Choosing the Right Customer Review Platform

For most businesses, customer reviews play a crucial role in building trust, influencing purchasing decisions, and contributing to a businesses overall reputation. While they are often encouraged, for online businesses, reviews are not just beneficial - they're essential. Beyond helping potential customers making informed decisions, reviews also have significant technical and SEO implications.

Customers may wish to conduct research before making a purchase, evaluating product quality, payment methods, and delivery reliability. However, they may also look for insights into how a business handles issues if things happen to go wrong. As both consumers and retailers, we know that online commerce comes with its unique challenges - introducing distance and third-party involvement into the fulfilment process makes it inherently more complex than shopping in-store.

To effectively manage reviews, businesses can either collect them from multiple sources or invest in a dedicated review platform. While Google My Business reviews are often the go-to choice (thanks to Google’s dominance and the fact that the service is free), there are several third-party review platforms to consider. Let’s explore the options, their pros and cons, and why relying solely on Google may not be the best strategy.

Popular Third-Party Review Platforms

1. Trustpilot  

Pros: 

  • Recognised globally, a household name that will give credibility to your brand.  
  • Offers free and paid plans for better review management.  
  • Verified customer reviews reduce the risk of fake feedback.  
  • SEO benefits, as reviews appear in search results.  
Cons: 
  • Negative reviews can be hard to remove, even if unfair.  
  • The free plan is limited, and paid plans can be costly.  
  • Some businesses have raised concerns over the review moderation process. 

2. Feefo  

Pros: 

  • Verified purchase-only reviews reduce the risk of fake ones.  
  • Offers tools to collect feedback and showcase positive reviews.  
  • Integrates well with multiple eCommerce platforms and Email Service Providers meaning those verified reviews are targeted and easier to generate.  
Cons: 
  • Primarily suited to eCommerce businesses rather than service-based industries.  
  • Requires a paid subscription. 

3. Facebook Reviews  

Pros: 

  • Easy to collect reviews from engaged customers.  
  • Customers can share reviews, giving organic exposure.  
  • Free to use.  
Cons: 
  • Anyone can leave a review, increasing the risk of fake ones.  
  • Less control over managing negative or spam reviews.  
  • Facebook’s algorithm and policies are subject to frequent changes.  
  • Relying solely on Facebook could alienate some customers who do not engage with that social media platform.  

4. Reviews.io  

Pros: 

  • Allows businesses to collect both product and service reviews.  
  • Offers a widget to display reviews directly on your site.  
  • Integrates with Google Shopping.  
Cons: 
  • Paid service, which may not suit small businesses.  
  • Limited recognition compared to Trustpilot or Google. 

5. Trusted Shops  

Pros:  

  • Allows you to publish the Trusted Shops seal on your site.  
  • Increases consumer confidence around security, privacy and service.  
  • All reviews are verified purchases increasing credibility.   
  • Insurance backed guarantee-scheme offers security to shoppers, especially 1st time buyers.   
  • Integrates with Google Shopping. 
Cons: 
  • Paid service with thresholds, which may not be suitable for small businesses.  
  • Businesses must meet certain requirements to be eligible to display the trust mark widget. This can often be time consuming and if requirements change, businesses may need to invest to adapt.  

The Risks of Relying Solely on Google My Business Reviews

Google My Business reviews are free, and highly visible in Google search results, making them an attractive option. But are they widely trusted? Is the fact that they are so easily accessible, also the reason that makes your reliance on the vulnerable side? How long will GMB listings remain free? How long will the reviews already in there remain free?  Businesses relying only on GMB reviews may face significant risks: 

1. You Don’t Own Your Reviews  

Unlike third-party platforms where you have some control, Google owns your reviews. If Google decides to suspend your listing or remove reviews (which has happened to many businesses), you could lose years of hard-earned customer feedback overnight. Ask yourself who would you speak to if that happened? (see also point 3) 

2. Fake or Malicious Reviews Can Harm Your Reputation  

Since Google reviews are open to anyone, competitors or disgruntled individuals can leave false negative reviews. While you can report them, removal isn’t always guaranteed, and the damage may already be done. It can often be a long complex process to ‘prove’ that something maliciously written didn’t happen.  

3. No Direct Customer Support  

If a review issue arises, Google’s support options are limited. Businesses often struggle to get a response or resolution when disputes arise. 

4. Algorithm & Policy Changes  

Google frequently updates its policies, which could impact how your reviews are displayed or weighted in search rankings. If Google decides to limit the visibility of older reviews or change how ratings are calculated, it could affect your online presence. 

A Balanced Approach to Customer Reviews

Rather than putting all your eggs in the GMB basket, it’s best to diversify your reviews across multiple platforms. This way, if one platform makes a major change or removes reviews, your business isn’t left vulnerable. 

Best Practices for Review Management: 

  • Encourage customers to leave reviews across different platforms to spread your reputation.  
  • Monitor and respond to reviews promptly to maintain engagement. Regardless of the service you use, Search Engines are now placing a higher value on not just the reviews, but the fact that they are actively replied too. Customer engagement is seen as a key factor in whether a Search Engine recommends you.   
  • Use reviews as marketing assets by showcasing them on your website and social media.  
  • Invest in a review management tool, or delegate responsibility to a named person in your team as this will help to collect, manage, and display feedback efficiently. 

Conclusion

Customer reviews are a powerful asset, but relying solely on Google My Business can be risky. By utilising a mix of trusted third-party platforms, you can build a more resilient and credible online reputation. Diversifying your review sources ensures your business remains visible, trustworthy, and less susceptible to sudden policy changes. Ultimately, prevention is better than cure. If you are a business who is limited on time and/or resources, try to actively engage with an unhappy customer before you pay to publicly respond to them. Even just as a first step in this process, try sending out a post-purchase “Hey, how was your order?” email with clear instructions as to what they should do if there was an issue. If you provide an internal email address (and respond to it!) you may find that you have provided the platform for the unhappy customer to have vented, they will have felt respected and listened too, and depending on how you react (and what their expectations are), you may have saved yourself any potential 1* review online that you would otherwise have needed to invest time and money into putting out that particular fire.   

Ready to take control of your customer reviews? Our team at iocea is here to help you turn feedback into growth. Contact us today.