What to Look for in the Best Business Review Sites

84% of people trust an online review as much as they’d trust a personal recommendation. And 90% of consumers read online reviews before they make a purchasing decision.

Business owners need to rely on getting reviews and testimonials if they want to increase their business. But it’s not just about having reviews on your own website, you need to focus on getting reviews placed on other sites as well.

Most of us know about Yelp, but there are other business review sites to think about. Often, Yelp isn’t the best choice.

Here’s how to find the best sites for people to review your business.

Review Sites for B2C Companies

If your company sells products directly to consumers, Yelp probably isn’t the best place to be found. That’s more of a website directed at consumers looking for specific types of services like restaurants, spas, and yoga studios.

Amazon

Instead, focus on business review sites like Amazon.com that allow users to review products that your business sells.

They’ve been having users leave reviews since 1995. It’s the most trusted site for people to research reviews before they buy a product.

To help you separate your product from your competition, you’ll need to get as many five-star ratings as you can. You’ll also need a lot of positive customer reviews.

Angie’s List

Angie’s List is also another great site for companies that do sell services directly to consumers. It’s considered a high-end review site because their users have to pay for a membership to use the site.

Most reviews are well thought out versus the ranting and raving that you often find at free sites. They’re also not anonymous, which cuts down on fake or misleading reviews.

Another benefit of using Angie’s List is you can respond to the reviews consumers leave for your business. It’s also free for you to set up a page for your company.

Google My Business

Of course, Google is on this list of business review sites. It’s the most used search engine by far.

Google’s Pigeon algorithm update helps improve local search results by using distance and location ranking parameters. To ensure your business’ website is properly optimized for search, set up verified accounts with local directories.

Especially Google’s own, Google my Business. You’ll get a boost in searches as you gain more reviews, comments, and pictures from your customers.

Only local Google+ pages can respond to reviews so get your page started immediately so you won’t miss out. Google Maps even pulls your information and reviews into the app, meaning your business will look more reputable.

Business Review Sites for B2B Companies

Not all businesses sell to consumers. Some businesses only target other companies to sell their products and services.

When other businesses are your bread and butter, it’s time to look for business review sites that are specifically made for B2B companies. Let’s take a look at a few of them.

G2 Crowd

G2 Crowd is a great review site for companies selling software. Over 300,000 get on that site each month to look for the latest software and read the 37,000+ user reviews.

This site is a bit like Yelp, but for a specific niche. Users review companies on a five-star scale. The reviews can cover anything from ease-of-use to security and support.

It even allows reviewers to answer questions about what they like best and least about the software. It also lets you upvote and downvote other user reviews.

TrustRadius

TrustRadius also is one of the business review sites for software.

What sets TrustRadius apart from the others is that it makes reviewers on the site be authenticated by LinkedIn to ensure they’re real users.

This also lets users see what their other LinkedIn connections are saying about specific pieces of software. It adds an additional layer of trust and helps users stay up-to-date with the latest and best software available on the market today.

You can also browse reviews of individual companies or compare two of them side-by-side to get a better comparison.

You’ll also find buyer guides for everything including business intelligence software, core HR software, social media, and even A/B testing.

SalesForce App Exchange

Apple isn’t the only place to list your app. Try SalesForce App Exchange.

Users have access to thousands of reviews. Those reviews are based on a five-star rating system.

They list each app with the most helpful positive review and most helpful negative review being shown first. Then they list all the reviews but the user can filter them by rating, date, and even helpfulness.

Review Sites for B2B and B2C Companies

Some companies sell products and services to both the public and to other companies. There are a few business review sites that cater to both niches.

Better Business Bureau

The Better Business Bureau is a nonprofit site. It evaluates all types of businesses based on a set of best practices for how businesses should treat the public.

It’s a site not used to endorse any companies but merely to provide the public with information about businesses and whether or not they have met the accreditation standards set forth by the BBB.

However, they review both accredited and non-accredited businesses. Each business has a profile listing that contains overview information such as the bio, their accreditation status, and any complaints against the business.

Also shown is customer reviews, what their BBB rating is, and whether or not any complaints against them were resolved.

Glassdoor

Glassdoor is a little different from all the other business review sites. It’s an employee review site.

Allowing employees review their place of work allows people, from prospective customers, investors, and employees gain inside knowledge about what it’s really like on the inside.

Employees are encouraged to share what it’s like to interview and work at their companies. You’ll also be able to see which companies are rated highest by their employees.

It’s free to set up an employer account. You can also easily track and respond to reviews.

Many employers also use this site to build their brand and recruit top candidates. However, you can also use this site as a tool to improve your company based on your employee’s reviews.