To review something means to evaluate it. An evaluation generally relies on the reviewer’s personal knowledge or experience concerning an item. Paid reviews are those in which the person giving the evaluation has been paid to do so. Some people question this practice, wondering if people who write paid reviews are able to remain impartial.
Advertisements looking for people to write paid reviews sometimes appear on sites that list make money online and work at home jobs. Some appear on freelance writing sites. This leaves people wondering if products are actually being tested and then reviewed, or if paid reviews are just another way to make an extra buck. Some people may see it that way, but there are certainly those that take it seriously.
If you come across a review that is extremely well written then a professional writer may have done it. Many people give more credence to such paid reviews, because serious writers are not likely to damage their reputations making stuff up for a few extra dollars per month. They may do a few paid reviews on products or services they have already tried. Still, that doesn’t necessarily mean that a poorly written review is untrue. Someone may very well be pleased with the product although writing may not be his or her forte.
It has been suggested that transparent paid reviews, those that indicate the seller of the goods or services has paid the reviewer, would be more ethical. There is always the possibility that some people who are paid to review products may be tempted to give glowing reviews that could be less than accurate. By reading through several reviews, you should get a feel for how impartial or biased the reviewers seem to be. There will generally be at least some negative aspects of some of the reviews.
Do keep in mind that writing paid reviews isn’t exactly a lucrative career. Most people who write them are given a very small percentage of the ad revenue from the page on which their review appears. This does not translate into big bucks and in fact can translate into as little as a few cents per month.
Paid reviews can also mean that the reviewer was “paid” by trade. Free memberships to a website, a free newsletter, free samples, trial versions, and other incentives are sometimes offered in exchange for a review. These are less of a concern to most people, because if the reviewers like the product well enough to stick around, join the site, read the newsletter, and try more products, their reviews are apparently positive for a good reason.