Never commit to a single review solution

Sometimes people are confused about HelpHound - and mistake us for a review site. We can see how that would happen - until you understand the crucial difference.

Try thinking of us as brokers. You come to us for the best review solution in the same way as you would go to an insurance broker for the right insurance. 

Let's use estate agency as an example - because it has gone through more evolutions than most businesses.  

In 2010 the 'go-to' review site for estate agents was... 

By 2012 it had become...

 In 2014 along came...

Then in 2015 PurpleBricks signed to...

 Then in 2016 Feefo took up the baton...

 
And all the while, the biggest review site in the world...

 - Note: before anyone says 'size matters' - Yelp retreated back to the USA at the end of 2016, closing its sales operations in London and the rest of Europe, sending a powerful message about review sites' ability to compete

Now - we have met more than one business that has been through every stage of this 'evolution' and many that have experienced at least two. And the questions they invariably ask us are...

• how do I know if we are with the right site now?
• if we move, can we take our reviews with us?
• how do we know which site will be right for the future?

And our answers?

How do I know if we are with the right site?

There are two basic tests:

• is it providing your business's reviews with maximum visibility in search?
• if it drops off Google's radar, can you take your hard-won reviews with you?

There are others - does it show my competitors? Does it involve linking away from my site? Is it CMA compliant? But these two are the crucial ones.


Can we take our reviews with us if we leave?

We have not found a site that allows this - yet. Do tell us if you know of one (except HelpHound, but then, as we said at the beginning of this article, we are not a review site). 


Right for the future?

All of the above sites looked set to dominate when they were 'bought' by the business in question, in 2010, 2013, 2016...


That's why HelpHound's business model is different - we work for you

Our role is to deploy your reviews where they will make the maximum impact - for now and for the future. You own your reviews, whether or not you remain a client of HelpHound. All the while you are a client of ours we will ensure:

• your business has great - independently verified - reviews on your own website
• your business has great reviews on external sites that matter
• your business is protected from unfair, misleading or inaccurate reviews - anywhere

And if this means advising you to get reviews to TrustPilot or AllAgents, then that's the advice we will give you. 

Currently, of course (we say 'of course', but not everyone reading this will be doing this) we are advising our clients in estate agency to focus on their own website, then Google, then Facebook, like this...

...and this

....and this

But if and when the landscape changes - for us or for you - we will be the first to advise. 

HelpHound: peace of mind - knowing your efforts will be paying dividends, now and for the future.