Best Product Review Templates to Follow for Affiliate Marketing
Writing a well-organized product review that can help people make better buying decisions is one of the most important things you can do as an affiliate marketer.
However, writing a quality review can be challenging. Creating compelling content that appeals to your readers and drives them to click on affiliate links and make purchases takes time and effort.
We've put together some best practices for writing an impressive affiliate product review that's long on benefits and short on hype, along with a few templates.
Let's deep dive into writing product reviews.
What is a product review template?
A product review template is a document you can use to write a detailed review of the product you want to recommend. It helps you or your writers stay organized and consistent as you create your reviews.
Instead of just rambling on about the product and its features, you'll be able to focus on what matters most: the customer's needs and how they're satisfied by the product. You'll also be able to write more quickly as you won't have to stop and think about what comes next every time!
A product review template is especially important if you're a new blogger starting as an affiliate marketer, or a seasoned blogger that received a review request from a company to write a review for their product. You can use this as a guide to write your affiliate reviews and then revise them over time as you gain more experience.
How do product reviews benefit affiliate marketing?
Product reviews are a form of social proof that benefit affiliate marketing in several ways.
- They provide valuable content for your website. This is especially important if you're trying to build up authority in your affiliate niche so that potential customers will know they can trust what you say about products related to that industry or niche.
- They increase traffic to your website or blog, which leads to more sales. When someone reads a product review and likes what they see, they're more likely to click any links within it (or even go straight there) to buy whatever item was reviewed.
- They can help build your reputation as an expert in your industry or niche. If you can offer honest, insightful reviews of products related to your industry or niche, people will trust and rely on you for such information.
Product reviews are an essential part of any affiliate marketing website or business. They can help you build credibility and trust with your audience and drive your website or blog traffic. If you know how to write compelling and unbiased product reviews, you can use them to generate more affiliate sales and build your audience simultaneously.
How to make the most of product reviews and affiliate templates
Product reviews are a great way to build your audience, get more people talking about the products you’re reviewing, and increase affiliate sales. But they can be tricky to get right!
Here are some tips for making the most of product reviews and affiliate templates:
- Make sure you have enough space for all the details by thoroughly covering the product, its features, benefits, uses, and pros and cons. Google loves lengthy content filled naturally with relevant keywords, but you shouldn’t write any unnecessary fluff.
- Ensure that there's a clear takeaway for anyone who reads it. What do you want someone who reads this section to walk away knowing? What action do you want them to take? Add the same on your review page.
- Don't use too many unfamiliar or challenging words for your audience—you want readers to understand what you're saying as quickly as possible, so avoid using words like "deleterious" and "substantive" unless necessary!
What to include in a product review template
A product review template is a formatted outline that can be followed to create a review for a product. It usually includes several sections to cover.
Product review summary
A product review summary is a short version of the main points in your review. It gives potential customers an overview of what your review covers and should help them decide whether or not to read the full review. It should be no longer than a couple of sentences and can include things like:
- What is the product?
- A one or two-sentence description of its main features, benefits, etc.
- Why do people need it?
- What problem does it solve? Who needs it?
- Who is this product for? Is it for beginners, intermediates, or pros?
- How much does it cost?
The purpose of the product review summary is to entice potential customers to learn more about the product. It should convince them that they need this product to solve a specific problem or improve their lives.
How the product works
This section covers how the product works and what its features are. It should be clear and easy to understand. If there are any particular features or benefits, this is where you would include them. This section is usually only a few paragraphs long and contains plenty of screenshots, illustrations, or videos that show people how to use the product.
It should also include technical information that makes it easier for customers to understand what they are buying. This is an opportunity to show off your knowledge of the product and its features, so ensure you include everything from the most important features to the more obscure ones.
The more specific you are about your experience with the product and what worked or didn't work for you, the better chance your readers will end up buying through your affiliate link..
Buyer guides
A buyer guide (also called a buyer's guide) is a type of affiliate marketing content that provides visitors with the information they need to make an informed buying decision. You can include it in a product review template to give visitors key information about the product and its benefits.
The buyer guide can help them save time and make it easier to decide which product best suits their needs by providing all the necessary information in one place about how to choose the best product for your situation.
Here are some tips for writing a buyer’s guide that will help you increase your conversion rates:
- Write clear and concise content that will answer all your customers' questions about a specific product in one place, so they don't have to go back to the search results and find another website’s online review or scour through customer reviews..
- Include pictures of different product variations (i.e., color options or models with various features) with affiliate links to each of them..
- Make sure to include the price, shipping information, and return policy.
Note: It’s against some affiliate programs' terms of service, like Amazon Associates, to mention the exact price in the content since the product listing price can change. Instead, say it’s under $100, very affordable, or use a plugin that connects to Amazon’s API that will show the updated price, which Amazon allows.
It's important to remember that each product review is unique, so you'll have to write a buyer’s guide for each one if you choose to follow this format. Buyer guides are also very helpful on “best of lists,” since you are comparing several similar products, and a buyer’s guide can help the customer figure out how to choose the best product for them.
Show pros and cons
You should include the pros and cons in a product review template to help your readers understand what they're buying.
You can add pros and cons to your template as follows:
- Write short pros and cons down in a list of bullet points. Typically, a positive review should have a longer list of pros than cons unless your goal is to write a negative review and send them to a better alternative product.
- Make sure your pros and cons are relevant to the products you're reviewing. They should help the reader make a purchasing decision, based on certain features that someone researching a product would be looking for.
- Ensure that you're not biased when your pros and cons are written.
If you're unsure whether you should add a point as a pro or con, then ask yourself, “Would it help with my decision to buy this product if I read this review?” This will help you understand how your user might feel after reading it.
Suggest alternative products
Suggesting alternative products is an important part of the review process. It shows that you're looking out for your readers' needs and helps them make informed decisions about what they want to buy. Alternatives are handy for very similar products but have some key differences (like specific features or price points).
There are several reasons why you should recommend alternative products to your visitors.
First of all, it's essential to consider your audience. If you're writing for people new to the world of [product name], you might want to include more popular or high-quality options so they can get a sense of what else is out there.
Second, suggesting alternative products helps your readers make the best choice possible. When someone reads a review and thinks, "oh, I like this one, but maybe this other one would be better," they have a good chance of purchasing through your link which will earn you an affiliate commission.
Third, including alternative products will help you stand out as an expert in the field. You'll show you know what's out there and why something might be better than another option for someone researching similar products.
At the end of your online review, giving prospective customers options for what to buy next will make them feel like they're in control. Then you should include a call-to-action (CTA) with your affiliate links that take them directly to those products, so they don't have to navigate around anymore!
Include FAQs about products
Frequently asked questions (FAQs) are a great way to help customers get the answers they're looking for quickly and easily. They can be used to address common questions or to explain why a product is better than competitors.
You can also use FAQs to answer questions that might not be asked frequently but still come up occasionally. For example, if you have a product that doesn't require assembly, you may want to include an FAQ about whether or not customers can assemble it themselves.
By giving them the answers to their questions up front, you'll be able to provide them with a more comprehensive review—and one that's easier for them to understand.
Follow the template but be flexible
A product review template can be a great start for writing a comprehensive review. You can use it as a guide for what to include and how best to structure your review so that it provides a good customer experience and is easy for potential customers to read and understand.
However, make changes or additions where necessary. If specific features of the product are significant over competitors, mention them! You can also alter your review's workflow to suit the product's specifics.
Affiliate product review templates
Here are some examples of affiliate blog post templates you can use as a guideline to create your own product review template.
Product review template #1
What is [product]?
How does [product] work?
Main features and benefits (as many as needed to describe the best features)
- Describe the unique selling propositions and best features
- Bulleted list of key features
- Pros and cons
Product alternatives
[Keyword/product] vs [competitor product]
[keyword/product] FAQs
Conclusion
Product review template #2
Why is [product] the best?
How to use [product]
Main feature and benefits
Main feature and benefits
Main feature and benefits
Pros of [product]
Cons of [product]
Other products to consider
[Keyword/product] vs [competitor product]
[Keyword/product] buyer guide
[Keyword/product] FAQs
Final verdict
Product review template #3
About the product name
Where to buy
What does it do?
Buyer guide
Pros
Cons
Alternative products
FAQs
Our takeaway
Here is another product review templates you can follow from Lasso on what should be included in your template.
This one from Affilimate gives you a product review template that sells.
Also, if your product review is specifically for Amazon, here is the great format to follow from Niche Site Project.
Product comparison templates
[product] vs [product]: which is better?
Product comparison table
How does each [product] work?
Main features and benefits of product #1
Describe the unique selling proposition and best features
Bulleted list of key features
Pros and cons
Main features and benefits of product #2
Describe the unique selling proposition and best features
Bulleted list of key features
Pros and cons
What is similar about product vs. product?
What is different about product vs. product?
[Keyword/products] FAQs
Final verdict on [product] vs [product]
Affiliate marketing blog templates
Affiliate marketing blog template #1
Best [keyword/product] buyer’s guide
Introduction of [keyword/products]
Benefits of [keyword/product]
Best [keyword/product]: List 5-10 of the best products
- Describe the unique selling proposition and best features
- Bulleted list of key features
- Pros and cons
Buyer's guide for [keyword/product]
How to choose the best [keyword/product]
Features to look for in the best [keyword/product]
How to use the [keyword/product]
[Keyword/product] FAQs
Relevant accessories to buy with [keyword/product]
Conclusion
Affiliate marketing blog template #2
Product name
What it does
What we liked about it
What we didn’t like about it
Who we think would benefit from this product
Why we recommend it
Other products to consider
Where to buy
Our takeaway
Informational or how to blog post affiliate template
What is [product]?
Benefits of using [product]
How to do X with [product]?
- Step 1
- Step 2
Mistakes to avoid while doing [X]
Recommendations for other products to consider
Our takeaway
Product review and affiliate blog template FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions about product reviews and affiliate marketing blog templates.
How do you write a product review template?
To write a product review template, determine what you want to include in product reviews consistently on your website, like pros and cons, buyer’s guides, how to use the product, alternative products, and more. Then, choose in which logical order you would want to read them if you were trying to research a product to buy. By using a product review template outline, it will make it easier for you, or freelance writers, to write a product review following the same general guidelines.
How do I write a good product review?
A good product review is honest, detailed, and informative. It should be written in a conversational style that shows you're talking to a friend. If you're unsure whether your review will count as "good," ask yourself, “Does this review sound like someone who has used the product before?”
If the answer is no, your audience will know too—and they probably won't trust what else you have to say about it. So, be honest with your readers. If you read something negative in customer reviews about a product you can't fix, don't try to hide it from readers—tell them as honestly as possible!
Remember that people are reading it to find out whether or not they should buy the product and what they can expect if they do. Be sure you're giving them all the information they need!
How many words should a product review be?
The length of a product review depends on what type of product you're writing about. If it's a novel or non-fiction book, 500 words will probably be enough to give readers a good idea of what the book is about without giving away too many spoilers. If the product is something more technical—like an app or software program—you'll probably need to write closer to 1,000 words or more to give a good picture of what it does and how well it works.
It's best to keep your review to the point without any fluff as long as you cover the product adequately. You want to give readers as much information as possible about the product without overwhelming them with too many details or lengthy explanations.
Which template is best for affiliate marketing?
Many different types of templates can be used for affiliate marketing campaigns. The most common is the product review template. This is a great place to start if you're new to affiliate marketing, as it's easy to write product reviews, and they tend to be very popular with readers. Other affiliate blog templates include product comparison charts, best ofs, buyer guides, and how-to posts.
If you're starting, it's best not to worry about which will give you the most success—pick one that's easy for you and go with it!
Final thoughts on product review and affiliate templates
The best affiliate blog posts are designed with your readers in mind. They have a clear purpose and are easy for readers to navigate. They also have a well-defined voice that resonates with their audience and provides value in each post.
So, when choosing a product review template for your blog, ensure it fits your website and brand. If it doesn't, don't be afraid to make changes and customize it until it meets your needs.
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