Do you need reviews anywhere other than Google?

Once you start collecting Google reviews, someone will ask about Facebook, or an industry directory, or the booking platform you use. It is a fair question. The honest answer is that most small businesses should put most of their effort into one place, and it is usually Google.

Why Google usually comes first

When a stranger looks you up, they usually search your name or your type of business and suburb. Your Google Business Profile is what appears, in search and in Maps, and the reviews sit right there. Reviews on other platforms only help people who are already on those platforms.

When another platform matters more

• Your customers book through it. Accommodation hosts on booking platforms, salons on booking apps, trades on job marketplaces. Reviews on the platform decide whether you get chosen there. See reviews for motels, B and Bs and holiday stays.
• Your industry has a dominant directory. Some industries have one site that buyers check before anything else. If yours does, it deserves attention alongside Google.
• Your community lives on Facebook. For some local businesses, Facebook recommendations and local groups drive a lot of word of mouth.

Do not split one stand across platforms

A single stand listing three review sites gets fewer reviews on each than one stand pointing at one place. Choose your main platform for in person asks. Use your follow up email or invoice for a second platform if you need one. See seven places to put your review link.

Follows are different

A Facebook or Instagram follow is not a review. It is a way to stay in touch. Plenty of businesses benefit from a review stand for Google and a follow stand for social, side by side. See getting follows in person.

The same rules apply everywhere

Incentives, fake reviews and selective asking are problems on every platform, and Australian Consumer Law applies to your conduct wherever the review sits. See asking for reviews without breaking the rules.

A simple rule of thumb

Ask yourself where a new customer last checked you before they called. Put your in person effort there. For most local businesses, that answer is Google.