Data
In order to group data into proportional slices and bars we rounded host ratings with a php function. See http://php.net/manual/en/function.round.php for details.
echo round(3.4); // 3
echo round(3.5); // 4
echo round(3.6); // 4
Interpretation
Not all web hosts equal. Trust me, we've been looking into this issue for a long time. Some of them lack reliable customer support, yet have 5-star ratings accross many review sites on the web.
These are just some of our general observations when it comes to ratings distribution:
- Affiliate websites, built for the sole purpose of generating income through affiliate traffic, have most of their reviews within 4 to 5-star range. All of their promoted products are glittering and dazzling.
- Open directories have a left-skewed (negative) distribution, where the mass of reviews is concentrated on the right of the figure. The reason for this is the overwhelming ammount of 5-star ratings. To gain visibility, small and unnoticeable companies usually ask their customers for positive feedback, while at the same time there is no one to complain.
- On the other hand, right-skewed (positive) have nothing but customer complains.
Go with a review site that has a symetrical bell-shaped ratings distribution curve. Most likely, their ratings are based on both positive and negative reviews.
Once again, if the shape of the distribution resembles a bell curve, the feedback data is likely real. Learn more about normal data distribution here.
