the review in which you just review that soda.

Another type you compare that soda with all the other sodas on the market.

Another you delve into the technology and history of soda-making.

Another type of review would ask whether or not this soda is a solution to the problem of drinking healthy drinks? For example, because certain schools are no longer including soda in their vending machines, is this the true reason? Maybe all of these soda companies might come up with healthy substitutes for the ingredients in their sodas? Again, is this ethics or the marketplace? Certain consumer demand plays a role in the marketplace.

Also, Schindler does note that certain articles classified as reviews are not reviews. A product announcement is not a review. An opinion piece, similar to an editorial, is not a review.

These type of articles are important, however, they’re not reviews. You need the product announcements. You also need the articles about a personal opinion/point of view about a product. Nevertheless, these are not necessarily professional reviews.

For example, when there are movie debuts. There’s announcements, personal opinions of many different people, and then there are the so-called expert reviewers. Asking moviegoers their personal opinions about movies is not necessarily a review. People should not confuse “box office appeal” with the greatness of a movie or an entertainer or a product. Nevertheless, all of these types of writings are important in the introduction of a product to the marketplace.

Writers must tell the difference and readers must also tell the difference.

Let’s say writers want to fulfill the call for content on product reviews or on celebrities like Jennifer Lopez or Angelina Jolie.

What is the category of that review? Personal opinion? Editorial opinion? Is it a true review? A true professional review?

If you’re just writing about the personal appeal of a product or a celebrity (product?) then it should be an editorial not an “article.” Not a review.

So you evaluate the product, you think of all these questions. Then you write the review. Most reviews, however, are a combination of the personal appeal, the importance for the reader, and an effort at objective and factual (including researched) information.

Schindler gives the structure of reviews from the introductory paragraph which also includes whether you like the product, then your details with product description, your likes and dislikes, how the product works, etc. Included in your conclusion is “is this [product] worth the money?” Since products are to be purchased in this buy and sell economy, then of course the principle resolution is should you pay your good money for this product?

That’s the same as movie reviews. Should you pay your good money to see this movie?

The same with these American Idols. Should you pay your good money to buy their albums, to go to a show in which they’re the lead attraction?

The same for these American Inventors. Should you pay your good money for their inventions?

What is a product? A product is something to be purchased. So, of course, the conclusion must involve, should you pay your good money for this new soda?

What is good about a product? What is unique? What is interesting? What makes you want to buy this product? Why should you buy this product?

These are the questions for products.

These are the guidelines offered by bizrate.com in their product reviews:

1. Focus your review on the product. Try to avoid comments that are off-topic.
2. Explain why you do or don’t recommend this product.
3. Stick to the facts. We encourage your opinions but when stating a fact, try to be as accurate as possible.
4. Please do not use offensive language.
5. Please do not include URLs in your review.
6. Be thorough and use proper grammar, spelling, capitalization, and punctuation.

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Read the Schindler article for the basics in writing a professional review. Do you agree or disagree? Also, generally reviewers, like Randy, and Paula, and Simon must also include their credentials, why they’re qualified to present this evaluation of these American Idol? And why they are qualified to tell you what to do with your “hard-earned money?”