Top Review Platforms and Their Importance in eCommerce

There are many portals and services dedicated to publishing reviews and analyses of stores, brands, and products. That is why we have decided to review the best ones so that you can focus on them. It is very important to have them on your radar and properly monitor what happens on these platforms.

In the following post, we will analyze how Google Reviews, Trustpilot, Trusted Shops, Verified Reviews, and Ekomi work, but let's start by briefly reflecting on why and to what extent they are important for any online store.

Let’s get started!

It is as simple as understanding our own behavior when making an online purchase and extrapolating it to what most users do.

One of the most widespread behaviors in any purchase process, when reaching the consideration phase of their customer journey, is seeking arguments that validate our budding purchase decision. How? Usually by turning to the experiences and testimonials of our peers. The famous social proof that we have talked about many times on this blog.

This is where review platforms come in, as they not only centralize a larger number of reviews but also provide extra confidence for users, who see them as an impartial and authoritative intermediary. Additionally, they represent a direct point of contact with the end user, allowing us to monitor our reputation and act when necessary.

Thus, having a strong profile on these sites makes us sell more and better. That is why many online stores prominently display ratings from these platforms on their own websites: to reinforce their reputation.

The most popular and widely consulted—there is no question about it. Google’s review system integrates directly with other search services, making it especially visible given the American company’s large market share in Spain and the rest of Europe.

We can find it embedded in the Google My Business profiles, making it very accessible and, coming from Google, it is also understood to be validated by one of the internet’s biggest authorities.

In business profiles, the rating and review link are very visible, but let’s not forget that they can also be used as Google Ads extensions, which speaks to their ability to boost ad conversions. For SEO, they also offer benefits, as they can be used in rich snippets.

Its connection with Google Maps even makes it interesting if you have a physical store.

Another veteran platform in customer reviews. What I like most about Trustpilot is that it is a portal, so it lacks the integration we discussed with Google, but it provides a very comprehensive experience for both users and businesses.

For example, besides having a search engine to find specific cases, we can filter by categories (they have over 20 and more than 150 subcategories). This means we can find the best-rated in each if we do not have a clear preference.

For businesses, they offer a good management system, and their paid plans (among other things) include various widgets you can incorporate into your store to display reviews and ratings.

To use Trustpilot's service, prepare to pay no less than 139 euros/month for the basic service.

You have probably seen the Trusted Shops seal in more than one online store. It has gradually become one of the best review platforms for eCommerce.

This happened because they implemented a well-functioning review system, with a review team and systems to ensure authenticity, and added value.

In this case, online stores subscribed to Trusted Shops allow customers who wish to do so to insure their purchases to ensure that orders arrive at their destination. This service has an additional cost, but it is for the company, not the buyer.

For businesses, they offer two main tools: the seal we already discussed, which is associated with secure purchases, the review system (which can also be used in Google Ads as they are partners with Google), and a social media management platform.

Prices are not published, but from what we know from some clients, the basic plans start at around 1,500 euros/year.

With Verified Reviews and a name that is a statement of intent, we reach the fourth spot on our list.

It may not be the most well-known review service among those seen so far, but they boast having collected over 26 million reviews, a considerable volume.

Verified Reviews works both in generating and collecting all these reviews and also has a significant section devoted to distributing them. Their system even allows for automatic translation into different languages, amplifying the reach and value of each review.

It is worth saying that they are also Google partners, so their data can be used for SEO and SEM, with a more affordable plan starting at 69 euros/month.

Let´s finish with Ekomi, a platform with a strong presence in our country and others around us.

It works very similarly to the other services we have mentioned so far: when an order is received, the platform requests a review from the buyer, manages it, and, if necessary, moderates and indexes it so that search engines can display it in their results pages (in addition to integrating it into the client’s own online store).

It is a fairly interesting solution to consider when integrating this type of tool, but it is not the most accessible.

Prices are not published, but from what we know from some clients, the basic plans start at around 1,500 euros/year.