Before the internet and online platforms came along, people shared reviews by word-of-mouth. They depended on personal tips from friends, family, and people they knew to get info about products and services.
Local papers and magazines were other ways to learn about a product. These methods worked well back then, but they had their limits.
The internet boom in the late 1900s opened a new way for buyers to share their thoughts and feelings. Online forums and message boards started reviewing products and services; these eventually gave rise to websites solely designed for reviewing.
Reviews now play a vital role in every business and brand to build online reputation. That is why many brands and businesses buy Google reviews from any trusted company to boost the GMB account instantly and reach a wider audience.
But how did reviews become such powerful tools for businesses and consumers? Let’s explore the history of online reviews.
The First Online Reviews
The first online reviews appeared in 1999 on such sites like eBay, where people were buying and selling products and services. A few dedicated review websites, such as Epinions, RateItAll, and Deja, also emerged.
These sites accumulate tons of reviews on various types of products and services, the majority of which focused on entertainment-related items. In 2001, the Yellow Pages and City Search jumped on the bandwagon, adding a space for customers to review local businesses.
Merging Of Small Companies Into Big Corporates
Initially, there were online Usenet groups, like private chatrooms, where people could discuss anything, including shopping. In 1999, these groups became a place for shoppers to compare companies and products, leaving reviews and comments for others to see.
Fast-forward to the early 2000s, and large corporations like Google recognized just how critical these online review spaces were becoming. Google bought the Deja Usenet group with its search technology and opened it up so that finally everyone could be part of the conversation.
Similarly, another company, DealTime, acquired Epinions, which was an online review site. These larger companies knew that they needed to have these very reviews all on one place so that shoppers could easily research information before making a purchase.
In much the same way that small shops sometimes merge into larger stores, these review websites came together under the same ownership of larger companies.
The Widgets Were Introduced
In 2007, two companies, RateItAll and MuseStorm teamed up to create widgets. Widgets are small tools that companies could set on their websites.
If a company is using a widget then it can flash a list of positive reviews taken from RateItAll on to its website. This is very useful because potential customers who want to make a purchase can have easy access to such reviews without having to search for them.
It was like a little badge that said, “Look at all the good things people said about us!”
The Response Feature Was Introduced
In 2009, Yelp added a feature that businesses can also respond to customers’ reviews. Now, both the people who left the review, and the businesses can talk with one another.
It was a new way to discuss products and services. Now, businesses could apologize if something went wrong or explain why something happened.
They wanted to keep their good name, even if mistakes were made. Some of those who wrote reviews felt that the business had answered them. Some even showed contradictory feelings about this tool. Overall, this was a big change!
Emerging of 5 Major Corporations For Online Reviews
Five companies became very important in online reviews: Yelp, Amazon, Google, Facebook, and TripAdvisor. They helped shape how online reviews work today.
From 2012 to 2016, people used Facebook the most for business reviews. Yelp was also popular. In 2017, Google became the most popular place for online reviews.
TripAdvisor has always been a good place to find information about vacations. And Amazon collects reviews about products people buy.
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Yelp
Yelp was founded in 2004 by two people working at PayPal who wanted to create a website where people could share their opinion about businesses. The idea was generated when one of them, suffering from bad illness, could not find a good doctor in his area.
He had a need to know what other people were thinking about various doctors, and no such website yet existed. Initially, Yelp wanted to facilitate how people find businesses by sending out e-mails; this didn’t quite work out.
Instead, people wanted to share their personal reviews and thoughts on Yelp. They could write anonymously without anyone knowing who wrote the review.
-
Facebook
In the early days, Facebook was mainly used to keep in touch with close friends and family. However, around 2007, many businesses started to think that it could be a good way to reach customers, so they created accounts on Facebook.
Soon, Facebook introduced a unique feature called “Pages for Businesses” to help businesses use Facebook more easily. By the end of 2007, over 100,000 businesses had joined Facebook and planned to advertise there.
In 2010, Facebook became the third-biggest internet company in the United States, after Google and Amazon. It even outshone Google in popularity in 2011.
Since then, Facebook has been changing and updating many policies so as to keep the businesses and customers aligned.
-
Google
In 2007, Google launched its dedicated Google Reviews platform. This allowed users to leave reviews for businesses, products, and services directly on Google Search and Maps.
Google is a popular search engine, so people naturally look for reviews. It has also introduced features to improve the quality and relevance of reviews. They have implemented algorithms to identify and filter out fake or spam reviews.
Additionally, Google has introduced features that allow users to sort reviews by relevance or helpfulness, making it easier to find the most valuable information.
-
Amazon
Amazon was one of the first companies to allow and ensure that people write reviews about the things they have bought from the platform. Due to this, Amazon established itself as an authentic brand for its customers to buy products.
The reviews on the platforms reflected all the good or bad aspects of a product. These detailed reviews from customers made it easy for people to find reviews, trust reviews, and decide whether to buy something.
Another USP of Amazon is it lets other people rate reviews as helpful or unhelpful. The most helpful reviews are shown first to the customer before a purchase is made. This helps you decide if a product is right for you or not.
-
Trip Advisor
TripAdvisor is like a big book of reviews that helps people plan their trips. It tells you about good places to eat, stay, and visit. People all over the world write reviews on TripAdvisor.
It started as a simple website with information from newspapers and travel books. People started writing their reviews and just loved it as they could share their travel experiences with others.
Today, TripAdvisor is one of the biggest websites where travelers find the best reviews from fellow travelers on places they should go and the things they must do!
Conclusion
Online reviews have evolved a long way since their inception in 1999. They are now powerful tools that help people decide what to buy, what to eat, and where to go.
Websites like Yelp, Google, and Trip Advisor have made it easy for customers and businesses to leave and response over the reviews. This has helped businesses get better and given customers more choices.
As a brand, you should focus on getting more reviews, which you can easily do through reputable companies like Buyreviewz. So stay ahead and grow your business multiple times with the help of positive online reviews.But how did reviews become such powerful tools for businesses and consumers? Let’s explore the history of online reviews.
The First Online Reviews
The first online reviews appeared in 1999 on such sites like eBay, where people were buying and selling products and services. A few dedicated review websites, such as Epinions, RateItAll, and Deja, also emerged.
These sites accumulate tons of reviews on various types of products and services, the majority of which focused on entertainment-related items. In 2001, the Yellow Pages and City Search jumped on the bandwagon, adding a space for customers to review local businesses.
Merging Of Small Companies Into Big Corporates
Initially, there were online Usenet groups, like private chatrooms, where people could discuss anything, including shopping. In 1999, these groups became a place for shoppers to compare companies and products, leaving reviews and comments for others to see.
Fast-forward to the early 2000s, and large corporations like Google recognized just how critical these online review spaces were becoming. Google bought the Deja Usenet group with its search technology and opened it up so that finally everyone could be part of the conversation.
Similarly, another company, DealTime, acquired Epinions, which was an online review site. These larger companies knew that they needed to have these very reviews all on one place so that shoppers could easily research information before making a purchase.
In much the same way that small shops sometimes merge into larger stores, these review websites came together under the same ownership of larger companies.
The Widgets Were Introduced
In 2007, two companies, RateItAll and MuseStorm teamed up to create widgets. Widgets are small tools that companies could set on their websites.
If a company is using a widget then it can flash a list of positive reviews taken from RateItAll on to its website. This is very useful because potential customers who want to make a purchase can have easy access to such reviews without having to search for them.
It was like a little badge that said, “Look at all the good things people said about us!”
The Response Feature Was Introduced
In 2009, Yelp added a feature that businesses can also respond to customers’ reviews. Now, both the people who left the review, and the businesses can talk with one another.
It was a new way to discuss products and services. Now, businesses could apologize if something went wrong or explain why something happened.
They wanted to keep their good name, even if mistakes were made. Some of those who wrote reviews felt that the business had answered them. Some even showed contradictory feelings about this tool. Overall, this was a big change!
Emerging of 5 Major Corporations For Online Reviews
Five companies became very important in online reviews: Yelp, Amazon, Google, Facebook, and TripAdvisor. They helped shape how online reviews work today.
From 2012 to 2016, people used Facebook the most for business reviews. Yelp was also popular. In 2017, Google became the most popular place for online reviews.
TripAdvisor has always been a good place to find information about vacations. And Amazon collects reviews about products people buy.
-
Yelp
Yelp was founded in 2004 by two people working at PayPal who wanted to create a website where people could share their opinion about businesses. The idea was generated when one of them, suffering from bad illness, could not find a good doctor in his area.
He had a need to know what other people were thinking about various doctors, and no such website yet existed. Initially, Yelp wanted to facilitate how people find businesses by sending out e-mails; this didn’t quite work out.
Instead, people wanted to share their personal reviews and thoughts on Yelp. They could write anonymously without anyone knowing who wrote the review.
-
Facebook
In the early days, Facebook was mainly used to keep in touch with close friends and family. However, around 2007, many businesses started to think that it could be a good way to reach customers, so they created accounts on Facebook.
Soon, Facebook introduced a unique feature called “Pages for Businesses” to help businesses use Facebook more easily. By the end of 2007, over 100,000 businesses had joined Facebook and planned to advertise there.
In 2010, Facebook became the third-biggest internet company in the United States, after Google and Amazon. It even outshone Google in popularity in 2011.
Since then, Facebook has been changing and updating many policies so as to keep the businesses and customers aligned.
-
Google
In 2007, Google launched its dedicated Google Reviews platform. This allowed users to leave reviews for businesses, products, and services directly on Google Search and Maps.
Google is a popular search engine, so people naturally look for reviews. It has also introduced features to improve the quality and relevance of reviews. They have implemented algorithms to identify and filter out fake or spam reviews.
Additionally, Google has introduced features that allow users to sort reviews by relevance or helpfulness, making it easier to find the most valuable information.
-
Amazon
Amazon was one of the first companies to allow and ensure that people write reviews about the things they have bought from the platform. Due to this, Amazon established itself as an authentic brand for its customers to buy products.
The reviews on the platforms reflected all the good or bad aspects of a product. These detailed reviews from customers made it easy for people to find reviews, trust reviews, and decide whether to buy something.
Another USP of Amazon is it lets other people rate reviews as helpful or unhelpful. The most helpful reviews are shown first to the customer before a purchase is made. This helps you decide if a product is right for you or not.
-
Trip Advisor
TripAdvisor is like a big book of reviews that helps people plan their trips. It tells you about good places to eat, stay, and visit. People all over the world write reviews on TripAdvisor.
It started as a simple website with information from newspapers and travel books. People started writing their reviews and just loved it as they could share their travel experiences with others.
Today, TripAdvisor is one of the biggest websites where travelers find the best reviews from fellow travelers on places they should go and the things they must do!
Conclusion
Online reviews have evolved a long way since their inception in 1999. They are now powerful tools that help people decide what to buy, what to eat, and where to go.
Websites like Yelp, Google, and Trip Advisor have made it easy for customers and businesses to leave and response over the reviews. This has helped businesses get better and given customers more choices.
As a brand, you should focus on getting more reviews, which you can easily do through reputable companies like Buyreviewz. So stay ahead and grow your business multiple times with the help of positive online reviews.
