Make no mistake about it. The review format is one of the most clever marketing formats on the planet. Seriously. Nothing even comes close. There’s just something about reviews that on a point-per-point basis makes it destroy all other marketing formats. It does this hands down all day every day. It’s easy to see why it works because when you go to a review website, you by definition put your guard down. Seriously. You’re not skeptical. You don’t have your normal level of reasonable suspicion. All of that is gone because you are looking to be educated.
The website says that it’s a review site. You go through all the different articles and they all mention the word “review” in the title. That’s all you need to take off whatever reasonable suspicion and logical skepticism you may have and start looking at all the information from the perspective of a student. You’re not there to dispute. You’re not there to call people out. You’re not there to size up whatever information and relate it to what you already know. You couldn’t care about any of that.
Instead, your mind is a blank slate and you’re more like a vacuum cleaner. You will suck up whatever the website throws your way and this is precisely where the problem lies. While it would be awesome to assume that attitude when faced with a real source of unbiased objective information, typical review sites are nothing of the sort. I know that sounds crazy. I know that probably goes against everything that you expect but this is the absolute truth.
Make no mistake about it. People are not going to go through the time, effort and bother putting up a review site if there’s nothing in it for them. Most people operate with this very basic question: what’s in it for me? This is hardwired into the human condition. You’re probably thinking it right now. There’s nothing wrong with this. What makes it wrong is when it’s hidden from you. What makes it wrong and worth condemning is when you are faked into thinking that the review that you are reading that seems so objective has your best interest. It’s not doing any of that. It couldn’t care less about any of that. It’s all about making money.
This is why you need to know how to read a software review the smart way as soon as possible. Pay attention to the following three concepts.

Look for Conflict of Interest
If you noticed that the website that you are reading directs you to a link that has some sort of affiliate code, that’s a red flag. They’re trying to push a product and chances are the review that you just read is a bogus review. That review may seem objective. It may walk you through the different benefits and features of a product, but its ultimate goal is to get money out of you.
Even if you look at the link and it seems like it’s just going to a subdirectory that has the name of the product, it’s still an affiliate review website. This is a dead giveaway. I’m not saying that you should absolutely distrust whatever information you find, but you have to factor this in. Nine times out of 10, a review site’s recommendation doesn’t really lead to the very best software option for your particular set of problems.

Overly Positive Review
If you noticed that almost all the points raised by the software review are positive, you need to be very suspicious. You’re actually being manipulated. You are being pushed to make a certain decision. Keep your wits about you. Understand that there is no such thing as a 100% positive or perfect product. There’s always room for improvement and if you are led to believe that somehow someway the product you are reading about is 100% perfect, close that review. You are being duped, you are being deceived, and it’s a better use of your time to read something else.

The Benefits Are Not Clear
If you noticed that the review that you’re reading talks in terms of conclusions like “This is the best product for you” or “This is the best value,” think twice. Become very suspicious. You have to be reasonable. Reasonable people need evidence. People who use their brains to make decisions look at facts and they square these facts with the conclusions that they are being encouraged to make. If there are no facts to compare and if the facts do not support the conclusion, close that window and look for a better review.