There are so many places online where you can find local businesses near you.
If you’re like most people, these days, when you want to find a local business, your search probably starts online. After all, the people you know personally who could recommend businesses to you have probably only worked with one (maybe two) roofer, dentist, plumber, etc., but using the full might of the internet, you can learn about dozens of roofers, dentists, and plumbers in your area and compare them.
Another reason why people tend to look online instead of asking for referrals from friends and family is online reviews. Despite the fact that occasional fake or dishonest reviews happen, largely, people trust online reviews from anonymous strangers just as much as they trust personal recommendations.
By reading a business’ reviews, you get a better understanding of what working with them is like. And, since you’re learning about many experiences with the business versus just one or two (which is what you get from a personal recommendation), you’ll get a better idea of the kind of consistent service they offer their clients.
There are a lot of reasons to look for local businesses online and even more reasons to choose Top Rated Local® as your go-to review source when you do so.
3 Reasons to Find Local Businesses With Top Rated Local
#1. Read a business’ reviews from across the web.
The whole point of actually reading reviews is to get to know a local business that you’re thinking about working with, but if you read just one review source, you’re only getting a single part of the picture. That’s because there are different reviews across different review sites, and chances are, they’re not all going to be identical.
I think that most people assume that, if a business has many positive, glowing reviews on one review source, they’ll have the same kind of reviews across every review site it’s listed on. But, that’s not necessarily the case.
If a business puts its focus on managing its reputation on one source rather than another, you’ll probably find a lot of current reviews on one site and not-so-current reviews on another. You may also find more negative reviews on sites the business isn’t focused on.
Reading a business’ online reviews is supposed to give you an idea of what it’s actually like to work with them, but those reviews won’t be the same across every site. And, when you check out a business’ online reputation on Top Rated Local, you can read a business’ reviews from a variety of sources from one convenient place.
#2. Learn about a business’ overall online reputation.
You can only learn so much about a business by looking at a single review source, even if it’s Google. That’s because a business’ online reputation on Google might not be the same as its reputation on Yelp or with the Better Business Bureau, and without ever working with the business in question, it’s impossible to tell which one of these sources actually reflects what kind of service they provide.
Let’s say you’re looking for a local nail salon near you. Your top choice has 134 reviews on Google with an average rating of 4.7 — not bad at all. However, on Yelp, the same nail salon has 47 reviews with an average rating of two and a half stars, which doesn’t quite inspire the same kind of confidence or peace of mind as the business’ Google My Business rating.
Unlike other review sites, where the average star rating only reflects the reviews on that site, Top Rated Local’s Rating Score™ is based on a business’ reviews across a variety of verified sites. This gives you more peace of mind and gives you a better gauge of what working with a business is like.
#3. Top Rated Local isn’t pay to play.
When you start your search for a local business on a lot of review sites, the top results aren’t always the results with the best reviews. If you’re looking to work with the highest-rated business in your area, the number one result isn’t always the business with the best reviews and the highest average star rating. Unfortunately, on many review sites, it’s the business that pays the most for their listing.
While the vast majority of directories and review sites list businesses for free, on some sites, businesses have the option of paying for a membership plan, which will ensure that they stay up at the top of the list. This can be incredibly frustrating for consumers who are just looking for the right local business.
At Top Rated Local, businesses can sign up to become “Staff Favorites,” which shows up at the top of the list, but from there, every business, including Staff Favorites, will be listed based on one thing and one thing along — their Rating Score.
And, if you really want to work with only the best of the best, Top Rated Local makes it even easier with its awards program. Every week, Top Rated Local awards the top 100 businesses in a state, as well as the top five businesses across a variety of industries in that state. So, whether you’re looking for the best accounting firm, lawyer, or window cleaner, a great first place to look is the Top Rated Local awards.
In conclusion, looking at a business’ listing on one review can only give you some idea of what working with them is like. Instead of wasting your time looking up a business on 10 different review sites or putting your trust in it with only part of the picture, turn to Top Rated Local to get the whole thing. Find a local business near you today!
