When making a purchase decision, reviews are a valuable way to gather information. Many people will search for “(product name) review” or similar terms, so product reviews can bring traffic to your website. When you review products for which you are an affiliate, your reviews can also put money in your pocket.

In order for your product reviews to be effective, they must be credible. A review that only raves about the product and does not include any drawbacks is not as useful or believable as one that gives both pros and cons. Of course, if you are earning an affiliate commission on a product you review it is especially important that your review is honest and objective. Writing a hype-y review just to make the sale may earn a few dollars for you today, but you will lose the trust of your readers. That can destroy your business in the long term.

Part of that honesty (and something that is legally required in the U.S.) is that you disclose your affiliate relationship. At the very least the fact that you use affiliate links on your site needs to be in your policies and disclosures page. Ideally, it should be on the same page as the review, or even noted next to any affiliate links.

Here are some tips to make your next product review worthy of five stars: [Read more…]