FAQ

What is WizeRank™?
Do I have to sign-up to use My Research?
Can manufacturers pay to get a higher WizeRank?
Where do you get your consumer product reviews?
Why are there products that don't have a WizeRank?
A product I love has a very low WizeRank. Why?
I know that there are more reviews for a product out there. Why aren't they on Wize?
What is Collective Wisdom?
Why do Expert Reviews and User Reviews disagree sometimes?
How does Wize make money?

1. What is WizeRank?

WizeRank aggregates consumer sentiment, reviews and opinions from the internet in order to make it easy to find the right product(s) for you. WizeRank takes the collective wisdom of millions of consumer product reviews of tens of thousands of products and distills all of this data into a single, simple number.

The WizeRank calculation is proprietary and based on math and science that has been applied to marketing research for a very long time. WizeRank works, consistently. It is the quickest, easiest way to choose wisely — and feel secure about your purchase decisions.

We are constantly researching consumer data, using our proprietary algorithm to objectively rate products from zero to 100. Because we believe in the value of collective wisdom, a product needs at least five reviews to receive a WizeRank. As more reviews are added, the WizeRank becomes more accurate.

Manufacturers and advertisers can't buy higher ratings. The only thing that improves a WizeRank is more positive data, opinions, etc.

Get more information on WizeRank

2. Do I have to sign-up to use My Research?

No. My Research is free and accessible to any consumer. Use My Research to keep a wish list and take notes, but because it is cookie-based, your Research is tied to your computer. With your feedback, My Research will grow over time and provide additional services our customers want and need.

3. Can manufacturers pay to get a higher WizeRank?

No. One objective algorithm measures the collective wisdom of expert and consumer product reviews to determine WizeRank.

4. Where do you get your consumer product reviews?

Wize gets reviews from reputable sources all over the web. When review sources are identified, Wize takes pains to ensure that the sources are truly independent before publishing their reviews to our site.

We're always looking for new independent sources of consumer product reviews—the more, the better. To date we have millions of product reviews, from thousands of different websites, for tens of thousands of different products. Contact us if your favorite source for product information is not on our site.

5. Why are there products on Wize.com that don't have a WizeRank?

Wize is committed to making WizeRank the best way for people to find great products. To this end, we are constantly collecting trustworthy expert and consumer product reviews from thousands of internet sources. When enough consumer product reviews are available, each product's WizeRank is calculated and presented. Until that time, we display all the information and reviews that are available to us without a WizeRank. This lets you see what products are new and gives you easy access to the most up-to-date reviews and information on the web.

6. A product I love has a very low WizeRank. Why?

WizeRank reflects user and expert consensus and sentiment across the web. In some situations, a product with a low WizeRank has not been reviewed favorably; in other situations, we just don't have enough reviews to feel comfortable recommending it. Get more information on the WizeRank scale and what it means.

7. I know that there are more reviews for a product out there. Why aren't they on Wize?

Wize is continually adding products, reviews and sources - you can see the numbers grow every day in our footer. But we know we're not perfect. If you know of an impartial, independent review or source that we're missing, please email us and let us know. We'll do our best to add the content immediately.

8. What is Collective Wisdom?

The concept of collective wisdom is founded on the belief that a group of people with diverse opinions who can express themselves independently will generally make better decisions than a lone expert. Many studies have proven this to be true. The best resource we've found on collective wisdom is the book, The Wisdom of Crowds, by James Surowiecki.

Collective wisdom is not about building consensus. It is not about gathering a group of people and asking them to make decisions together. The key to collective wisdom is to gather diverse and independent opinions. The voting booth is one good place to do this. The Internet is another. People who write consumer product reviews online can write whatever they want--it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks or does, and there are no negative repercussions to disagreeing with popular opinion.

The Internet is the new frontier for collective wisdom. Other web sites based on the idea of collective wisdom include Wikipedia.org, Digg.com and Technorati.com. Even Google.com is based on collective wisdom. Wize.com taps the power of collective wisdom to rate products.

9. Why do Expert Reviews and User Reviews disagree sometimes?

There are many differences between expert and user reviewers and reviews. Here are just a few:

Experts typically use products in labs. Users use products at home or in their cars, in the context of the rest of their lives.
Experts typically use products over short periods of time. Users use products for as long as they last, or until a new one comes along.
Expert reviews tend to be objective, focusing on whether a product fulfills its promise. Users reviews tend to include more emotional reactions to products, and are often less objective in terms of features, functions, design, and durability.
Experts tend to be unconcerned with popular opinion. Users are often swayed by what others think of a product.

Additionally, experts have a hard time measuring the aesthetic design of a product or its ease of use in the home. Increasingly, these two characteristics are important to people who buy products.

Because of these differences, experts and users can disagree. While other sites focus on only expert reviews or only user reviews, Wize believes that both are critical, and that customers need both in order to form an educated opinion. Products with the highest WizeRank are loved by both experts and users, and are generally the best-of-the-best.

10. How does Wize make money?

Wize earns income from the advertising you see on this site. After you have decided what to buy, the ads on Wize can help you find a good price, and a good place, to buy your product.

But remember: WizeRank doesn't play favorites. Manufacturers and advertisers can't buy higher ratings. The only thing that can improve a WizeRank is more positive data collected from independent sources.

Click here the read the Wize Code of Ethics