How to Revolutionize Product Development Using Customer Reviews

Why Aren’t More Brands Using Customer Reviews to Develop Better Products?

We’ve all seen how brands utilize reviews for marketing efforts and how e-commerce platforms use them to increase sales and foster trust. But many businesses are ignoring an undiscovered goldmine in these reviews. One could wonder why more companies aren’t utilizing reviews to create better goods. Let’s look at how consumer reviews can change research and development (R&D) procedures.

Think about this situation:

To find out what customers like and dislike, companies do a number of blind tests, market research, and below-the-line trials. Corporates choose to interview a “small” sample of clients because these types of operations are costly and time-consuming. It would be foolish to ignore the thousands of online reviews that are accessible for well-known consumer products. Reviewers do this for free, and it’s amazing how accurate their analysis is.

This is a customer review of the Ecovacs Deebot X1 Omni that was posted on a well-known online store. To assist you grasp the potential value of this type of knowledge, this lengthy review has been divided into several sections and examined.

Who is the writer? Reviewers these days frequently talk about themselves and their routines, but this one doesn’t. Nonetheless, it is clear how crucial it is for brands to pinpoint their target client.

“To begin with, I am not paid by Ecovacs or any other firm, nor am I a professional reviewer. I’ll offer you my firsthand observations of how it functions rather than boring you with specifications, which you can read online. “Let’s get started!”

Hardware? Consumers are exceptionally skilled at contrasting stated product specifications, or “Facts,” with actual performance.

“The Deebot X1 Omni’s cleaning capabilities are remarkable. Dust, pet hair, and even tiny debris are all effectively collected by it. But for my high-traffic areas, I discovered that the standard cleaning option was too mild. Although louder, the “max+” setting is far more efficient. Because it achieves a nice mix between performance and noise, I decided to use the “max” option for everyday use.”

Customers frequently contrast specifications with their opinions of quality.

Facts: The Deebot X1 Omni features two rotating mop pads, 5000Pa of suction power, and a 5200mAh battery that lasts up to 180 minutes.

Hardware once more. It’s hard to believe how active this shopper is at telling Ecovacs what to improve.

“Compared to earlier models, the X1 Omni has a more squared-off design, but it still works well because it is waterproof and dustproof up to three feet. Despite being larger than I anticipated, the docking station looks stylish in my living area.”

The reviewer notes the Deebot X1 Omni’s more squared-off design works well, thanks to its waterproof and dustproof features. Though the docking station is larger than expected at 22.8″ x 17.7″ x 22.9″, it still looks stylish in the home. The robot itself is compact at 14.3″ x 14.3″, offering a balance of strong performance and sleek design.

The Sensation: “The wheels are sturdy enough to go between hardwood surfaces and rugs, and the build quality is excellent—it feels high-end. I don’t have to do it by hand every time thanks to the self-emptying and mop-cleaning features.”

How It Operates: “The Deebot X1 Omni is incredibly quick! It moves swiftly and precisely thanks to its strong suction and LiDAR navigation. There was no lag when I was mapping the house or changing between cleaning modes. It did better than expected, even when scanning darker carpeting, albeit occasionally it thought they were ledges.”

Mapping and Navigation: “The ability to designate no-go zones and clean particular rooms is fantastic, and the LiDAR navigation is incredibly accurate.” On the initial run, mapping was quick and effective. It had some trouble with black carpets and mistook them for edges.”

As a startup, we are always looking for trustworthy testers. Finding the proper ones is difficult, and once we do, we make sure to get as much input as we can. This procedure, nevertheless, can be expensive and time-consuming. On the other hand, by examining information such as this, well-known firms may rapidly and economically analyze user feedback on their Apps.

The App and Intelligent Functionalities: “It’s easy to use the Ecovacs Home app. Setting up cleaning routines and altering cleaning patterns is simple. Starting a clean with voice commands is simple because to the interface with Google Home and Alexa, and the 3D mapping tool is intriguing but a little gimmicky.”

And most importantly, is it worthwhile? Customers frequently answer “yes” or “no.” People typically discuss in this area what businesses should do to increase sales, such as upgrades, comparisons with earlier iterations, significant problems, or enhancements. Customers can up-vote helpful comments on the major review sites, which can be a powerful way for brands to validate what customers have to say.

“Is it wise to spend money on the Ecovacs Deebot X1 Omni? Absolutely, if you’re replacing an earlier model that lacks mop or self-emptying functions. However, you may need to consider additional choices if your carpets are primarily deep pile. Although it costs a lot, the convenience makes it worthwhile. Future models should definitely include a smaller docking station and better deep-pile carpet cleaning.”

Key Insights for R&D

By examining this review, Ecovacs was able to obtain crucial information: Particularly for pet owners, the vacuuming and mopping combination is well appreciated.

• The mop-cleaning and self-emptying features are key selling points.
• Some users might find the size of the docking station problematic.
• Although it performs effectively, the LiDAR navigation system has trouble on dark carpets.
• Although more personalization choices would be appreciated, the software is user-friendly.

Automating Review Analysis

I think it’s incredible how much information can be gleaned from a single review. Naturally, though, one review is insufficient to make a comprehensive decision about a product. The Customer Experience Management (CEM) technology from Octoparse comes into play here.

The CEM platform from Octoparse gives businesses trustworthy, data-driven insights by automating the collection and analysis of thousands of evaluations. Brands can use this technique to find common problems, trends, and patterns that human analysis could overlook.

Customer reviews have the unrealized potential to influence product development in addition to being helpful for sales and marketing. By providing in-depth reviews, customers are voluntarily participating in your product development process and indicating that they would be willing to purchase your future offering if it satisfies their preferences.

Brands like Ecovacs may systematically analyze consumer feedback and transform it into meaningful insights with the help of products like Octoparse’s CEM platform. By demonstrating that the company actively listens to its customers, this strategy not only produces better products but also increases customer loyalty.

We’ll go into more detail in the upcoming post on integrating Octoparse’s CEM platform into your R&D procedures and provide a detailed how-to for using customer feedback to inform product development.