I admit it; I’m just not interested enough in my toaster to leave a review for others. My intuition tells me that I’m probably not alone; there are few things about my toaster that compel me to share my experience with others.
Statistically, a very small percentage of any web community will take the time to leave explicit feedback for anything on a website. Most web visitors represent a “silent majority” who regularly engage with a website but do not necessarily feel passionate enough about a particular product to share their opinion with others. As a result, the power of communicating sentiment regarding products is left to the vocal minority of a web community that will take the time to actually leave ratings and reviews.
An alternative method for delivering a more “balanced” and “representative” form of personalization would be to utilize implicit heuristics which factor in 100% of a visitor’s browsing experience. Implicit systems do not require visitors to explicitly rate or review anything; instead, they deliver personalization by simply observing implicit usage heuristics such as behavioral patterns or interactions exhibited during a site experience which communicates genuine engagement and interaction with particular products.
The reality is that most products do not inspire legions of visitors to contribute ratings or reviews in the hopes of finding love, fortune, and glory. The reality is that if someone is selling toasters, appliances, and most other “everyday” products, a more comprehensive and useful approach to personalization may be involve letting actions speak louder than words.
Powered by Compendium Blogware
Comments for Where ratings and reviews fall short; “I’m just not that passionate about my toaster.”