Re: [IxDA Discuss] User reaction to a lack of ratings and reviews
On Jul 14, 2009, at 8:32 AM, Michael Etgen wrote: Does anyone know of any academic or industry research that addresses how users react-to/perceive products on a site when there is a function displayed for ratings/reviews, but none (or maybe just 1) have been completed? We've been talking about it. I mentioned it in this presentation: http://is.gd/1wndV (The specifics you're interested start about slide 26.) Basically, we've found there's a negative reaction that users have when the review or rating system isn't populated or is only filled with negative reviews or ratings. Our current thinking is that you only want to have a review/rating system if you are sure folks will participate. When we studied Amazon's reviews, we estimated that for the average product, it takes 1300 purchases to generate a review. If you want 20 reviews for your most popular products and you run at an average conversion rate of 2%, we estimate you need 1,300,000 visitors to the product to succeed. On low volume sites, you have to resort to other strategies to encourage reviewing & rating. Hope that helps, Jared Jared M. Spool User Interface Engineering 510 Turnpike St., Suite 102, North Andover, MA 01845 e: jsp...@uie.com p: +1 978 327 5561 http://uie.com Blog: http://uie.com/brainsparks Twitter: @jmspool Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] User reaction to a lack of ratings and reviews
On Jul 15, 2009, at 3:52 PM, Diana Wynne wrote: Yelp's "firsts" do reward a certain kind of competitive behavior. It doesn't mean those people's opinions are particularly reliable. You're right that individual people's opinions aren't particularly reliable, but the system tends to self correct. In our work, we've noticed that when people see a review they don't agree with, they are more motivated to review than if they see reviews they do agree with. So, if the first reviewers skew away from the average beliefs, it will eventually populate in the direction that matches the average. Jared Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] User reaction to a lack of ratings and reviews
Well, the particular angle I'm thinking about here is more of the shopper evaluating products versus a customer coming back to rate/review. Are there particular behavior patterns we see when a shopper finds a product with no reviews/ratings that "looks good"? If the same product has ample ratings/reviews elsewhere but not here, what is the user's perception (this site stinks or is untrustworthy?) and how does it affect their behavior? If the same product has few or no ratings/reviews at all anywhere, then what's my perception/behavior? - Michael . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=43730 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] User reaction to a lack of ratings and reviews
I'd rather see a blank than read a review that was only written to solve a UI problem. Yelp's "firsts" do reward a certain kind of competitive behavior. It doesn't mean those people's opinions are particularly reliable. Diana On Wed, Jul 15, 2009 at 9:31 AM, adrian chan wrote: > Jason, > > Not sure I like the zappos approach. Visually, i would prefer to have the > ratings even if they're "blank." For consistency's sake ;-) (If > consistency isn't desired for its own sake, then for what else?) Now that's > just a visual argument. In terms of what it indicates, the lack of ratings > to me indicates the same thing as an unrated rating. So I dont see how > they've solved that in any way: no ratings here, next to all the other shoes > that do have ratings, just says "no rating" ... Or so it seems to me. To me > absence of the ratings can be noise -- when something seems to be missing, > isnt that the same kind of noise as something that's not yet filled out? > > We're splitting hairs, but that's what we do well. > > On a side note, this opens a back door to social interaction design and > social usability matters: A ratings system has two social functions: to > encourage the act of rating by user; to display average ratings. > Interestingly, my suggestion favors the former; yours I think favors the > latter. My suggestion is to leave ratings in there -- we want user to rate > -- and if needs be then have one user rate just to seed the activity. Your > suggestion is to remove it because it doesnt show anything, which is totally > valid and true. > > How would we design a principle here? If the input element also provides a > social connotation, which function prevails? The call to action or the > display of data? > > Personally this is why I think a lot of social design elements introduce > social bias and distortion : input mechanisms are the display mechanisms > also. But that's another topic > > thoughts? > > adrian > > >> With regards to hiding ratings: >> >> Zappos, for instance, hides the ratings on the search results page, >> until the shoe has been rated. >> >> http://www.quicksnapper.com/files/1946/5248341084A5DFBFF1CD89_m.png >> >> Being consistent for the sake of consistency isn't a good reason to >> be consistent. Hiding the ratings in this case for unrated shoes >> reduces the noise on the page. This is helpful, and well done, I >> think. >> >> Cheers, >> >> Jason R. >> > > > Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! > To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org > Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe > List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines > List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help > Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] User reaction to a lack of ratings and reviews
Jason, Not sure I like the zappos approach. Visually, i would prefer to have the ratings even if they're "blank." For consistency's sake ;-) (If consistency isn't desired for its own sake, then for what else?) Now that's just a visual argument. In terms of what it indicates, the lack of ratings to me indicates the same thing as an unrated rating. So I dont see how they've solved that in any way: no ratings here, next to all the other shoes that do have ratings, just says "no rating" ... Or so it seems to me. To me absence of the ratings can be noise -- when something seems to be missing, isnt that the same kind of noise as something that's not yet filled out? We're splitting hairs, but that's what we do well. On a side note, this opens a back door to social interaction design and social usability matters: A ratings system has two social functions: to encourage the act of rating by user; to display average ratings. Interestingly, my suggestion favors the former; yours I think favors the latter. My suggestion is to leave ratings in there -- we want user to rate -- and if needs be then have one user rate just to seed the activity. Your suggestion is to remove it because it doesnt show anything, which is totally valid and true. How would we design a principle here? If the input element also provides a social connotation, which function prevails? The call to action or the display of data? Personally this is why I think a lot of social design elements introduce social bias and distortion : input mechanisms are the display mechanisms also. But that's another topic thoughts? adrian With regards to hiding ratings: Zappos, for instance, hides the ratings on the search results page, until the shoe has been rated. http://www.quicksnapper.com/files/1946/5248341084A5DFBFF1CD89_m.png Being consistent for the sake of consistency isn't a good reason to be consistent. Hiding the ratings in this case for unrated shoes reduces the noise on the page. This is helpful, and well done, I think. Cheers, Jason R. Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] User reaction to a lack of ratings and reviews
Adrian, With regards to hiding ratings: Zappos, for instance, hides the ratings on the search results page, until the shoe has been rated. http://www.quicksnapper.com/files/1946/5248341084A5DFBFF1CD89_m.png Being consistent for the sake of consistency isn't a good reason to be consistent. Hiding the ratings in this case for unrated shoes reduces the noise on the page. This is helpful, and well done, I think. Cheers, Jason R. -- Jason Robb http://jasonrobb.com http://uxboston.com http://uiscraps.tumblr.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=43730 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] User reaction to a lack of ratings and reviews
As a user, I typically dont go and start rating - depending on my mood, time available, usefulness of the content etc on product pages. Also I have seen many users who do a "random" rating just to complete a process without giving away the actual feel/usefulness of the product. The other way I can think of is to display how many people have visited the page and the time that they have spent on the page. Even though they may not have rated the product, this measure could be a good indicator on how many people visit and time that they may have spent on the page. This data can be tinkered to assess the content etc and decide if the product page, its description etc was in fact readable or useful. Hope this helps. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=43730 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] User reaction to a lack of ratings and reviews
As Adrian mentions, seeding is a bit unethical, as the reviews aren't authentic. (keeping reviews authentic is an ongoing problem all the time, however) Another idea is to reward first reviewing behavior. So, give people a special badge on their profile when they review an item first. Yelp does this for business reviews. You can see an example here: http://www.yelp.com/user_details?userid=AgzHzIzC6ZHTKgker0egAg Notice that this person has 50 "firsts". (in the left-hand column) This method has several positive effects. 1) It gets the item in the database (hugely important for user- generated content sites like Yelp) 2) It gets a review active for that item (thus getting over the hurdle in question) 3) It rewards users in a unique way (people recognize this distinction as different than a simple review). This method is a win-win for both the site and users. Josh On Jul 15, 2009, at 9:48 AM, adrian chan wrote: Another option is to have somebody go through and review each item once. I know it seems disingenuous, but frankly it's the solution most often used. Hiding the ratings until you have one results in UI inconsistency. The problem you're having has to do with user participation -- sometimes you just need to seed the site and userbase. adrian One possible solution could be to only show the stars or reviews when you have 1 or more. As in, don't even show the header "Reviews" unless you actually have some. That way you can provide value when you have it, and avoid giving the impression that nobody is home when you don't have ratings/reviews. Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] User reaction to a lack of ratings and reviews
Another option is to have somebody go through and review each item once. I know it seems disingenuous, but frankly it's the solution most often used. Hiding the ratings until you have one results in UI inconsistency. The problem you're having has to do with user participation -- sometimes you just need to seed the site and userbase. adrian One possible solution could be to only show the stars or reviews when you have 1 or more. As in, don't even show the header "Reviews" unless you actually have some. That way you can provide value when you have it, and avoid giving the impression that nobody is home when you don't have ratings/reviews. Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] User reaction to a lack of ratings and reviews
Micheal, That's a good question. As far as solid research goes, I haven't come across it, though I'll keep my eyes open. Wearing my user hat, if I saw 0 stars/0 reviews everywhere, I would probably get the impression that this site doesn't have a community. I'm having a similar challenge at my company (http://languageinternational.com). We don't have reviews or ratings yet, but we do have a few testimonials. One possible solution could be to only show the stars or reviews when you have 1 or more. As in, don't even show the header "Reviews" unless you actually have some. That way you can provide value when you have it, and avoid giving the impression that nobody is home when you don't have ratings/reviews. Good luck, Jason R. -- Jason Robb http://jasonrobb.com http://uxboston.com http://uiscraps.tumblr.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from ixda.org (via iPhone) http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=43730 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
[IxDA Discuss] User reaction to a lack of ratings and reviews
Does anyone know of any academic or industry research that addresses how users react-to/perceive products on a site when there is a function displayed for ratings/reviews, but none (or maybe just 1) have been completed? I've looked through a number of papers/articles and have yet to see that particular issue addressed. Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
