Building authority and trust is critical whether running a large, medium or small business. It always helps to ensure that your customers are in touch with you and you can reply to their feedback. Online customer reviews are critical as they hold your business accountable and provide authority in your market.
For small businesses, being claimed and registered in consumer review platforms and websites not only offers a chance to strengthen your online presence but also provides you with customer response insights. With quick responses to customer concerns and higher customer interaction, there is an elevation of trustworthiness and this can enhance search engine rankings.
Here are the top 20 customer review websites for small businesses as curated by Big Oak Studios. These are trusted consumer review websites where a new business should be registered and/or claimed. Some of them are specific to a certain industry while most of them are general websites with relation to every niche.
Google + Local
This is a social media website designed by Google. It enhances the visibility of your business on social media hence promoting it. It also offers your business a search results presence usually on the right-hand side or the search results. Additionally, this is a site that gives your consumer access to ratings and reviews of your organization.
Your Google + Local profile can also interact with many other Google products. With this site, you have full control over your business online. Your clients can get more information about your organization such as your location, phone number, address as well as read reviews from previous customers who have used your service or product.
Yelp
You probably have heard about Yelp before. It is one of the best and most reliable consumer review websites on the Internet. If you have not registered your small business here, you should visit them soon and do so. This is because it is a platform that will assist you in keeping in touch with your clients through honest reviews, meaning reviews by real customers.
You are get the rare chance of responding to your clients' complaints and praises. You can get a higher search engine ranking with Yelp, if only showing on the Yelp page for your service. There are personalization features, deals and page-views tracking that can help you to convert reviews into regular and loyal paying customers.
Yahoo Local Listings
Yahoo is a major and semi-popular search engine. It is highly used alongside Google and Bing. Registering on Yahoo Local brings a benefit to any business and especially small organizations. The review system of this Yahoo Local is a 5-star rating system. This means that your business can be rated anywhere between 1-5 based on the quality of services and response to consumer needs.
With Yahoo Local Listing, you get a platform to show off your business by use of relevant photos, an about section and tagline. Consequently, this site gives you the chance to place promotional offers and deals on your listings in order to promote your company. It is one of the few sites that you can have your small business listed in order to get get exposure, but not as good as Facebook, speaking of which...
Facebook Ratings and Reviews
Facebook is a popular social media website all over the globe. Therefore, using this platform to promote your business will give you a good chance for local and national exposure. It is a powerful social channel to promote your company.
You can now be able to collect customers' reviews together with the Ratings and Reviews option. You can find this function on the left side of the Facebook Page on the Facebook Ratings and Reviews. On this section, your customers can rate products or services.
Facebook, being the prominent social media network around the globe, is a must for creating a business page to allow users to review your business. It is a platform with more than a billion users and Google knows this as well, meaning it is a strong citation signal (Citations are a key component of the ranking algorithms in Google and Bing.) if you business is found on Facebook. Among other sites on this list, Facebook offers you the widest functionality and potential for growth.
Bing Places for Business
Bing is the second highest used search engine after Google. This means that it is a site that you need to have your business registered for exposure. The registration process in Bing Places for Business is easy, quick and free.
In order to showcase your business in a smart and effective way, you can use videos and photos here. You can add your address, name, phone number as well as hours of operation. This way, your consumers can get to know about your company and how it operates. When consumers are well informed about your services or products, they consider your business more reliable and this is important for the success of your local business.
Bing is also a platform that regulates a significant amount of the globe's search engine share. This implies that there is great potential in adding your business information on this site...even if it isn't Google.
Once you are listed here, you will appear in Bing searches, Microsoft properties, and Bing Maps. Bing is one of the best platforms to get your business name out there regardless of where you operate. Again, don't overlook Bing just because they aren't Google. It is worth the time to make sure your business is listed here.
Angie's List
Do you own a service-based organization? If yes, you need to register with Angie's List as it is one of the premium client review platforms service organizations. From doctors to home repairers, lawyers, realtors, accountants as well as other service providers; potential customers can use this site to get insights about consumer satisfaction and reviews.
The fact this is a premium site means that you will have to pay some amount in order to write or read reviews. The subscription is affordable because one of the best things about this site is that businesses and users on it are monitored and reviews are trustworthy as well as the business listings.
This makes it the most trusted website with little chance for fake referrals and reviews. With this site, you can respond to your consumer complaints immediately as you get them. Angie's Lis t is an intermediary between businesses and customers, especially with conflict resolution. It is a fair site for both clients and businesses as customers can't ruin a good business with a fake review(s).
TripAdvisor
If you are thinking of restaurants, hotels, airlines or travel destinations, the first name that should appear in your head is TripAdvisor. This is the largest site for tour and travel reviews. Any organization related to this niche should be registered on this site for local and potentially global exposure.
This platform offers numerous marketing tools free of charge. This helps you to advertise your organization as well as quickly respond to your customers' reviews and feedback.
TripAdvisor can help your small business get its name out there for potential clients to recognize it and for existing clients to endorse it through reviews and ratings. The registration process of this website is free, quick and easy. Get listed here today to see the benefits of TripAdvisor.
HomeAdvisor
This is a website for home repair businesses. If you are a roofing contractor, a landscaping company or even a plumber, you need to register your local service with them. In order to get the service that is close to you as a consumer, you must search the companies using a zip code.
This ensures that you get a service provider who is in close proximity. Relevant search results are displayed with the companies' reviews and ratings alongside them. This site has its focus on residential customers. You can either register on this site to make a listing for your business or to claim a listing that has already been created.
Just like with Google Adwords, you can choose to promote your company over your competitors after your listing has been displayed on this site. There are millions of visitors to this site every month, therefore, if your service business is not registered here, it should be a priority.
Yellow pages
Yellow Pages is no longer just a business phone book. You can find online payment, advertising and lead generation features here. Yellow Pages is one of the best review sites to promote your local small business.
It is a site that is well known as a business directory. This has been enhanced by their pre-internet phone book as well as their quick internet adoption. Other than Google, Yellow Pages may own the largest business directory globally. This covers millions of companies as well as hundreds/thousands or industries all over the world. Most likely you are already listed in Yellow Pages. In order to claim your business listing , you need to check your business up in their directory and subscribe.
However, there are some shortcomings associated with this site and one of them is that the platform makes individual listings for businesses that change physical location. This means that, if your company has grown, you got several listings and just a single one is accurate. Most people find it annoying to pay in order to claim their business listing.
However, Yellow Pages is a site that receives a lot of searches every month. Therefore, the charges may be worthwhile for your company. Occasionally, check up your business to ensure that you have positive reviews to your listing, as with all of these review sites.
Top Rated Experts
You only are seeing the best options from local small business according to TopRatedExperts.com. They also provide contact information you will need to call the local business or vendor. In addition to up to 3 customer reviews for each business a Facebook page and LinkedIn page are supplied to learn more about the small business.
It is free to submit your site and Top Rated Experts will review your submission before posting. Once approved, they will gather the information and curate reviews from multiple sources.
Their site can provide an excellent boost in ranking, if selected, as you are receiving a relevant and potentially trusted link that has been manually reviewed.
Yext
Yext helps feed the Internet and adding you business here will help you get in more places as they supply their information to other sites. They can help your local listings be found on search engines, and yes that means Google. They can also provide help in making sure you don't miss any other large directories your business should be found within.
They aren't free but their service can be helpful if you have the budget to enlist them. Think of it as advertising. Really, Yext is a service that will scan the internet for placements for your site and then that allows your business to garner listings on review sites not mentioned here and directories. It is helpful and you won't break the bank, but spending a few dollars can help your business with Yext.
DexKnows
Every business seeks to interact with their target clients. If you want to convert your potential clients into clients, this is another site you need to list your business. It is a very popular directory and is worth the time to check it out.
You can create a profile on this site to manage your brand's trustworthiness. You also get more advertising insights from this dexknows and it may help the success of your company. You can manage your reviews and ratings in order to have a more positive image to your potential clients. This platform presents the ability to manage leads by the use of the reporting tools incorporated in the site.
Millions of customers are connected to local business through this website. You will always get the exact information you are looking for on this site from contacts and directions to reviews, special offers, and ratings.
DexKnows is an expert in online business listings and therefore, as a business owner, you should register your business here. By listing your business here, you will get visibility to potential customers all over the world. The process of registration is comprehensive. You will be able to add, change or update information on this site after you register.
City search
This is a widely known and used network for bars, spas, restaurants, and hotels. You can get a listing here free of charge.Additionally, this site partners with other different platforms including Merchant Circle, Expedia, and Urbanspoon to enhance your global visibility.
If you deal with any entertainment, travel, professional services, retail, and dining niche, you need to l ist your business here to help interact with numerous potential and existing consumers. You will have the ability to post your contact information, driving directions, user reviews, maps and other significant information on your profile. Therefore, your consumers will get all the information they need to know about your business promoting brand reliability.
There are many visitors that check out this site monthly and you may miss on these users if you have not registered with CitySearch. The registration process to claim your profile is free. You can have a welcome message for your visitors on your page. You can also add photos to showcase your business and give information about your business hours in order to keep your visitors informed. You can update and enhance your profile anytime.
OpenTable
If you have been looking for the best cafes, bakeries and restaurants platform, OpenTable is a convenient and a great one. It features a 5-star system for rating. Apart from being one of the best review sites to promote your local restaurant, it offers online restaurant reservation services. This means that diners can book their preferred tables on this site.
You get an opportunity to showcase your brand if you have good customer reviews on OpenTable. You also potentially get more reservations and this means more money for your business.
Clients rate your business based on service, noise, value, ambience and food. All these category ratings are averaged into a single rating out of 5. You are able to display your menu on this site complete with pricing. This will give potential buyers full information of what to expect and for how much by the time they settle down on your tables.
If your business is one of the restaurants in your area that is offering best eats, listing in this site will could benefit your local restaurant.
SuperPages
This is an online directory that is easy to navigate. There is also a lot of features that you can enjoy on this site apart from just listing your business. This includes information on cars for sale and even lottery results. This site is very, very similar to Yellow Pages. You can get businesses' list from various cities. It is a general review site that covers all the industries that you can imagine.
It is possible that you are already listed here even without your knowledge, much list Yellow Pages. This means that you can create or claim a listing in order for potential clients to know more about your business. However, unlike the Yellow Pages claiming your listing is free of charge.
The main focus of this site is to help the users to get organizations that work for them rather than reviews. Consumers can leave reviews, however, SuperPages is similar to an old school directory.
InsiderPages
InsiderPages has its focus on health care and medical services reviews. However, despite their focus being on this niche, you will find customer reviews about garden, home, and restaurant services as well. Businesses get a chance to claim listings and customize the business listings for free.
In order to get a listing on this site, you first need to register or sign up for an account. Once you are done with the registration process, search your business on this site, which shows how visitors may find you as well. After finding your business, click the link 'Claim Business' to get your business listing.
You will be asked to authorize your information prior to getting administrative access to your listing. Once you are done, you just need to click submit and you are good to go. This is a great review site that may help your business to grow and increase visibility.
Better Business Bureau
This is a business site for accreditation. Although the reviews of the consumer do not affect the BBB rating, you need to professionally respond to your customers' feedback and complaints in order to get your business BBB accreditation. It is a great platform to have your business listed in order to earn consumer trust. It is expensive, but Google puts a lot of trust into the link you will get. Probably worth the costs for the link alone.
Merchant Circle
With Merchant Circle, you can freely interact with other local companies as well as customers. It has a similar basic setup as Yelp and Manta, however, unlike Yelp and Manta, there are numerous ads incorporated on this site. You do not pay anything to claim a listing on this site. You can passively attract new leads using this site.
You can promote your company and enhance its visibility to your target audience. There are numerous free marketing tools which help you to promote and advertise your company, which is nice.
Manta
Manta is a business listing site that can help with brand visitbility. It may not be as strong as some others, but for the time it takes to add your local small business and with Manta's millions of visitors wecha month, it is worth it. The brand signal and citation from this site will be helpful for rankings. For these reasons, you need to get your business listed on this site. The registration process is short and easy. You will have access to advanced features as well as paid promotion packages on this site.
TrustPilot
This is one of the best review sites to promote your local small business which is growing fast. It has been based in Denmark and has expanded to over 65 countries within Europe. The aim of this site is to assist businesses to get customer reviews from every part of the world.
TrustPilot has a free site which gives you an opportunity to register and collect consumer reviews through your profile page. There is also a paid version of this website that contains advanced features like customizable review invitations and share ratings among others.
Register your business in several or all of them to increase your search engine rankings and expose your brand to the world. Your business will be better off by taking a few hours to be included.
Please feel free to copy and redistribute this article in it's entirety with all links in tact.Have we left off any review sites you think should be included?Let us know in comments and we will add them if they have value for local, small businesses.