
When it comes to buying products and services online, customers place "incredible" importance on the feedback given by other users, it has been suggested.
According to Web-User magazine, commercial companies are now using positive feedback given by customers as a source of advertising to capitalise on the good faith that is evident among online consumers.
Ben Camm-Jones, news editor of the publication, has said that user feedback is an increasingly important part of business for online companies.
"Any sensible online retailer is asking their buyers for feedback - allowing customers to rate products [and] add their own reviews," he commented.
Coremetrics, a web analysis firm, published a report late last year which found that around 58 per cent of businesses have adopted user-generated feedback for their websites.
However, he adds that it is important to make sure the information supplied is credible and that it is not altered by competitors.
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