Business Owner Guidelines

Ratings & Reviews for businesses

Ratings & Reviews is an important part of TrueLocal that lets users share with others their experiences of businesses. People generally prefer to get recommendations about goods and services they’re shopping for and this is a great way to get personal recommendations online.

Ratings & Reviews has specific benefits for businesses. A good review can help your business stand out from the competition and win customers. Even a so-so review can help businesses learn what their customers want. Interestingly though, people are inclined to write reviews only if they want to give the business a good rap.

Want to be the first to know what customers are saying about you? No worries - just register your business with TrueLocal (it’s free, by the way) and you’ll be entitled to:

• Receive email alerts of new reviews of your business as they’re posted
• Add comments to reviews that have been posted
• Select the best review of your business to go to the top of the list
• Flag any reviews you are concerned about to our moderation team

Frequently asked questions about Ratings and Reviews

• How do I register my business for Ratings & Reviews?
• Can people say anything they like about my business?
• Can I respond to a review?
• Can anyone else pretend they are me and write reviews and comments?
• Will people know I am the business owner or manager if I write a review for my own business?

How do I register my business for Ratings & Reviews?

If you are already a registered business you simply need to log into the ’Business Manager’ and click on ’My Profile’. If you have not yet registered your business just follow these steps:

1. Search for your business listing and go directly to your business details page.
2. Click on the ’Register My Business’ link on the right side of the page, under the map. You will be taken to a business submissions form. Please check your business details and click the ’Submit’ button.
3. Finally, a member of our Content Services team will call to verify you as the business owner/manager. Once completed, you are ready to start enjoying all the registered business owner benefits

Can people say anything they like about my business?

Users are free to write anything they like but no review will go live until it has gone through a stringent moderation process. Any review containing content of a defamatory nature or inappropriate language will not be posted on the site.

If you’re concerned with a review you can contact the Content Services Team and the review will be removed from the site whilst it undergoes moderation.

Can I respond to a review?

Yes. Once you’ve registered as a business owner or manager you can respond to any reviews or comments on your listing.

Can anyone else pretend they are me and write reviews and comments?

No, our registration process offers many safeguards. Once you’ve registered as a business owner a TrueLocal representative will call you to validate the information. Your unique password, email address and user name means no one else can post reviews and comments or respond to existing reviews under your business name.

Will people know I am the business owner or manager if I write a review for my own business?

Yes. Once you have registered as a business an icon will attach itself to any content you generate for your own listing. If you engage in a public conversation with a reviewer it will be clear you are the owner or manager. The same applies if you choose to review your own business describing your products and services.