As a business owner, it’s important to stay up-to-date on the latest trends in customer reviews.
If you run a local business, it’s very likely that your customers are looking up your business. The typical journey for a customer involves looking at your website to see if your products and services are a fit, but the next step is to Google your business name and look at your reviews. Our guess is that you do this too.
The truth is that almost two-thirds of people look at business reviews before using a business’ product or services. That’s not business you can afford to lose.
“According to online reviews statistics and ReviewTrackers data, 63.6% of consumers say they are likely to check Google reviews (through Google Maps and Search) before visiting a business location — more than any other review site.”
When you find a “dentist near me”, you’re looking at their reviews before letting them clean your teeth.
When you find the “best restaurant in New York”, you’re looking at their reviews before you eat there.
Almost everyone does it. And more and more people do it over time. This trend will not change.
But you’re a small business and you don’t have time to be on every business listing site (there’s 100s of them).
In 2022, there are 4 review sites that you should be focusing on to build your online reputation. Here are the top review sites you should focus on as a local business:
1) Google
Not surprisingly, Google published more reviews than any other review platform in 2021. Google Reviews are more visible than reviews posted anywhere else! When a customer performs a search for your company online, chances are that Google reviews will be one of the first things to come up in your business listing.
There’s tremendous value in being one of the top three results in the “Google Maps” section (it’s actually called Google Business Profile). 70% of all leads go to these businesses. THAT’S value.
If you want your business to stay ahead of its competitors, then you should definitely claim your Google Business Profile as soon as possible. By claiming this profile, your customers will have an easier time finding information about your business and you can start building your own online reputation. This is the first review platform to focus on if you don’t have a profile.
2) Facebook
With 2.41 billion monthly active users, it’s no wonder that Facebook is the largest social media platform. That’s almost one-third of humanity. Facebook isn’t only a top pick for socially sharing information; it also holds its own against Google as the second biggest review site.
While a Facebook review might not be as visible as a Google review, it can still hold a lot of weight with potential customers. About 48% of consumers have used Facebook to evaluate local businesses in the last 12 months. People tend to trust their friend’s and families’ opinions more than they do strangers.
If someone has a friend or family member who’s posted a positive review about your business on Facebook that could be enough to convince someone else to try out your services. Once you’ve claimed your Google Business Profile, you should ensure your business has a Facebook Business page where people can recommend your business.
3) Yelp
This may be surprising, but from 2020 to 2021 the number of people that used Yelp to make purchasing decisions went from 32% to 53%. That’s almost half of people that are considering your business and you can’t afford to ignore them.
Many use Yelp for restaurants but you can find any kind of local business category here.
Claiming your page and creating an account with Yelp gives you the ability to respond privately and publicly to customers who have posted reviews on your business profile. It’s a great way to connect with customers. Once you’ve claimed your Google Business Profile and created a Facebook Business page, you should create a listing for your business on Yelp.
4) TrustPilot
Trust Pilot is the fastest-growing review platform today. Getting your business on here is likely a good idea because your competitors might not be on here yet. You might get a head start here :)
They offer a review platform to help businesses merge their online profile with feedback from their top customers and bring customer reviews to other high-visibility platforms, like Google.
Here Are Some More…
Here are some others that might make sense depending on your industry. Click any link below to take a look at what you might be missing out on!
Travel
Real Estate
Home Services
Healthcare
Dental
Financial Services
Legal
Auto
Non-Industry Specific
Does your business need more reviews? Contact Review Rabbit today to see how we can help!