The Top Review Platforms Your Business Needs To Use In 2018

Beyond motivating purchases, customer review listings on third-party review sites have the power to drive up search engine results — and add the sought-after yellow star rankings next to your Google search listing. Reviews are a key factor in building your brand and spreading its message through word of mouth. Third-party review platforms offer confidence that posted reviews share an authentic experience and were gathered from actual customers.

In a scrappy startup there isn’t always a ton of money to go around, so invest in review platforms that will give you the biggest bang for your buck. Make sure you hit the household names —Amazon, Google, etc.— along with some niche and lesser-known platforms. Here are the top recommended customer review platforms your business needs to list with this year:

#1 Google My Business

This one is a no-brainer, especially for brick-and-mortar small businesses that depend on local traffic. Set up a verified business account on Google — it’s free — and connect your website, contact information, hours, location, and reviews to your Google search listing.

More often than not, customers turn to Google first for help finding a specific product or service. Getting reviews on Google will boost your search result rankings, and the good reviews listed alongside your business name will send customers straight to your door.

#2 Yelp

Yelp is one of the most popular review sites out there. Its reviewers are notorious for being difficult to please, especially for restaurants, so a good rating here is as good as gold. Along with a five-star scale, reviewers are encouraged to leave detailed comments. Like Google, this platform works great for local businesses, from cafes to gyms to dentists.

Yelp offers businesses a suite of free tools to list, respond to reviews, and track engagement, with paid upgrade options. While it’s a great idea to incentivize satisfied customers to post on Yelp, avoid the temptation to pay for reviews — this rarely has positive effects and in the long run, will be the end of your Yelp presence.

#3 Amazon

If you’re selling products online, an Amazon business listing is a must. Beyond promoting and selling on the site, reviews on Amazon are one of the most trusted resources for customers looking for a great buy.

Even if customers plan to purchase a product elsewhere, many often look to Amazon reviews before making a purchase. Shiny gold stars, customer Q&As, the chance to view buyer-submitted product photos, and searchable reviews make Amazon attractive to customers and worth the fees to sell with them.

#4 Trustpilot

If you aren’t familiar with Trustpilot yet, it’s time to fix that. This Denmark-based review platform collects reviews across the world and is a review partner trusted by Google — meaning that Google’s algorithm will likely reward businesses that list here and earn high rankings.

A free company account includes a profile, review notifications, the ability to respond to reviews, and a widget to post verified reviews on your website; paid accounts offer in-depth analytics and integration with your business. Trustpilot is a great option for B2B and B2C companies offering both products and services.

#5 Bazaarvoice

Bazaarvoice is another great eCommerce product review platform trusted by Google. Customer reviews include curated social content, questions and answers, photos, and videos alongside comments and rankings. They partner with some of the world’s biggest retailers but still provide a great platform for smaller sellers. However, it can be pricey to list with Bazaarvoice, so it might be a better option for growing businesses.

#6 Trustspot

Similar to Trustpilot (and not just in name), Trustspot offers businesses a place to build a company profile and create widgets to collect reviews on their website. Specializing in reviews for businesses offering SaaS and online services, it integrates well with eCommerce sites like Shopify and Magento and offers analytics tools.

#7 YotPo

YotPo is a great option for small-business product reviews. Trusted by Google’s search algorithm, it offers easy integration with social media so you can share verified reviews on Facebook, Twitter, and more.

YotPo offers both basic free and premium accounts with customizable website widgets. Paid accounts offer tools for social integration, learning about reviewers, and customer retention.

#8 G2 Crowd

If your growing startup sells B2B software, you need to be on G2 Crowd. More than 1.5 million monthly visitors browse for authentic and verified reviews of business software before committing to big purchases. Visitors can compare similar software services by rating, ease of use, business size, and more. Reviews cover everything from ease of setup to security and support, and visitors can upvote or downvote reviews.

Between these and other review platforms, there are a lot of options to choose from. You don’t need to list your startup on all of them — begin with those that match your industry (and price point). Research competitor review listings to get a good idea of where your potential customers are looking. Wherever you choose to list, focus your efforts on creating a great business and cultivating great customer experiences — which will lead to great reviews and new customers.

 

 

 

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