Can a User Review Be Considered a Testimonial?
As part of releasing an updated version of LandlordMax Property Management Software we contact all the shareware sites to let them know about it. In the past we used a service by Rudenko with great success. This time however we decided to try their software RoboSoft and do it ourselves. It’s been a very positive experience and we’ll be purchasing it shortly. In any case, as part of testing out RoboSoft I was randomly looking at some of the sites it submitted LandlordMax to verify it actually worked as expected. At about the third or fourth site I saw the following “User Review“:
“Does not limit you to how many properties that can be entered.
Keeps track of everything even tentants their roommates as well as being able to list every appliance for each property (fridge, oven, dishwasher, water heater, furnace etc.) This is the most comprehensive program that I have been able to find to date! For the price it is a bargain. Most other programs that I have looked at have been less appealing and didnt offer as many features/reports (this one generates hundreds of reports including cash flow for each property!!!) The main advantage that I liked is that the number of properties that can be entered is limitless (as many as you want this program will handle the work load!)”
This is a great user review! To me it’s also a great customer testimonial. Is it really though? Should we use it on our Success Stories and Testimonials webpage? This is my dilemna. What do you think?
· May 20th, 2007 · 4:41 pm · Permalink
It’s hard to gauge how useful this review would be for you, since it sounds like it was submitted anonymously, and the reviewer had no expectation that their critique would be used elsewhere. Also, you’d probably need re-use permission from the site where it was posted. If there was a way that you could get the reviewer’s info and contact them directly about posting their review along with their name, I think that would be more effective than an anonymous review.
· May 22nd, 2007 · 9:07 pm · Permalink
I think you you’re right. For every testimonial we’ve ever had on our Success Stories and Testimonials page we’ve always had prior consent. This would also be the first time we’d be publishing a review anonymously.
I believe that trying to find the reviewer would take time, and maybe it’s not even possible.
Therefore because of all these factors I’ve decided not to publish it on our Success Stories and Testimonials.
Thanks for the feedback!