Great News for Reputation Management

Good news on the business reputation front- Angie’s List has now removed their paywall, and is not charging for memberships. Previously, there was a $40/year fee to become a member and have access to business reviews and company profiles.

If you’re unfamiliar with Angie’s List, you may not be in the home services market. Plumbing, landscaping, HVAC, roofing, concrete, and similar businesses are well represented on the site.

The problem, however, is that even though Angie’s List did have an impact on these businesses’ online reputations, not even one percent of the US population were members. What that means is that a company could have negative reviews and ratings, but hardly anyone would see them. Now, everyone can.

Here’s why this is awesome news:

We all know that content is king. Angie’s List has lots of content. Reviewers on the site “tend to give really meaty reviews” according to Angie Hicks, the site’s CMO and namesake. These reviews will only add value in the way of rankings.

You’ll also be able to respond to to reviews through the site. You will want to be sure to claim your profile so that you are notified of all new reviews and give you the ability to respond to them. Plus, the site saves copies of the original review- just in case it’s needed for a dispute.

Angie’s List will likely grow and cover more markets. Yelp did something similar when they started with restaurants, and expanded into other businesses. One thing is for sure, the company needs to increase revenue, and the way to do that is by increasing page views- which can be done by covering more businesses.

In time, we shall see how this all plays out- but we know that online reviews aren’t going away any time soon. If you need help with your business’ online reputation, contact Front Man Marketing for help.