The Complete Guide to Customer Reviews for Small Business

Customer reviews are powerful for small businesses. Reviews left on Google, Yelp or other review websites help potential customers decide whether they want to purchase from you – or your competition.

We use reviews so often we may not even realize how seamlessly they influence us. Consider the reviews for each of the two dental practices below. Let’s say you just moved to a new area and need a dentist. Like most people, you turn to Google to find a local practice.

Which of the two offices are you more like to try to make an appointment?

Dentist A is the clear winner. You would likely not even click on Dentist B.

With one simple Google search, your customers can easily compare your small business to competitors and learn about the customer experience they are likely to have. More positive online reviews can be the final nudge potential buyers need to purchase or contact your company.

Some statistics about customer reviews to keep in mind:

• About 95% of customers read reviews before making a purchase.
• For every one-star increase that a business gets on Yelp, they see a 5-9% increase in revenue.
• Customers require a business to have at least 40 online reviews before they believe its average star rating.
• Negative reviews can stop an average of 40% of buyers from wanting to buy from a business.

Let’s forget the numbers for a second. You’ve put sweat and tears into building a great business yet it might not look as great online. So frustrating, right!? By getting more reviews, your online profile will more accurately reflect the fantastic business you’ve built. Plus, getting more reviews will help make sure that one bad review won’t tank your whole rating due to a one-off poor customer experience.

There are hundreds of online review platforms where customers can provide feedback about your organization. Depending on your industry, some are more relevant than others. For example, Yelp is a popular customer review website for restaurants, whereas TripAdvisor is more common for hospitality bookings.

Most reviews have similar features like the ability to see some basic metrics and respond to the reviews on the platform, but there are some features specific to each platform you might find helpful.

Let’s “review” the advantages and disadvantages of creating a profile on some of the most popular channels.

Google

Google’s Google My Business is a user-friendly tool for small businesses to maintain their online presence across Google – the world’s number one search engine. To help customers find your organization, you can set up a free account, verify your business, and begin telling your story.

Potential customers can quickly learn essential details of your small business such as:

• Products and services sold
• Business address
• Link to business website
• Phone number
• Hours of operation – especially relevant during COVID!
• Virtual tour and pictures

And of course, how past customers rated and reviewed their experience of working with your organization.