Online reviews are an essential part of the buying process today. Because they can steer potential customers toward (or away from) your business, every franchise owner must stay active on online review websites. To help you out, we’ve started a new series on this important topic. Our first article discussed the benefits of online reviews and the latest statistics. Today we will share some of the major online review websites you should know about and a simple 3-step process to get started.
In covering review sites, we’ll start with the most popular ones that should be on every franchise owner’s radar. We’ll also discuss some review websites that are specific to certain niches. Finally, we’ll share some tips on getting started with online review sites because, as you will learn, business owners can and should play an active role.
Top 5 Online Review Websites
The review websites on this list apply to any business in any industry.
1. Google Business Profile
Because Google controls 90 percent of the global search engine market, it is arguably the most influential review site that business owners should know about. Just think about it. People don’t say they’re going to search for something online. They say they’re going to Google it. When a person searches for your business or even your category (for example, home care services near me), they’ll be greeted with business names, ratings, and reviews on the first page of search results.
Claim Your Google Business Profile
2. Yelp
Yelp is an online directory that is primarily location-based. It allows consumers to discover businesses in any industry by searching keywords for a particular city or zip code. Users can set up their free profile to rate companies on a five-star scale and leave reviews. There are currently 184 million reviews on the platform; chances are, some are about your franchise business.
3. Facebook
The Meta report from the first quarter of 2022 indicated that there were 2.94 billion monthly active users on Facebook. People use the website not just to keep up with friends and post silly memes but also to research local businesses. Maybe you already have a Facebook account for your franchise business, but if not, you could have an unclaimed business page with reviews from your customers, or worse yet…nothing at all. To get started, you’ll want to claim the existing page or create a new one with the link below.
Create a Facebook Business Page
4. Better Business Bureau
The Better Business Bureau has been a trusted source for business listings for over 110 years. They use a letter rating scale to give businesses a score based on the number of complaints, unanswered/unresolved complaints, resolved complaints, time in business, and other factors. If a customer has a problem with your business, they may turn to the Better Business Bureau to voice the complaint and let others know about it. That’s why it’s one of the online review websites that all franchise owners should pay attention to.
Claim Your BBB Business Profile
5. Yellow Pages
In the days of paper phone books, the yellow pages were a section in the back of the book dedicated to business listings. Now that everything has gone digital, you can find the same compilation of information—and more!—on this website. Yellowpages.com is a searchable website that allows users to find businesses by location. Unlike the printed phone book version, these listings include ratings, reviews, maps, directions, and other business information.
Claim Your Yellow Pages Listing
5 More General Review Websites to Check Out
The five review websites listed above are arguably the biggest and most well-known for customer reviews and ratings. However, there are several other general review sites you may want to check out, including:
15 Niche Online Review Websites
While the review sites we’ve talked about so far are applicable for businesses in all industries, other review websites are tailored to specific niches. Here are some of the more popular ones.
- Amazon for e-commerce businesses that sell their goods on this global selling platform
- Angi (formerly Angie’s List) and Home Advisor for service businesses like landscaping, plumbing, electrical, etc.
- Care.com and Caring.com for caregiving services
- Cars.com and Car Gurus for car dealers and traders
- Glassdoor for reviews of companies by current and former employees
- Houzz for home design, decorating, and remodeling
- TripAdvisor and Booking.com for all aspects of travel, including hotel, airline, entertainment, and restaurants
- Zillow and Realtor.com for real estate agents and businesses
- Zomato and Open Table for restaurants and bars
3 Steps to Get Started with Review Sites
With many online review websites available, you may wonder where and how to get started. Here is a simple 3-step process we recommend.
1. Choose Your Focus
Start by choosing a few review sites to focus on; you can always add more as you go. The top sites we listed first are the best place to start (especially Google!), but you can also explore the other sites on our list, particularly the ones associated with your niche. When evaluating which sites to devote your time, you may begin by researching your competitors (or other local businesses) on each site. A good review site to select is one that is used by your customers and people in your local community.
2. Claim Your Listing
Most of the websites above are free for businesses who want to claim their listing, while some may have a fee. The steps usually involve filling out a form to provide information about your business and then verifying your business in some way, which may be via a verification link sent by email, a phone call, a mailed postcard with a PIN, or something else.
3. Dive In
Once you’ve claimed your listing, it’s time to dive in. Here are some things to do:
- Update business information and correct any mistakes in things like your address, phone number, etc.
- Add additional business details, including a description, photos, your menu, and other information the site allows.
- Respond to any reviews (if applicable).
- Start encouraging your customers to leave reviews on these sites.
- Plan to devote time each week to checking each review site for new reviews.
More Advice about Online Reviews to Come!
We trust that the information above will help you get started with online review websites. By selecting the review sites you’ll focus on and claiming your listing, you’ll be ready for the next articles in our series. In the upcoming articles, we’ll cover how to encourage more online reviews, monitor them (including handling negative reviews), and maximize their impact. So, jump in right now with the advice in this article, and we’ll be back with more advice soon!
