Best Customer Review Sites to Grow Your Business

Customer reviews matter. In fact, some might argue that they play a starring role in shaping the customer’s perception and overall experience.

Bright Local's 2023 survey shows that 46% of consumers put as much weight on online reviews as they would on personal recommendation. Dixa claims that 93% of customers read online reviews prior to making a purchase. Of those customers, 47% share positive experiences, while a striking 95% share negative experiences. And according to The World Finance Review, customer reviews help generate an average of 18% increase in sales.

Businesses must prioritize their online reputation to stay competitive.

But with so many customer review sites in the market – where should you focus your effort?

In this article, we’ll explore the top customer review sites that can help you grow your business and make informed decisions about where to invest your time and resources.

1. Yelp

Yelp is an online review platform that has grown to become one of the largest review sites since its founding in 2004. The platform currently operates in several countries including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Users can search for local businesses by category, location, or keyword; and to share their reviews and ratings of the businesses on Yelp.

Business owners can claim their Yelp page and interact with customers by responding to reviews, adding photos and information to their profile, and advertising their business on the platform. Yelp also offers a range of tools and services to help businesses manage their online reputation and attract more customers.

How Can Yelp Benefits Your Business?

Engage with customers and respond to reviews to build trust and improve reputation.
Use Yelp’s advertising tools to target specific audiences and increase actual foot traffic.
Connect with the local community, build brand awareness, and grow customer base.

2. Google My Business (GMB)

Google My Business (GMB) is a free tool that allows businesses to manage their online presence across Google’s search engine and map listings. With over 90% of the market share and 8.5 billion searches per day on Google, having a strong presence on this platform can be crucial for businesses looking to attract new customers and build their reputation. GMB allows businesses to create a profile with important information such as their address, phone number, hours of operation, and photos.

How Can GMB Benefits Your Business?

Boost visibility on Google search engine and maps – Google uses information from a business’s profile to provide relevant search results to users in all platforms.
Engage with customers through reviews, Q&A, and posts.
Drive direct website traffic, foot traffic, and business phone calls via GMB listings.
Google My Business provides analytics that can help businesses track how customers are finding and interacting with their profile. This information can be used to make data-driven decisions and improve marketing efforts.

3. Amazon Customer Reviews

There are more than 350 million products being sold directly by Amazon and by third-party sellers on Amazon. Users can share their experiences and opinions on each of these products – this makes Amazon easily one of the biggest customer review sites online. The platform uses a verified purchase system to ensure that reviews are genuine, and provides a range of review options such as star ratings and written feedback.

How Can Amazon Customer Reviews Benefits Your Business?

Amazon has an estimated of ~450 million users, with 200 million of them subscribed to Amazon Prime.
Straightforward customer rating system.
Reach out to new audience with Amazon's product ranking and recommendation features.

4. Angi

Angi connects customers with local service professionals across a range of products and services, including home improvement, cleaning, and landscaping. Angi, formerly known as Angie’s List, has accumulated over 5 million verified customer reviews and offers a range of tools for businesses to manage their online presence.

How Can Angi Benefits Your Business?

Resolve issues and complaints with existing customers on Angi.
Reviews on Angi are typically high quality – Use it to better understand your customers' needs.

5. Better Business Bureau (BBB)

Founded in 1912, BBB is a non-profit that operates across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Their mission is to help people find and recommend businesses they can trust, and to resolve disputes between customers and companies. They do this by collecting and analyzing information on businesses, accrediting those that meet their standards, and providing ratings and reviews to the public.

BBB’s system is based on their Standards for Trust, which include honesty, transparency, and responsiveness to customer complaints. They also offer a dispute resolution process, where they act as a mediator between the customer and the business to find a mutually satisfactory solution.

How Can BBB Benefits Your Business?

Build trust and credibility with consumers through BBB accreditation
Resolve customer complaints and demonstrate commitment to customer satisfaction
Enhance your reputation through positive ratings and reviews

6. ConsumerAffairs

ConsumerAffairs is a consumer news and advocacy organization founded in 1998. The organization’s mission is to help consumers make informed decisions by providing them with information and reviews about products and services. The organization is headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma; and has a team of expert writers and researchers who provide in-depth reviews and analysis on a wide range of consumer products and services.

The website, ConsumerAffairs.com, offers a platform for consumers to share their experiences and reviews about businesses, products, and services. The website provides a space for customers to rate and review businesses, and these reviews are then used to help other consumers make more informed decisions.

How Can ConsumerAffairs Benefits Your Business?

ConsumerAffairs is a well-respected consumer advocacy organization, and having a listing on the site can help businesses establish credibility with consumers.
Simple and straightforward customer review system.

7. Trustpilot

Founded in Denmark in 2007, Trustpilot is an online review platform that lets consumers share their opinions on businesses. 167+ user reviews and 7.8 billion monthly impressions – Trustpilot is easily one of the top user review sites in the world. Its user-friendly interface and strict verification process (see Trustpilot's 2022 transparency report) have made it a popular choice for consumers and businesses alike.

How Can Trustpilot Benefits Your Business?

Add social proof to your website with Trustpilot widget.
Easily integrate with popular ecommerce platforms such as Magento and Shopify.

8. Capterra

Founded in 1999, Capterra is no stranger to those who often need to search and shop software and web services. At time of writing there are more than 2 million verified user reviews published on site and more than 500 shortlist reports to help shoppers choose.

One unique feature available on Capterra is the “Compare to” tool – it allows users to select up to four products and compare their features, pricing, and ratings. This helps users to easily identify the strengths and weaknesses of each solution, and to determine which product is the best fit for their needs.

How Can Capterra Benefits Your Business?

Build trust and credibility with potential customers through verified reviews
Easy pros and cons list for each business / product

9. G2

G2 is a software review platform that has quickly become the go-to resource for consumers seeking trustworthy information on software and services. With over 1.5 million reviews and more than 90,000 products – G2 has emerged as a formidable player in the crowded software review space. Its platform offers a range of features, including detailed product listings, side-by-side comparisons, and industry-specific reports and insights.

How Can G2 Benefits Your Business?

Video review option available – Users can record themselves and demonstrate your products in their video review.
Get valuable insights and genuine feedback from verified customers
Market research – compare the strengths and weaknesses of your products with your competitors
Easy pros and cons list for each business / product.

10. Zomato

Zomato is an Indian restaurant aggregator and food delivery platform that operates in over 24 countries. It was launched in 2010 by Deepinder Goyal and Pankaj Chaddah and started as a website that provided information about restaurants in Delhi, India. Over time, it expanded its services to other cities in India and then to other countries.

Zomato’s main business model is providing information about restaurants, including menus, photos, reviews, ratings, and contact information, to help users make informed decisions about where to eat. In addition to this, Zomato also offers a food delivery service, allowing users to order food from restaurants that are listed on their platform.

How Can Zomato Benefits Your Business?

Reach out to more potential customers through listing and verified customer reviews.
Increase online sales by taking direct orders from Zomato users.
Improve brand recognition by adding menu, photos, and business contacts on Zomato.

Which Review Site is Best for You?

Two Questions to Ask When Choosing for a Review Site

What type of business are you running? Who are your primary target audience? These are the two main questions to ask when choosing a review site for your business.

Look out for review sites that are already hosting your competitors and have a large user base. Find out who are your target audience and what review sites they are likely to use. If you are a restaurant owner, you may want to focus on review sites like Yelp or Zomato, which are popular among foodies. For business software and tools, G2 Crowd and Capterra are the sites to go.

Review the features and tools that the site offers – including the ability to respond to reviews, access to analytics, and the option to customize your business profile. Choose a site that offers features that are important to your business.

Wrapping Up

Business review sites provide businesses with the opportunity to attract more customers and gain valuable insights into their customers’ needs and preferences. While there are potential drawbacks, such as fake / unfair reviews and the heavy resources involved to maintain the presence on review sites; the benefits usually outweigh the risks. By actively managing online presence on review sites, your businesses can thrive in the digital age and stay ahead of the competition.

Best Customer Review Sites to Grow Your Business