An Ultimate Review of Review Platforms
It’s always important to pay attention to reviews on review platforms in order to keep improving your business. PaintAccess has hundreds of reviews across different platforms such as Google Reviews and Product Review, and we always appreciate reading our customer’s feedback. In the modern days of business, reputation is online. In the past, people often got their recommendations or review from neighbors or friends, but times have since changed. Buying products or hiring services has become majorly digitised - so your online reputation can make or break you. Potential customers often do some research into the reviews of a business before deciding to invest in their services or products. It makes sense that they are less likely to go with your services if your online reputation isn’t in great standing. However, there are many different review platforms - and it’s also interesting to consider if reviews can be ‘faked’ in order to boost a business’ online reputation. With the wide range of review platforms available online, it can be hard to decide which is best for you to share your opinions or get recommendations. In this blog, we want to help give you an understanding of the major review platforms in Australia.
It’s safe to say that everyone has heard of Google. It is a global dominator of all sectors of the internet - and has roots in all industries, anything from booking hotels to artificial intelligence. Google is a worldwide company and has proved to be a transformative force on the internet. One of Google’s biggest directions is google business listings in which small businesses can list their services. And like most things to do with small businesses - this is to do with reviews. To request that their customers leave a review, small businesses can provide a short URL that is specific to their business.
Spreading the word
Google encourages businesses to implement certain practices to give them a higher chance of receiving reviews from customers. They can remind their customers to leave reviews and let them know that it’s quick and easy to do. Replying to reviews is also a good step as it builds trust between the customer and the business, showing that the business values the input of its customers. Google also says that businesses should get verified so that their information is eligible to be displayed on Maps, Search, and other Google services
Honest reviews
Google emphasises that reviews are only valuable if they are honest and unbiased. After all, a dishonest review from a customer is not an accurate reflection of the business’ service. It’s also important that business owners don’t offer incentives or rewards in exchange for reviews - as this would mean biased reviews. Customers may feel encouraged to write positive reviews due to these incentives rather than satisfaction with the business’ products or services. Strict review guidelines outline prohibited and restricted content, privacy, and flagging procedures, and business owners can flag reviews for removal if they violate these guidelines.
Trustpilot
What is Trustpilot?
Trustpilot is an international independent company, bearing several similarities to Google. Founded in Denmark in 2007, nearly 1 million new reviews are posted each month! With over 500 employees, they are one of the biggest review platforms worldwide. It is a third party company that has been licensed to push both Product and Seller Ratings into Google Shopping and Google Adwords and primarily services the European and North American markets. On their website, customers can browse businesses by category and see the top-rated companies within each category. Trustpilot tells its clients that sharing their experience helps others to make better choices, and encourages businesses to up their game.
Trustpilot VS Google
Do you know the differences between Trustpilot and Google? Both Google and Trustpilot are used for seller and product rating aggregation. The most important aspect when it comes to ratings is the stars that appear in GoogleAdwords Ads and Google Product Listings. One key difference is that Trustpilot charges a monthly fee - $349 per month for the entry-level plan. Meanwhile, Google Reviews is a free service. However - they are not mutually exclusive! It’s useful for business owners to get reviews for their business from as many sources as they can afford. After all, customers love to read reviews to ensure they are getting the best deal for the best product or service.
Sitejabber
The next platform up for review is Sitejabber, a web-based review platform founded in San Francisco, California in 2008. Sitejabber brands itself as a platform that allows its users to find trustworthy businesses and avoid scams. Their goal emphasises the importance of improving online transparency. They describe themselves as the “Yelp for online businesses”. On their website, users can search for a website, business, or keyword and read a huge number of customer reviews for each business. Customers can rate and review online businesses based on criteria such as value, service, shipping, returns, and quality. It also has a handy discussion forum in which customers can share their thoughts and experiences in further detail. Sitejabber stands out from its competitors in that it offers an unlimited review collection as most platforms limit this based on their pricing packages. In its dedication to helping users avoid scams, Sitejabber also publishes a blog containing scam alerts and consumer tips.
ProductReview
Unlike the other platforms mentioned in this blog, ProductReview is dedicated to providing consumer opinions on products, services, and businesses within Australia only. The fact that this platform is specialised for the Aussie market means that there is plenty of helpful information for customers interested in local businesses. There are many different categories where customers can browse business reviews, such as cars, coffee machines, tyres, and prams and strollers. On its website home page, ProductReview has featured customer reviews for customers to browse. Another positive aspect is that ProductReview has detailed buying guides and in-depth reviews for its users to check out. This is particularly helpful if you need further product advice such as when you’re looking to buy a gift.
We all know that Facebook is a social media platform for sharing our important life events with friends and family, but it’s also a way for business pages to collect ratings and reviews. A page’s rating is based on multiple sources such as reviews and recommendations that people share about business pages. When someone recommends a business, they can also select the audience they want to see it, for example, if they choose “Friends”, then only their Facebook friends will be able to see it. For business owners - it’s easy to get reviews. All they have to do is enable Reviews in their Facebook settings. Nowadays, it seems like everyone is on Facebook, so it’s a good way for businesses to build up a positive reputation. In fact, 1 in 3 Facebook users use the platform to find reviews and recommendations!
Removify
Removify differs from the other platforms in this list in that it is a platform that offers businesses the option of removing customer reviews. Removify states that its goal is to “fight back” against trolls, haters, unreasonable customers, and fake reviews. Negative reviews can prove very damaging for a business’ reputation, so it makes sense that business owners may want to use this service. The best part about this service is that if they don’t succeed in removing the negative review, you don’t pay!
“The Keyboard Warrior”
“Keyboard Warrior” is a term you have probably heard of as it is thrown around the internet a lot. According to Removify, the past few years have seen the rise of “keyboard warriors”, or individuals who enjoy posting unwarranted or hurtful information online. Such comments can be particularly harmful to the reputation of businesses, particularly when the information is untrue or misleading. This is where Removify comes in - ready to help restore online reputations!
How does it work?
Removify specialises in the removal of negative reviews from a wide range of review platforms such as Google Reviews, TripAdvisor reviews, Glassdoor reviews, and many more. Removify even offers a free audit review, where business owners can receive a report of all their online reviews after a quick 30-second scan. The audit itself includes data from websites such as Google, Facebook, Glassdoor, TripAdvisor, and more. For business owners, this is helpful as a quick and easy way to check their online reputation across many different platforms. This report calculates an average star rating and highlights weaknesses that could be improved upon.
Which platform should I choose?
Now that we’ve covered the major review platforms, you may be wondering - which one should I choose? Well, the answer is that it depends on your needs and circumstances. If you are looking for a free option, Google may be the way to go. Facebook is highly convenient as most people already have an account - so you won’t have to waste time registering. On the other hand, if you’re looking for expert information on how to avoid scams, it is worth checking out Sitejabber.
