We love Yelp—and it seems 178+ million consumers do, too. It has been one of the most trusted online review sites and a reliable source of information about local businesses since its inception in 2004.
Looking for the best Indian restaurant in Southern California? Or a top-rated salon in Idaho? Maybe you want to find more information about a bakery before you place an order. Yelp is your go-to guru for all things local.
Maybe your business is on Yelp, maybe it’s not. Either way, it’s important to note that even though Yelp is one of the most trusted business review sites, relying on a single platform to carry your online reputation is not enough.
Customers these days find it hard to trust a new business. And even though Yelp is a well-respected review site, it has faced several controversies over fake reviews, making it tough for consumers to consider Yelp as the holy grail of truth.
If you want to build a healthy online presence that acts as a green flag to your target audience, you need to expand your horizons and show up in a variety of places.
5 Review Sites like Yelp Small Businesses Should Be On
For small businesses looking for review sites like Yelp, here are our top five picks:
- Google Business Profile
- Foursquare
- Facebook
- Better Business Bureau (BBB)
- Yellow Pages
Let’s dive into the specifics of each platform.
1. Google Business Profile
The number of customers who read online reviews before making a purchase has only increased in recent years. Data from BrightLocal’s 2022 Local Consumer Review Survey indicates that 98% of consumers read online reviews for local businesses.
And sure, Yelp is popular… but Google is still the king of the jungle.
Google processes more than 90,000 queries every second. Of these, about 46% have local intent. This means that a majority of local consumers are using Google to discover and/or learn more about local businesses.
No matter what your local business offers, a majority of your customers will find you on Google. And it’s highly likely they’ll compare your Google profile with your competitors’ based on the following factors:
- Quantity and quality of reviews (A business with thousands of 4+ star ratings has an edge over businesses with a handful of reviews and less than 4-star ratings.)
- Photos
- NAP (Name, address, and phone number.)
- Answered questions
Looking for more GBP tips? Check out our Google Profile Optimization Guide.
2. Foursquare
Did you know that Foursquare is the underlying location engine powering brands like Snapchat, Twitter, Spotify, JetBlue, Coca-Cola, etc.? It’s a leading platform that helps businesses unlock the power of places and movements.
At its core, Foursquare is a review platform like Yelp that helps consumers discover and find more information about local businesses.
Customers can explore local businesses by either scrolling down or hovering over the map on the right-hand side. They can also apply filter(s) to narrow down their search. From there, customers can save, share, like, and review Foursquare listings. They can even apply filters or search specific keywords to discover reviews about a specific product or service a company offers.
To rank higher and create a long-lasting impression, optimise your Foursquare profile by adding high-quality photos, updating your name, address, and profile, and requesting consumer reviews.
3. Facebook
Love it or hate it, Facebook is still a big player in the game. As of this writing, Facebook has more than 2.9 billion monthly active users. While most people use Facebook to stay connected with their loved ones, this social platform is also a popular tool for finding local businesses.
To discover more about your business, customers can head over to your business’s Facebook page and gain insights into all kinds of information like your address, phone number, business hours, and pricing. They can even look at the photos you’ve uploaded, check out your posts, and read reviews left by your customers.
If you want to build a healthy Facebook presence, add as much information to your business page as you can. And of course, be sure to encourage your customers to leave you reviews there.
4. Better Business Bureau (BBB)
While customers are extremely cautious about fake reviews on sites like Yelp and Google, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) is a trusted name in business reviews and ratings.
Customers can leave reviews on BBB business listings; however, the BBB has its own way of reviewing businesses on a scale from A+ to F. Their unique grading system has nothing to do with customer feedback. Instead, it’s based on the following factors:
- Advertising issues known to BBB
- Business’s complaint history with BBB
- Failure to honor commitments to BBB.
- Licensing + government actions known to BBB
- Time in business.
- Transparent business practices.
- Type of business
Millions of consumers in the United States trust BBB. And their rating can heavily impact your business.
5. Yellow Pages
The popularity of Yellow Pages dates back to 1886; that’s when Reuben Donnelley created the first Yellow Pages directory. Since then, many companies have hopped on the bandwagon and published their own yellow pages directories.
Even though the popularity of the traditional physical Yellow Pages has declined, millions of people use The Real Yellow Pages to discover and learn more about local businesses.
Whether you run a restaurant, auto repair shop, or just about any type of business, establishing a Yellow Pages presence is worth considering.
Industry-Specific Review Sites to Consider
This list above was curated with readers from a variety of industries in mind. If you’re looking for industry-specific review sites, refer to the following articles:
Improve Your Online Presence with Podium
The modern customer’s journey is not linear. Your customers are likely to look you up on at least one or two review sites before they decide to do business with you. If you want to win their loyalty, it’s crucial to establish a strong presence across multiple customer review sites.
Podium helps local businesses like yours build a 5-star online presence, streamline customer communication, and so much more.
Want to see how Podium can transform your business? Watch a demo today.
