In 2017, 97% of consumers looked online for local businesses. 12% looked at a local business online every day. Did you know consumers read an average of 7 reviews before trusting a business? The data has spoken. If you aren’t generating and monitoring review sites for your business, you’re missing out on a lot of business. Where should you get started? We did the research so you don’t have to. Whether you’ve been around a while or are just starting out, it’ll pay to register with these top 7 review sites.
Google My Business
Google is the #1 website in the United States so claiming your Google My Business page should be first priority. Make sure you update it with accurate information like hours and how to contact you. While people can directly review on Google, they also pull reviews from all over the web to influence your ranking. Higher ratings means higher visibility. Claim your profile by visiting www.google.com/business.
Coincidentally, the second most popular website in the U.S. is Facebook. Facebook is also a great site to generate and market reviews. Facebook boasts a whopping 1.47 billion daily active users. Its targeting features for paid content allow you to pick and choose who you need to target. Facebook pages themselves are easy and free to set up. But tread lightly here, you cannot alter or delete Facebook reviews left on your page. That’s where a great reputation management tool would come in handy. Ask your previous and current clients to give your page a like and leave a review. Then you can start advertising and give your 5-star reviews an audience!
Yelp
While it’s probably the most famous restaurant review site, people visit Yelp for help with lots of decisions – including home services. Yelp has approximately 173 million monthly active users. Many of who have the mobile app, which makes it super easy for them to leave a review on your business. Fair warning here: if you don’t have an online reputation management system in place, Yelp can be a pretty scary playground for angry customers. So make sure you’re responding actively and professionally to yelpers to hopefully get them to change their review or at least minimize its damage. On the plus side, Yelp reviews tend to get picked up by Google frequently, so you want to make the most of this platform.
Better Business Bureau
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is one of the most trusted names in business ratings and reviews. You will be rated on a letter scale, A to F, based off reviews. The score is calculated from the number of reviews, type of reviews, whether reviews have been addressed, and your type of business. The trust factor for the BBB is off the charts, so it can greatly impact a small business. There are other perks that come along with BBB accreditation. Some include access to workshops and other training materials.
HomeAdvisor
HomeAdvisor is a smaller review site when compared to giants like Yelp and Facebook. But what makes it unique is it serves homeowners specifically. They help customers find and review professionals for home improvement projects. They do this by matching them with up to four highly rated pros who are actually available to do the job. PLUS, it performs background checks of every service provider it accepts so potential clients know that you are a trustworthy business. HomeAdvisor Pro even allows you to search your area for people using HomeAdvisor to find potential clients and connect with them. The site offers immense value to homeowners, so you want to be active on this platform!
Angie’s List
Similarly to HomeAdvisor, this site is specifically designed to provide homeowners with honest, accurate information about local businesses. They’ve become a household name and have over ten million verified reviews. Unlike other platforms, business profiles can be created by consumers. In other words, just because you haven’t signed up, doesn’t mean that you don’t have a page with reviews. You could have reviews impacting your reputation that you’re not even aware of! Claiming your profile will allow you to update your information, respond to reviews, and interact with members.
Houzz
Houzz is a large collection of photos including home interiors, exteriors, and design materials. It allows homeowners to contact the contractor who performed the work in the images they like. If you and your team are diligent about taking pictures of your work, this could be a great resource for your business! Users can search photos by room, style, budget, etc. and add them to “ideabooks” or share them. You can even advertise your business in a prominent spot in search results. Even if you don’t have any Houzz reviews yet.
ThumbTack
This website matches users to professionals in the field they’re looking for – including home contractors. You can send quotes to potential customers and they can leave you a review. This is one of those sites where the leads might be slow, but you lose nothing by trying!
Looking to get involved past the top sites? A good idea is to Google phrases someone might use to find you; for example, your city and service. Repeat this for all your products and services. The results will identify review sites you should consider, especially the ones that keep popping up throughout your searches.
Why Monitor & Generate Reviews?
By having an established and consistent presence online across multiple sites boosts your SEO ranking. This makes it way more likely for a new client to find you. Multiple sites with positive reviews also help you generate trust from potential clients. 85% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations!
Are you ensuring your business is seen in the best light possible across multiple review sites? Review generation and monitoring is time consuming and hard to keep up with on a consistent basis. But it is well worth the investment! Check out our online reputation management services for more online exposure, increased lead opportunities, and better SEO!
