Is Angie's List Costing You Business?

I'm a huge fan of the business review site, Angie's List

. I find it amazing that a company can charge a fee, and consumers will pay that fee to look at business reviews on their website, when they can see similar reviews on dozens of other sites for free. But they do, and we do too. And because of that, I have a concern for you the business owner.

Who's Your Daddy?

I don't know what the numbers are, but I have to believe that many, many more people look on Google for a local service provider than look on Angie's List. That being said, it's important to note that many of the good and great businesses listed on Angie's List are ecstatic with the results, especially if they have great reviews. Here's the problem.

When a business owner gets a great reviews on Angie's List, that review encourage others with a paid subscription to Angie's List to hire them. They do a great job and ask their customer to review their service on Angie's List for others with paid subscriptions to see. More great reviews on Angie's List generates more business from subscribers to Angie's List and cycle goes on and on. So where's the problem?

But Wait, There's More

Did you know that customers can review local service providers on Google and dozens of other review sites as well? And did you know that Google aggregates the reviews from those other sites and shows them on their local search page for free? Problem is, since Angie's List charges their customers to see their reviews and does not allow Google to post their reviews on Google, only a small percentage of the people who could see these reviews actually see them.

Because of that, the local service providers who generate great reviews on Angie's List aren't able to share those reviews with the people who are looking for their service on Google. Without knowing any better, these service providers are becoming a big fish in the smaller Angie's List pond, when they could become a big fish in the ocean of Google customers.

Solution

If you're a local service provider who's generating great reviews on Angie's List, consider that those same great reviews could just as easily be posted on Google. Ask your customers to post their reviews on Google too, where other potential customers are looking for the service you offer. You can even ask them to write a similar review on one of the many other review sites which Google will eventually show in their results.

Google is the 800 pound guerrilla when it comes to local search. If you want to attract many more customers, let me encourage you to spend time with the guerrilla. No disrespect to Angie's List, I'm a fan. But it's hard to ignore Google when that's where the money is.

by: Bob Sommers

POST COMMENT

Business Phone Systems - Advice For Buyers Payday Fast Loans: Secure Quick Cash Against Your Forthcoming Payday Harvard Business School On Meaningful Work Payday loans no credit check cash advance-Get extra cash before payday Obtaining True Business Credit Lines ACTING IS A BUSINESS - SECRETS TO A POWERFUL & EFFECTIVE HEADSHOT Bad credit business loans-Establish your business Traditional Business Transforms Into a Process-Driven Enterprise No Bank Account Payday Loans - Perfect Solutions for Swift Cash How To Start A Bookkeeping Business, Is There A Market For A Virtual Service SEO Services - drive the relevant part of the enormous traffic to your business Improving The Flow Of Your Business With Elearning Protect Your Business From Your Employees With Photo Id Systems