Hi Jon,
We have a reviews system for the new site that will structure the existing reviews a lot more. It is configurable in that as per your original suggestion a specific set of questions can be asked. I should have it working on the test site in the next few days if you want to take a look.
I would love to take a look, im not a professional web developer though i do this for fun but have built two sites in the past and im working on one now.
Hi Jon,
I was talking with Flecc a month or so about this - in short:
- The largely human element makes it difficult to be objective. Each reviewer will have different fitness levels, terrain, abilities and bias's...
- The amount of time taken to source the dozens of different bikes available now in the UK, give them all enough care and attention to make it worthwhile, and then write it all up may not necessarily pay *yet*. The markets not quite big enough yet to do extensive, comprehensive reviews.
- Besides A to B Magazine already mentioned (their latest issue arrived this morning - very good!), Peter Eland at Electric Bike Mag is doing a phenomenal job reviewing electric bikes already (latest issue online: http://www.electricbikemag.co.uk/downloads/ElectricBike02-72dpi.pdf) and I know he's planning on 'HTML-ifying' the whole lot shortly.
That's why we're not going to be doing editorial reviews at Electric Bikes Experts just yet... but we've got another project to help achieve the same goals rolling out this month. Watch this space!
One of the things we'll definitely be introducing shortly is owners reviews (where bias may be more obvious and accepted), similar to how we've seeded some e-bike owners "life-changing stories" here:
Electric Bike Owners and Stories | Share Your Own Stories
Jon, if you can pour lots of time into this, the manufacturers and dealers are mostly happy to lend out bikes to review. What you'll have to consider besides the actual content creation (reviewing, photographing, editing, uploading...) is building the targeted traffic to pay for your efforts!
Ed
Thats the problem with any site is traffic. I bet Russ had a similar concern with this forum. Like i mentioned before my idea would be to give users a platform to build on rather than me get bikes off manufacturers and do editorial reviews although if anyone does want to send me a bike to review i wouldnt say no
The system i use works by
I have a say Jon bike and want to write a review as i think its an awful bike but there are a few good points for improvement i go to this review site sign in search for a Jon bike oh its not listed. Ok i now click add a listing, i complete some details about the bike upload a picture of one (optional) now the listing is there i can add my review. Rate it and then im done.
Or
I am the importer of Jon bike and i want to publicise my bike so i go to this website and as Jon bike is new i add a listing i put all factual info on there and a promo pic there we go i now wait for users to review it. I can also use this feedback to make imporvements to the bike for the next model
These things dont happen over night and it is reliant on users but as i have been speaking to company directors
they have been telling me how many bikes they are shifting per month. If this figure is accurate there are loads of potential reviews. Yes some cant be arsed but through say this forum, dealers and importers letting users know of its existence it could work and then we will have a db of user reviews and not editors. I find that because editors get sent top end bikes as well as lower end they "can" be a bit snobby about bikes. This was also the opinion of some dealers. Therefore when a budget bike comes out that bike will get slated more than what is fair. I know there are exceptions as always but newbies dont trust editors they trust tother consumers that i do know. That was the original idea i had, it was a spure of the mo thing and i blurbed lol
I've replied just above with two links as you posted Jon.
Personally I don't value user reviews very highly against independent ones, people who have bought something are notoriously biased in favour of their choice of course.
.
Hi flecc see my paragraph above. The thing is you sound that experienced that you wouldnt trust a general consumer. I am the same with cars i feel i have the skill to trust my own knowledge i dont even trust Parkers etc as i think they are easily influenced and Topgear well they are just grown men making a funny tv show lol. Most people that arnt clued up do trust other consumers is that logic built on sand im not sure but i do know i would rather read real world consumer reviews on "most" things i buy.
Thanks for your replies though, very constructive