Developers can now respond to reviews in the Chrome Web Store

Reviews can be an important factor in deciding which app or extension to install. The idea of user reviews is something that has been adopted by Apple in its App Store, and is also used by Microsoft and in Google Play. The Chrome Web Store also features reviews, and a new feature has just been added that could make them more useful than ever -- the ability for developers to respond.

This is an important change as it gives developers the right of reply. When reading a review written by someone you almost certainly don't know, it can be hard to tell if their opinion should be trusted. Did they rate the app or extension poorly because there is a problem with it, or did they not understand how to do something. Giving developers the chance to reply to reviews allows for greater transparency and allows others to see that the developer in question is reading feedback -- but it may not all be good news.

As with any online posting arena, there is endless scope for trolling. Adding the right to reply will do little to eliminate the unnecessarily harsh reviews that are frequently posted out of sheer spite. But by presenting both sides of the discussion, others are given the opportunity to make a judgment call of their own.

In a post on the Chromium blog, Google says:

To strengthen relationships with your users and ensure that the Reviews tab provides accurate information about your product, we recommend that you begin closely monitoring user reviews for bug reports and feature suggestions. Be sure to reply constructively to both negative and positive reviews, notify users when you have addressed their feedback, and thank the users who are your biggest advocates.

Judging from the feedback so far, it seems that developers are happy the feature has finally been introduced, and users will almost certainly be pleased that a two-way communication channel has now been opened up.

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