Reviews are descriptive and critical assessments published online or in newspapers and magazines. Reviews can be written by experts or by users (as we know, for example, from product pages on Alza or Heureka). Traditionally, reviews covered consumer products, books, films or TV programmes. Today, however, user reviews are increasingly used for many more purposes, including rating and assessing purchases, online shops, restaurants, places and events.
How to write a review
This page explains how to write high-quality, thorough reviews: what they should include and how to structure them. The main purpose of a review is to help people decide whether to buy, view, read or visit the thing being reviewed.
What is a review?
A review is a comment on, or assessment of, something, usually a product or service. It might be, for example, a car review, or a review of a film, book, restaurant or electronic device. A review can include information about the quality, features, advantages and disadvantages of a product or service, as well as the author’s personal opinion and experience. Reviews can be published online or in print, and people can use them to help decide whether or not to buy a particular product or service.
The purpose of a review is to advise others on whether to visit, buy, watch, read or otherwise engage with the subject of your review. Businesses can also use reviews to find out how they can improve. Reviews give them a form of feedback: if people complain about the food, something is probably wrong in the kitchen. If a phone lacks a feature that people want, the company should consider adding it as an innovation.
It follows that a good review is one that helps other people make a decision or helps a business improve. A review should not be flat, and it should not just describe the obvious specifications.
When writing a review, you should therefore think about what information people need to make a decision. You should also know the audience that will make up most of your readers.
How to write a review step by step
Before you get to the individual tips, it helps to follow a simple process. These steps work for almost anything you might review, from a pair of headphones to a weekend hotel stay.
- Use it properly first. Give the product or service enough time to form a fair opinion. A phone you have used for one afternoon can feel very different after a month.
- Take notes as you go. Write down specific moments, good and bad, while you still remember the details.
- Decide on your verdict. Before you start writing, know whether you recommend it and who you would recommend it to.
- Plan a simple structure. A short introduction with context, the main strengths, the main weaknesses and a final verdict are enough for most reviews.
- Write a quick first draft. Get your thoughts down without polishing them, then cut anything that does not help the reader decide.
- Read it as a buyer would. Ask yourself whether a stranger could make a decision based only on what you wrote.
1. Clear recommendations
Readers look at reviews to help them decide whether to visit, buy, read or watch something. They want a recommendation! That is the main takeaway of any review.
In a good review, the writer’s recommendation is therefore very clear, and it also adds further details on who it suits and who it does not.
Some review sites let you leave a star rating, but even then, make sure you state your recommendation at the beginning or end of what you write.
2. Percentages or stars
Five stars, a score from 1 to 10, or 100%. These are the most common ways of rating something in a review, and the rating is one of a review’s key quality elements. For a clearer breakdown, it helps to split the rating into specific areas and then give an overall score. Different criteria matter differently to different readers. Here you can see how this works in a comparison of investment brokers.
3. Describe the emotions and the experience
Resist the temptation to write only “It was fine”. Everyone will picture something different. Describe the experience. You have already expressed everything quantitatively in the score and stars. But also share the emotions and feelings that the product or service gave you.
More useful reviews give more information, so readers know what they can expect and can judge for themselves. The most successful reviews, both in the Czech Republic and abroad, contain emotion.
A review that only says “great”, “no problems” or “avoid” is not useful, because it gives no context. How can readers judge whether their experience will be similar, and what the context is?
Take the time to give readers some context and more information to help them. When you sit down to write a review, remember that you are not writing an essay. Do not write long paragraphs full of padding. Describe clear facts.
💡Tip: Use strong emotional words.
4. Give clear reasons for recommending or not recommending
A recommendation is useful, but on its own it is not enough. People want to make their own decisions based on other people’s experiences.
Explain the thinking and reasons behind your recommendation to support this process. Feel free to say that, for a different type of person, the same thing could be an advantage. Certain features are a plus for some users and a minus for others.
5. Do not be too negative, be constructive
Almost nothing is entirely negative or beyond repair.
If you are leaving a customer review, especially a mostly negative one, try to make your feedback constructive. Suggest what could be better and how things could be improved.
If something simply was not to your taste, make that clear, and remember that it is not the fault of the venue, the writer or anyone else.
6. Write about alternatives too
If you do not recommend something, it can be useful to offer readers an alternative that might work better. Always choose the closest possible alternatives and compare them with the product under review. Readers value a comparison of the features and suitability of each option most of all.
7. Detailed reviews
Write long, detailed reviews. They will be far more successful than superficial ratings, of which users have already posted plenty online. Start with what matters most and structure the text into separate areas. Illustrate each aspect with your own photos.
Build your review using a deductive approach. Start with an introduction, then cover the most important points, and only after that add detailed information that perhaps only 1/4 of readers will value.
💡Tip: Make your review even more professional by using quotes from foreign websites or from the manufacturer.
8. Be specific and honest
Many reviews that go viral do so because of the response from the business being reviewed. At that point it becomes clear that the reviewer either lied or was in a bad mood when visiting or writing the review.
Always give specific information about what you experienced, and always be truthful.
For example, it is not useful to say:
That was the worst customer service I have ever experienced! Don’t go there!
Instead, you could write constructively:
We waited 35 minutes for our table, even though we had booked it several days in advance. The waiters then took forever to take our order. The restaurant was extremely busy, but I don’t think that is an excuse. You shouldn’t take so many covers if you can’t serve them all, and you certainly shouldn’t let people in when you have no free table.
Being truthful also means not exaggerating. If you say you waited 35 minutes, make sure you really did wait that long!
9. Check that your review makes sense
You should always proofread any text intended for publication. That includes reviews.
Before you submit or publish your review, check it. Look for spelling and grammar mistakes, and make sure your sentences are fairly short and clear. Extremely long, convoluted sentences have no place in a review.
10. Use lists and tables
Put information that compares different options or specifications into tables. This makes it much clearer and helps with decision-making. Experience shows that tables, together with ratings, are the most sought-after parts of reviews.
11. Be authentic and add photos
If you have tested a product that a company sent you, do not hesitate to photograph it in use. Be authentic and describe any problems that came up. Do not test things that 99% of people will never do with the product or service. Nobody is very interested in that, except perhaps as an attention grabber. Instead, try to put yourself in the shoes of mainstream users and address their problems.
Also read about how to make money online or the psychology of colour.
How to write a product review
Product reviews have their own needs, because the reader is usually about to spend money. Apart from your overall opinion, focus on the things a buyer cannot find out from the product description.
What to include in a product review
- How you used the product and for how long
- Setup and first impressions, including anything that was missing from the box
- Performance in everyday use, not only in ideal conditions
- Build quality and how it has held up over time
- Value for money compared with similar products
- Your experience with support, warranty or returns, if you needed them
A short example
Imagine you are reviewing a coffee machine that costs around $200. You might open by saying you have used it every morning for three months for two people. Then describe how quickly it heats up, how easy it is to clean and how the coffee tastes. Next, explain the one thing that annoys you, such as a small water tank. Finish with a clear verdict, for example that it suits small households but not busy offices.
Common mistakes when writing a review
Even well-meant reviews often lose their value because of a few avoidable mistakes.
- Reviewing the delivery instead of the product. A late parcel is worth mentioning, but it says little about the item itself. Keep the two separate.
- Writing too early. First impressions matter, but problems often appear only after weeks of use. You can always update your review later.
- Hiding that you received something for free. If a company sent you the product or paid you, say so. Readers trust reviews that are open about this.
- Giving away the plot. In book, film or series reviews, avoid revealing twists, or warn readers clearly before you do.
- Making it personal. Criticise the service, not individual staff members by name or appearance.
Frequently asked questions about how to write a review
How do you write a good review?
Use the product or service long enough to form a fair opinion, then state a clear recommendation and explain the reasons behind it. Describe specific experiences rather than general impressions. Keep it honest, well structured and easy to read.
What makes a great review?
A great review helps the reader decide whether something is right for them. It gives context about who you are and how you used it, covers both strengths and weaknesses, and says who it suits and who it does not. Specific details and your own photos make it far more useful.
How do you write a product review?
Start with how and for how long you used the product. Then cover setup, everyday performance, build quality and value for money compared with similar products. End with a clear verdict and the type of buyer it suits best.
How long should a review be?
There is no fixed length. A short customer review can work in a few sentences if they are specific, while an in-depth review of an expensive product may need several sections. Write as much as the reader needs to make a decision and cut everything else.
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