Comparison page governance card

Alternatives, cell types, sources, a where-we-lose row, owners, and review dates. Fill it before you publish or revise a comparison page.

One card per comparison page. The page owner fills sections 1 to 3. The source checker, a different person for named comparisons, fills section 4.

If a cell cannot be sourced or labeled as an opinion, remove it. A shorter honest table beats a longer one that falls apart when challenged.

flowchart LR
    A["Alternatives"] --> C["Cell types"]
    C --> S["Sources + dates"]
    S --> L["Where we lose"]
    L --> R["Owner + review"]

1. Page and owners

  • Page URL and decision it helps the buyer make
  • Page owner (one name)
  • Source checker (a second name for any named comparison)
  • Do we name companies, or compare approaches only? Naming raises the bar. Every statement about them needs a dated, shareable source.

2. Alternatives the buyer actually has

AlternativeWho it suitsWhat it asks of the buyer
Do nothing for now
Do it in-house
Template or builder
Hire a specialist (us)
Other: _____
  • Each row is something a buyer asked about or said they considered
  • Rows are things a buyer asks. No rows invented to make an option look bad

3. Cell types

Label every cell. Anything about another party that is not verified becomes an opinion or "not confirmed."

Cell typeWhat you needLabel on the page
Verified fact about another partyPublic link + date checkedChecked [date], with link
Our own factSomething we can show on requestTrue today
OpinionOne sentence of reasoning"In our view" or "Who it suits"
Not confirmedDate we looked"Not confirmed, checked [date]"
  • No adjectives in cells ("fast," "premium"). Numbers have sources, descriptions are plain
  • The table shows when it was last checked

4. Source record (kept off the page)

CellAboutSource URLChecked onChecked byNext review
  • The owner can open any record in under a minute when a cell is challenged

5. Where we lose

  • A visible section, not a footnote, naming the cases where another option is the better choice
  • In-house: when it makes sense
  • Template or builder: when it makes sense
  • Do nothing: when it makes sense

6. Legal and policy

  • Which markets do we sell into, and has someone qualified in those markets reviewed named comparisons? Not legal advice. In the United States, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) policy statement on comparative advertising is 16 CFR 14.15.
  • Disclosures are on the page where needed (for example, the bases of comparison)

7. Upkeep

ItemOwnerWhen
Re-open every named sourceEvery 90 days (or shorter if the market moves)
Check the page against the message sheetAfter any change to our offer
Handle a correctionLogged within one working day, resolved within one week
  • Correction path on the page: one line and an email address
  • A named cell that cannot be re-checked is removed

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