User Reviews driving traffic to this forum...

[Monarch]

I noticed that some online shops allow people to write reviews of their products. Those reviews are then listed and easily found for any particular product.

Is it possible for DV to do the same thing but maybe take it further by encouraging a potential buyer to join the forum, and then be allowed to post a review?

I think it is not much to ask a potential or exisiting DV customer. If someone is already considering taking the time to write a review then they can surely spend much less time registering on this forum first.

I think user reviews of products are a brilliant way to get some really useful feedback on a product before buying it. But asking someone browsing the website (that is about to write a review for instance) to register on the forum first, I think will help dirve more people browsing the DV online shop to this forum.

It could be done this way...

1. Add a write a review button / link to each product on the DV shop. Once a user clicks on that then they are immeadiately taken to the forum registration screen with a message that maybe says..

"Please register here on our forum so that you can write reviews. Only Forum members are allowed to write product reviews. Thanks"

Again I see no reason why one would not want to do that if they already want to take the time to write a review.

The User control Panel on the DV forum could have an area that can be used to track a users written reviews so that visitors to their page can quickly see what gear they use and what write ups they have for them.

AND/OR...

...you could have a dedicated forum for User reviews.

I must say that I am referring to detailed user reviews. That give as much info as poosible about a product following these guidelines for instance...

Hardware

1. Name of the product and current version
2. When you bought the product
3. Why you bought it
4. How much did it cost?
5. Set up and /or installation: Simple / complicated?
6. What do you like about the product?
7. What don’t you like about it
8. Any improvements you would like to suggest for the product
9. How does it compare to similar products out there?
10. Would you buy it again?
11. Pros and cons summary

Software

1. Name of the product and current version
2. When you bought the product
3. Why you bought it
4. How much did it cost?
5. Installation: Simple / complicated?
6. What do you like about it
7. What don’t you like about it
8. Any improvements you would like to suggest for the product
9. How does it compare to similar products
10. Would you buy it again?
11. Pros and cons summary


I have started some threads in these forums that provide reviews of the software and hardware I already have (will by tomorrow end anyway ).

I also set guidelines (see above) for the reviews, not a fixed thing but to help guide any write ups.

If you do set up a user review sub forum then all the threads for reviews can be moved to that thread for easier reference. At least for now they are in the right forums and are tailored (as best as possible) to each area,

I made sure the first few lines of each thread clearly ask anyone interested in reviewing to keep to the focus of the sub forum so that it remains very focused.

Any forum member will know the review thread for that sub forum is only for those things the forum is focused on...


MUSIC EQUIPMENT

Pro Audio
Mixers, mics, outboard, monitors, headphones

Computer Hardware
Audio interfaces, MIDI interfaces, control surfaces, MIDI controllers & USB MIDI keyboards (not motherboards or system components)

Music Software
DAW, sequencers, audio editors, virtual instruments, virtual synths, plugins, effects, scoring software

Keyboards, Modules & Hardware Synths
Synthesizers, workstation keyboards, digital pianos

Drums & Percussion
The place to discuss drum kits, percussion & e-drums

DJ World
Decks, Mixers, MP3 and General DJ Chat

PA Systems & Live sound
PA speakers, mics, monitors, power amps, mixers


GUITARS

Guitar Heaven
The place to discuss Electric and Acoustic guitars

Bass
Getting Bottom Heavy!

Effects Pedals & Amps
Fx pedals, amp sims, pre-amps, bass DI units, combos

Other areas...

Book Reviews: I think dvdan has this covered already.

Lighting: sureno while not 100% requesting a review with guidelines I think this thread is maybe close enough. So I will leave that category to avoid duplication.

Again if a dedicated forum for User reviews is created then these threads can be moved there.

I think user reviews over time will provide a really useful amount of feedback for anyone looking to purchase items on the DV shop.

[sureno]

Excellent idea, i will try and contribute what i can
May I maybe suggest at the end of each review give a rating? 5/5 or 5***** well something like that just thinking out loud?

[e-vinyl]

I will also add some reviews myself really nice idea

[Monarch]

Originally Posted by sureno

May I maybe suggest at the end of each review give a rating? 5/5 or 5***** well something like that just thinking out loud?

Yes absolutely! The guidelines are just that. No hard fast rules. I just wanted to make sure that DV had some structure to the feedback. Buyers are sometimes (if not most of the time) in a hurry and want to see as many products as possible (within reason anyway) in a short space of time.

The guidelines I suggested touch on key aspects most buyers would want to know. If the superb quality of written reviews in response to this thread are anything to go by then the guideline idea definitely worked. It's been really great so far.

I am just happy to read about products I may not have even considered on DV previously because the User review threads I started are getting such excellent write ups. Easy reading with solid user feedback.

Originally Posted by sureno

Excellent idea, i will try and contribute what i can

Your contributions as well as others have been great so far! Real team work thanks! The User Review threads will hopefully make the DV forum and the DV online shop more seamless. Making difficult decisions on products should be much easier now.

Originally Posted by "e-vinyl

I will also add some reviews myself really nice idea

Thanks for the encouragement e-vinyl and for offering to help with some reviews of your own set up...cool!

Another idea I would suggest is that if you guys want to, please feel free to add a link to the product on the DV shop (if it is there).

Cheers!

[sureno]

Originally Posted by Monarch

Another idea I would suggest is that if you guys want to, please feel free to add a link to the product on the DV shop (if it is there).

Cheers!

ALL my pics link back to DV item page, so just click the pic

[Monarch]

Originally Posted by sureno

ALL my pics link back to DV item page, so just click the pic

Nice touch sureno! Thanks for that.

[sureno]

Originally Posted by Monarch

Nice touch sureno! Thanks for that.

Pleasure dude i really enjoyed doing those reviews, Il probably do some more in depth reviews of more main stream stuff but in time, i think the short sharp points idea is good for people to get a rough overview from people "i hope" they can trust

[e-vinyl]

Originally Posted by Monarch

Yes absolutely! The guidelines are just that. No hard fast rules. I just wanted to make sure that DV had some structure to the feedback. Buyers are sometimes (if not most of the time) in a hurry and want to see as many products as possible (within reason anyway) in a short space of time.

The guidelines I suggested touch on key aspects most buyers would want to know. If the superb quality of written reviews in response to this thread are anything to go by then the guideline idea definitely worked. It's been really great so far.

I am just happy to read about products I may not have even considered on DV previously because the User review threads I started are getting such excellent write ups. Easy reading with solid user feedback.



Your contributions as well as others have been great so far! Real team work thanks! The User Review threads will hopefully make the DV forum and the DV online shop more seamless. Making difficult decisions on products should be much easier now.



Thanks for the encouragement e-vinyl and for offering to help with some reviews of your own set up...cool!

Another idea I would suggest is that if you guys want to, please feel free to add a link to the product on the DV shop (if it is there).

Cheers!

Ill edit my stuff to include the rating and link

[conor_j]

Originally Posted by e-vinyl

Ill edit my stuff to include the rating and link

likewise

[TrevCircleStudios]

i think this is a good idea but rather than having, for eg, a single thread with user reviews in each section there is simply a user review section in which people can post their experience of a particular item in a thread

[Monarch]

Originally Posted by TrevCircleStudios

i think this is a good idea but rather than having, for eg, a single thread with user reviews in each section there is simply a user review section in which people can post their experience of a particular item in a thread

Hi Trev . >handshake<

I suggested this in my first post. If I understand you correctly. You mean a new sub forum where anyone can post reviews? I suggested the same thing earlier...

"...you could have a dedicated forum for User reviews"

...totally agree if this is what you mean. The existing User reviews threads can easily be moved to a new forum if need be. The mods could even keep them as is and have them as stickys on each related sub forum that they currently appear in without the need for a new sub forum.

The reason why I started User review threads is because if the mods prefer to not start another sub forum at this point, then keeping User reviews in one thread for a particular forum, is at the moment the easiest way to access any one of the User Reviews quickly and easily.

Judging by the number of Members online every day and much higher number of guests, far more people browse than post, so making things as easy as possible for accessing info is really important (I am sure you agree of course).

If I want to find product reviews on Mixers, mics, outboard, monitors, headphones for instance I would simply head straight to that forum where discussions are already taking place about that but...in the absence of a dedicated User Review forum... a single User review thread also exists with detailed user reviews related to the categories for that forum...

Mixers, mics, outboard, monitors, headphones...

This makes it so easy to get detailed and structured user feedback really fast.

I think a dedicatesd User Review forum may be better (that is why I also suggested it) but until the mods open a sub forum for that (they may prefer not to)...it's far easier IMO to keep User Reviews in one thread. So far as they remain relevant to the forum topics or categories...Music software e.t.c. The sticky option is there.

Anyway that is the thinking behind it, as well as some way to alert people browsing DV's webshop (banner ad, info about reviews in newsletter, or simple prominent link on DV's homepage) to User Reviews.

Being able to provide some kind of hint that leads straight to a User forum would be great. But until then IMO I think the User review threads keep things focused and avoids one having to browse too much for detailed user feedback on various products

[modz1]

Excellent initiative Monarch.. Great to see yet another member grab a concept, launch it, and see it through to fruition. Fantastic to see the input of contributing members too of course!

The topic of 'User Reviews' has already been discussed, even at this Forums initial planning stages - now you guys have created the catalyst yourselves showing us that the demand is there for this concept, I'll see what can be done to crystallize this further.. Well done all

[sphelan]

Monarch, I have made some comments on the product review system if you want to take a look at it:

http://forums.dv247.com/bass/1241-us....html#post9411

[Monarch]

Originally Posted by modz1

Excellent initiative Monarch.. Great to see yet another member grab a concept, launch it, and see it through to fruition. Fantastic to see the input of contributing members too of course!

The topic of 'User Reviews' has already been discussed, even at this Forums initial planning stages - now you guys have created the catalyst yourselves showing us that the demand is there for this concept, I'll see what can be done to crystallize this further.. Well done all

Cheers modz1.

Here is another idea perhaps to put on the DV discussion table if I may...

Not a replacement for User review threads (which I think are quite differrent) but this expands on the dedicated User review forum idea mentioned earlier.

Open review. I have seen this idea work elsewhere quite well.

DV must have a lorry load of industry contacts as a result of your online shop and the products you sell. Surely.

A thread dedicated to one particular product as Trev suggested, is of course very useful (and would serve a different purpose to the User Reviews which I think cater for quick, easy write ups, for buyers in a hurry, very well. There is so much really useful product feedback already (thanks guys).

A dedicated review on the other hand can be somewhere as Trev said ..."people can post their experience of a particular item in a thread" which I agree with but it could be taken further and be used to get feedback *from...developers or manufacturers of the Software or hardware being reviewed*.

Of course this kind of review format would work better for more popular products I think. A suggestion box thread or monthly Poll could be set up to let users post the products they want to be Open reviewed...but with Manufacturer or Dev feedback. It might take time to schedule their involvement so that is why I suggested maybe a monthly poll.

More on the review itself...
The reviewer could break off from the review at any time and answer questions and then go back to a dedicated post with more info on the product. I think the potential for many pages of info is there but the info may be well worth it.

Of course some people would not want to read 3 - 5,10 pages or more before buying and would prefer short and sweet User reviews like we currently have...but...I think some buyers would still be interested in more detailed info.

Structure.
I think developers / manufacturers and users knowing ahead of time, that it's a thread where the thread starter reviews a product specifically, but others bounce of that review, would help. Just to keep things focused.

I say that because having 10 different reviews running for the *same* product (on the *same* thread) would be very difficult to read and follow IMO, but one person running the thread with a feature by feature break down review and others commenting on it, asking more questions e.t.c has the potential to work well I think.

Poll in more detail...
A monthly Poll could be set up to decide what gets reviewed and then once enough people are interested (mods can decide what that number should be before agreeing to Dev Manufacturer input) then a manufacturer or dev can be invited to pop in and answer questions. A hot seat of sorts.

Of course users should still be allowed to start product specific review threads in a dedcated User review forum, but they would not have Manufacturer input. Trev suggested some sort of weighting system...perhaps this would work...

1. Level 1. Open reviews. On a dedicated thread with Manufacturer and dev input. Mods decide what number of votes are needed in a poll before asking for dev / man input.

2. Level 2. User Product specific Reviews: On a dedicated thread but with no Manufacturer /dev input. They can be started by anyone and the format for the thread is really down to the thread starter. i.e 10 people could post their reviews on that same thread (but it is probably not a good idea) up to the thread starter really though.

Not sure if there is a need for level three. Trev's shootout idea, of course should make it into a possible User Review sub forum as well IMO.

Originally Posted by sphelan

Monarch, I have made some comments on the product review system if you want to take a look at it:

http://forums.dv247.com/bass/1241-us....html#post9411

Thanks for the heads up.

[sphelan]

You're giving this a lot of thought Monarch. I admire that. Some good ideas in there. I personally would have no problem reading through 5-10 pages of a review on a single product if the material were useful. In fact, I would prefer something detailed and to the point which convince me to buy a product or might save me money if it's not for me. The only concern I would have is that reviews might be written like those in CM or FM which in my opinion leave an awful lot to be desired and often only serve to fill up pages in the magazine.