Pointed out that how to show the new review score (star rating) being tested by Amazon is difficult to understand and is disadvantageous to users



From August 2023, Amazon, a major e-commerce site, has been conducting tests in various countries and regions around the world to change the way review scores (star ratings), which indicate user evaluations of products, are displayed. Some of the display methods being tested in parallel show the ``percentage of star 5 reviews,'' but the technology media Android Police criticized this method as ``not a smart idea.'' .

Amazon's overcomplicated new product star ratings are no bright idea

https://www.androidpolice.com/amazon-tests-new-star-ratings/



Amazon tests new star ratings that are even harder to read - The Verge
https://www.theverge.com/2023/8/17/23836062/amazon-new-five-star-ratings-system-hard-to-read

Fake reviews by fraudulent sellers have been rampant on Amazon for some time, and cases of distorting review results, unfairly increasing sales, and misleading consumers have been viewed as problems. Under such circumstances, Amazon is conducting a test to change the display method of review results in the search result list of products.

The image below is an example of a review display that Amazon is testing. The score of the star rating is displayed on the far left, and five stars are lined up next to it, so that the evaluation condition can be visually understood by the number of filled stars. The total number of reviews is displayed on the far right, so you can see how many users have given reviews. In addition, it is explained that the star rating of Amazon reviews is not just the average of all scores, but also factors such as the most recent review rating and purchase status, but according to Android Police, there is a big difference from the simple average score He said he didn't.



In other cases, it simply displayed the star rating score. You can see the detailed evaluation by clicking the downward arrow, but it is an impression that it is difficult to understand how highly evaluated it is at a glance.



This time around, Android Police is highlighting the percentage of 5-star ratings next to the star rating score. For example, out of 10 reviews, if there are 8 5 stars and 2 1 stars, the average star rating will be '4.2', and '80% 5 stars' will be displayed next to it. Become. In addition, it is not possible to know how many users have reviewed as a whole unless you click the downward arrow.



Android Police said that this display method was confirmed on the Amazon mobile app in India and the Amazon website in Germany, but some users in Japan also reported that they encountered a similar display method.



Also, there seems to be a case where the percentage of '4 stars or more' is displayed instead of '5 stars'.



From the perspective of user experience, Android Police pointed out that the new display method makes it difficult to grasp at a glance how highly rated the product is, and that it is easier to visually display the score with the conventional five stars. In addition, he says that if a user who is used to the display so far sees this display, it may be misunderstood as 'What is it, 1 star?'

In addition, Android Police argues that it is not good to adopt the method of 'showing the percentage of star 5 reviews' to help users make decisions. From a fraudulent seller who manipulates star ratings with fake reviews, it is cheaper to post a large number of 5-star reviews than to manipulate star ratings that are close to all average ratings. Android Police said, 'We hope this design is further refined before it is rolled out more broadly.'

Jay Peters, a writer for overseas media The Verge, also said, ``I don't like this change because the statistics that can be seen at a glance of the number of ratings are gone, and the percentage of 5 stars is prioritized. In theory, a product with tens of thousands of reviews but with a mid-to-high average is considered more assured quality than a product with double-digit overall ratings and a star rating closer to 5 stars. ” commented.

in Web Service, Posted by log1h_ik