Friday, October 8, 2010

Time Card Software Reviews - Can They Be Trusted?

I find reading reviews helpful when I'm researching something new. For example, if I'm looking for a new pair of running shoes, I always appreciate reading honest feedback from other consumers about things like comfort and fit. I'll also check side-by-side comparisons or reviews of different running shoes to see how they rate against one another in various categories. I expect these comparisons and reviews to be relatively objective and unbiased. Being raised on Consumer Reports, I'm still naive enough to believe that's how it works everywhere. Well, my eyes have been opened.

TopTenREVIEWS is a site that includes rankings, reviews, and side-by-side comparisons for products and services in categories such as software, electronics, web services, mobile, movies, music, and video games. All these categories, incidentally, represent $565 billion in consumer spending each year. No wonder TopTenREVIEWS wants a piece of the action. Their main goal is to send you to a site they're promoting and hope you buy the product. Because if you do, they get up to 60% of the sale!

They have a time card software review site that has changed little in the last 4 years. If you're willing to give them $1,500, then they'll review your product and reshuffle the listings based on the review results. For another $1,500 they'll make a short video of your time card software review as well. If that's not enough, when a consumer clicks on the affiliate link to buy your time card software then they'll take a 30% or higher commission on the sale!

What do you think that says about the time card software publishers who have to buy their reviews? I'm so glad Virtual TimeClock doesn't need gimmicks or spam-review sites to prove it's one of the best time card software products on the market. Our independent time clock software reviews support this. These are not 'pay for placement' sites, nor do they require you to become an 'affiliate partner' like TopTenREVIEWS.

Mac|Life Magazine - Review of Virtual TimeClock '10 Pro Edition
CPA Technology Advisor - Virtual TimeClock Simplifies Time Tracking
Macworld Magazine - Review of Virtual TimeClock '10 Network Edition
CNET - Review of Virtual TimeClock '10 Basic Edition

It's widely known that spam-review sites rank products that earn them more money higher, contain inaccurate and outdated information, and shouldn't be relied upon. The TopTenREVIEWS motto is "We Do the Research So You Don't Have To". I vote they change that to "We Sell Reviews So You Get Outdated and Biased Information".

Jeff Morrow
Virtual TimeClock Product Specialist