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. If anyone has access to the data, please post them below. 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.

Business owners get great reviews on Angie’s List. Their great reviews 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 generate 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 too? And did you know that Google aggregates the reviews from those other sites and shows them on their local search page? Problem is, Angie’s List charges their customers to see their reviews and does not allow Google to post their Angie’s List reviews on Google. If they did, no one would pay to see the reviews on Angie’s List.
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 local business  owners 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 and I’m sure they would be happy to do for you.

Get Your Business On Angie’s List

If your business is not on Angie’s List, by all means, please sign up. You want your business on as many sites as possible, and Angie’s List might be one of the best places for you to be seen.

Just go to www.Company.Angieslist.Com and click on the “Register Now” button. They will walk you through the sign-up process and educate you on Angie’s List along the way. You definitely want to be seen here. As I mentioned earlier, Angie’s List is one of my favorite sites, but …

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 huge fan, but it’s hard to ignore Google when their results are front and center on every search result.

3 Responses to “Is Angie’s List Costing You Business?”

  1. MN says:

    Great article! I will definitely repost my “A” reviews of companies I did business with on Angie’s List to Google. What an excellent idea! Thanks for helping me see things another way. -Mary

  2. Rod Bird says:

    I have to agree that being listedon Angies list is a great wayt o be found by localk customers. My business and website gets new vistitors form the Hotsprings/ Mena,Ar area every week.
    Garden Bridges and Picnic Tables
    http://www.Redwoodbridges.com
    Being found on Google is also very important for nationwide serivce providers and where most of our business comes from.
    Nice article and thanks for sharing it.

  3. eileen says:

    most contractors I said most like several i am acquainted with have satisfaction policies. Meaning if someone is willing 100% to return to try to fix any concerns they should be given the opportunity to do so. I was astounded when I realizaed yyou have to pay for Angies List with little room for rebuttals – some of the customers that post on there either have never tried to resolve the issue first they just make accusations. When 99% say someone is great then you get there and 3 people say never again who will you believe?