Buying online? How to find reliable product reviews

More of us than ever before will do at least part of our holiday shopping online this year, foregoing the hassles of in-store purchasing. In fact, in 2010, online shoppers spent more than $1 billion on Cyber Monday (the Monday immediately following Thanksgiving), according to one study.

While the benefits of online shopping are many, it does have its perils too. It can be difficult to determine the quality of what you're buying, and many consumers need to rely on customer reviews for help when evaluating products. But how do you know you can trust the reviews you're reading? The online experts at Yahoo! Shine Get It Guide offer some tips:

* Consider the source. Online product reviews can come from many sources, including compensated bloggers, independent bloggers, manufacturers, marketers, consumer advocacy groups and actual customers. Many consumers feel the most valuable, unbiased reviews are the ones generated by those who have actual experience with the product they're reviewing. For example, the Get It Guide relies on reviewers who are everyday people who review products they've actually purchased and used.

* Compensation. Has the reviewer been paid for or compensated in some other way for the review? This can be difficult to determine, but knowing the reviewer's motivation and influences can help you better assess the validity of a review.

* Location. Where the review appears can help you determine if the reviewer was likely compensated. For example, reviews on a company or product website may have been posted by people who received monetary or product compensation, although that's not always the case. Independent sites like the Get It Guide and consumer organization websites are more likely to offer uncompensated reviews.

* How did the site select the products being reviewed? Some bloggers will review any product as long as the manufacturer or marketer sends it to them for free. Consumer groups may base their decision of what products to review based on whether or not they've received consumer complaints about those products. Products featured on the Get It Guide are selected based on search ranking, meaning the site shows reviews of products that people are actually looking for, rather than ones a manufacturer has offered for review.

* Relevance. Are the reviews about product categories that you care about? For example, during the holiday season, consumers are searching for information on popular categories such as technology, appliances and fragrances (the Get It Guide's first offering was on celebrity fragrances). During summer months, travel items, sportswear and swimming items gain popularity.

Product reviews can be a great way to learn more before you buy, and can help ensure your money is well spent. To learn more and to see product reviews, visit www.shine.yahoo.com/blogs/getitguide.