As a business, you need to keep a keen eye on what your customers are saying about you. Your online reviews largely control the perception of your brand, which you must manage as much as possible.
Review aggregators are platforms that collect a large amount of reviews on a product, service, or business. It then “aggregates” and gives an average score. Consumers use that score to assess your business, its products and services.
It affects their purchasing decision, which is why they’re so important.
Don’t know much about them? Don’t worry, this guide will cover everything you need to know, including:
- What a review aggregator is
- Why your business should care about review aggregators
- The 15 most important review aggregators to focus on
- How to manage your reviews with ReviewBot
Ready? Let’s get started.
What Is a Review Aggregator?
Review aggregators are platforms that collect reviews on a product or service, ranking them based on an accumulated average score. Consumers use them to help with research before making a purchasing decision.
Review aggregators exist for a number of different industries, products, services, and niches. Some popular examples include:
- Rotten Tomatoes for films/movies/TV series
- Metacritic for video games
- Yelp for local businesses
- Glassdoor for employer reviews
- Google Play Store for Android apps
- App Store for Apple apps
- G2 for software reviews
Review aggregators make it extremely easy for consumers to compare products and services, based on available reviews. Some of them are websites, while others are software apps.
Why Should Your Business Care About Review Aggregators?
Review aggregators are important to consider for your business because they can influence your sales. Consumers will go to review aggregator platforms and assess the quality of a product or service. They’ll compare it to other options available on the marketplace.
For instance, the Rotten Tomatoes score of a film/movie can greatly affect how many people pay to see it. The same is true for buying games, based on a Metacritic score. In fact, every additional 5 points over an 80+ Metacritic score equates to double the sales.
As a business, you need to keep a keen eye on all review aggregator platforms that feature your products or services. They’re the best indicator of how good what you’re offering is, and where you stand compared to the competition. It’ll also give you a good idea where you can improve.
These Are the Most Important Review Aggregators to Focus On
There are quite a few review aggregators out there — a lot of them aren’t worth your time. Below we’ll list the most important ones you should focus on. Depending on the nature of your business not all of them will apply to you.
App Store
The App Store is an Apple platform that allows consumers to browse, purchase, and download Apple-based apps. Users can leave reviews for each app they use, which affects its aggregated score.
The platform allows users to identify all the highest rated, most popular apps for their Apple devices. Filters can be added to make this an easier process. The apps can be used on any Apple device, including the:
- iPhone
- iPod Touch
- iPad
- Apple Watch
- Apple TV
With over 1.8 million different apps on the platform, there’s endless options for Apple users. The most popular apps include Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and Snapchat.
Google Play Store
The Google Play Store is a Google platform that acts as the official app store for Android devices. On it, Android users can browse, purchase, and download various different apps created for the Android operating system.
The platform also acts as a review aggregator for the apps, hosting a large amount of user reviews. If you’ve bought an app from the Google Play Store you’re able to give a review yourself. Each app has an aggregated total score, which makes it easy to assess quality.
Aside from Android apps the store also features music, books, films/movies, and TV series.
And if there's something hugely important for mobile apps to focus on, it's their reviews: both good and bad. Replying to criticism and appreciating compliments gives new potential users a sign that you care. ReviewBot gives you instant alerts on new reviews so you can be fast in your customer support.
Yelp business pages
Yelp is a crowd-source local business review and social media site. The platform allows businesses to create their own pages, which customers can leave reviews on. For businesses, the page is a resource that gives important information to potential customers.
Local businesses can set up their Yelp business page, adding images, opening hours, product/service details — and much more. It’s also possible to respond to user reviews, which is important for online reputation management.
Consumers can use the platform to assess the quality of local businesses. The user reviews of each business adds to an aggregated score, which makes it easy to compare available options.
Amazon
Amazon is the world’s largest online e-commerce marketplace, selling just about anything and everything. As a business, the platform offers a place for one to sell its products to a large audience.
Amazon sellers can set up a storefront where consumers can buy their products and leave reviews. Every product an Amazon seller puts up for sale will have an aggregated review score, based on all its reviews.
Amazon storefronts also can be reviewed by users, which adds to its overall score. The quality of reviews are important on Amazon as it influences consumer purchasing decisions. Being able to assess product and seller quality is an essential component to consumer research.
Google My Business
google-business-review-aggregator
Google My Business is a platform for local businesses that combines with Google Maps and Google search. Businesses will have a business profile that shows up during a localized search query, or on Google Maps. The profile includes a variety of details about the business, including:
- Business name
- Physical location/address
- Phone number
- Website
- Photos
- About/blurb
- Google posts
- User reviews
- Aggregated review score
The platform provides a way for local businesses to connect with local search users. Consumers can browse all location options, comparing user reviews, and the overall aggregated score, which is out of 5 stars.
iTunes for podcasts
iTunes is a client app for the iTunes store, which offers a wide variety of digital multimedia. Some of the types of things on the platform include:
- Songs
- Albums
- Podcasts
- TV series
- Movies/films
- Books
Aside from offering those, the iTunes client app doubles as a multimedia library, categorizing a user’s digital collection. It also works as a media player and CD ripper.
The iTunes store is a great place for businesses that want — or have — a podcast. It makes it accessible to a large number of people. Users can leave reviews, which affects an aggregated score. Consumers can easily sort through all the best podcasts available, choosing the best.
Mac apps
The Mac App Store — also known as the App Store — is a platform that offers Mac operating system apps. Consumers can buy/download all sorts of different softwares for their Macs, including:
- Safari browser extensions
- Apple arcade games
Developers can join the Apple Developer Program, which allows them to submit apps for consideration. If successful, their apps can be featured on the App store.
All Mac App Store apps can be reviewed by users, which adds the app’s aggregated review score. This score makes it easy for individuals to compare apps, making it easy to find high quality options.
Trustpilot
Trustpilot is a consumer review website that allows individuals to write reviews for various businesses. The categories of businesses reviewed are diverse, including things like:
- Banks
- Travel insurance
- Jewellery stores
- Car dealerships
- Furniture stores
- Cosmetics
- Pet services
- Salons
- Dental services
Those are just a few of the many — Trustpilot pretty much covers all industries and niches.
For businesses, Trustpilot is used similarly to Yelp and Google My Business in that you set up a page. It’ll include images, product and service details, opening hours, a website and a phone number.
Each business will have an aggregated review score, based on all the reviews they’ve received. Consumers can use this accumulative score to easily find the best options available to them.
Angie's List
Angie’s List is a crowd-sourced review website for local businesses and contractors. It covers popular services like:
- Plumbing
- Painting
- Electrical
- Roofing
- Heating
- A/C
- Landscaping
- Housecleaning
- Remodeling
Consumers can enter in their ZIP code and compare the top-rated service providers in their area. The ratings of each business/contractor is determined by price, quality, responsiveness, punctuality, and professionalism.
Each business/contractor has its own page, which includes images, service details, a website, physical location, and phone number. All individual reviews are also visible, along with an aggregated score. This makes it easy for users of the platform to find the best option for them.
Glassdoor
Glassdoor is a job search engine and review website where employees can anonymously review its employers. The reviews critique specific aspects of employment, including benefits packages, salary, and work environment.
The platform makes it easy for employees who are currently unemployed, or receiving additional offers to make informed career decisions. Employees are able to claim their company profile on Glassdoor, which includes important information about the organization.
Each employer has an aggregated review score, based on all the reviews given by employees. Glassdoor has a stringent screening process that ensures all reviews are authentic, actually coming from real employees. This makes it a great resource for employees to browse.
Foursquare
Foursquare is a local search-and-discovery app that recommends locations, based on the user’s geographical location. Dubbed the “Foursquare City Guide,” the app will identify local restaurants, cafes, shops, bars, nightclubs, theater, and much more.
Using the app, consumers can discover new spots they’ve never known about before, creating opportunities for new experiences.
Each local business has its own page, which includes important information, like:
- Business name
- Physical location/address
- Photos
- Phone number
- Directions
Each local business has an aggregated review score out of 10, which is based on all the user reviews given. This makes it easy for consumers to find high quality local options in their neighbourhood.
Capterra
Capterra is an online marketplace and review website for business softwares. On the platform consumers can review and compare software from over 700+ different categories — examples include:
- Customer relationship management (CRM)
- Accounting
- Email marketing
- Human resources
- Helpdesk software
- Inventory management
- Task management
Software vendors can create listings for their products and services. Your product profile will include features, screenshots, and reviews.
Each individual software product has an aggregated review score, based on all user reviews. This makes it effortless for individuals to compare all available options.
GoodFirms
GoodFirms is a research and review platform for finding better software and service providers. With it, consumers can find the best solutions available for their specific needs. Some of the software categories featured on the platform include:
- Accounting
- Customer relationship management (CRM)
- Human resources
- Document management
- SEO
- Marketing automation
- eCommerce
For service providers you’ve got mobile app development, SEO services, digital marketing, web design, e-commerce, and many others.
GoodFirms serves as an effective consumer research tool for those that need business software. The platform makes it easy to compare all available options. Each specific product and service has an aggregated review score, based on all user reviews.
G2
G2 is a tech marketplace and review platform for business software and services. Real, authenticated reviews are used to give each individual product and service provider an aggregated score.
The platform covers a wide variety of different software categories — popular examples include:
- Customer relationship management (CRM)
- Marketing
- Local SEO
- Human resources
- Payment gateways
- Mobile app development
Software developers can claim a listing for their products and services. The profile page will include essential information, like pricing, a short biography, contact details, and a website. There’s also the aggregated review score, based on all user reviews.
Yahoo! Local Listings
Yahoo Local Listings provide a way for you to control your local business listings across 70+ different online listings. Dubbed “Localworks,” users can keep their various listings up-to-date regarding business information.
The all-in-one platform gives you easy access to all the reviews across your listings. You can easily optimize for search engines, GPS, social media, apps, and digital maps. By aggregating all of your business profile listings, it saves you time and effort.
Here's How to use ReviewBot to Manage Your Reviews in One Place
Managing all the reviews your business and its products/services can be time consuming. With so many different business listings and platforms you need to be on, you’d have to visit them all. What you need is a tool that can manage all of your reviews in one place.
ReviewBot can help you do this. It scans all of your reviews across all the major platforms, such as:
- Yelp
- Google My Business
- Amazon
- The App Store
- Google Play Store
Real-time tracking will keep you apprised of any and all new reviews. You’ll be sent a notification, so you can respond promptly, ensuring time sensitivity. Notifications can also be filtered according to feedback, so you’re only alerted of reviews you care about.
ReviewBot effortlessly integrates with Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Zendesk — it’ll fit in with your other tools. Other great features include competitor tracking, automatic language translation, status reports, and social sharing.
With ReviewBot, you’ll be able to more easily manage your online reviews, taking your reputation management to the next level.
Conclusion
In this guide we covered everything you need to know about review aggregators.
Review aggregators accumulate large amounts of user reviews on a product, service, or business. They spit out an average, accumulative score, which consumers use as a research tool.
They — review aggregators — influence consumer purchasing decisions, which is why they matter for your business.
Make sure you keep your customer feedback in check with ReviewBot. With a 14-day free trial and plans starting at just 5$/month, any business can now show their users that they care about them.