Restaurant reviews are the sort of content that lends itself to the web, unless it is published on The Globe and Mail website.
A review of a local restaurant in Vancouver, The New Bohemian, caught my attention for two reasons. Firstly, the negative experience of the reviewer contrasted with my rather more pleasurable visit to the place.
But secondly, I was surprised by the lack of any web features on the review. It was a straight cut and paste from the newspaper. There weren’t even no links to the restaurant or any other relevant sites.
The Globe and Mail is falling to take advantage of the web to enhance reviews like this online. It should be offering:
- Comments so that readers can add their experiences. All there is now is a form for “Letters to the Editor”
- A vote so that readers can rate the restaurant
- A list of the top-ranked restaurants in Vancouver by both reviewers and readers
- A map to show the location of the place
This is all basic interactivity, so it is surprising to find this missing for restaurant reviews. If you have any more ideas for interactivity, please add them in a comment.
(Thanks to Kitsilano.ca for spotting the review)
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[...] How not to post restaurant reviews online. Alfred Hermida is surprised that an online Globe & Mail restaurant review features no web goodies, including the by-now basic ability to add comments. [...]
Funny you should mention that, because it’s true – right now, not having web connectedness (i.e. even including the basic features of the restaurant’s webpage) is kind of stupid. You make good points.
I do have a lot of restaurant reviews on my blog, but I try as much as I can to provide linkages to other websites, including that of the restaurant’s.
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