Business Reviews Checklist

When we publish articles listing our rankings for the best businesses, people or places in a certain industry and/or geographic area, we follow a special set of guidelines to ensure every candidate is reviewed fairly.

We update these articles reviews every 3-4 months. If you are not listed and you would like to be included, please let us know here.

These reviews are based on this rating list:

This checklist contains 100 key considerations we have when ranking a business on Best in Australia.

Business History

  1. Experience
  • Are they considered masters of their craft with high quality education and expertise?
  1. Accomplishments
  • What have the major accomplishments (if any) of the business been?
  1. Ownership
  • What is the ownership history of the business? (corporation, partnership, family etc.)
  1. Impact
  • What impact (if any) has the business made on the industry?
  1. Growth
  • How quickly did the business grow to its current market position?

Services

  1. Specific Services
  • What services does the business specifically offer?
  1. Special Features
  • Are there any special features that make the business stand out?
  1. Diversification
  • How much variety is there between services? Are their extras not offered by competitors?
  1. Layering
  • What layers of services are there (if any) and how do they differ in quality/value?
  1. Quality
  • What is the overall quality of their services when compared with the market average?

Pictures/Media

  1. Business Images
  • Authentic photos of the business that helps customers become familiar with it prior to visiting
  1. False Images
  • Check to ensure that all images are authentic and owned by the business – no fakes.
  1. Copyright
  • Further ensuring that all media is owned by the business
  1. Production Quality
  • How high is the quality of the businesses’ media? Does it feel modern or cheap?
  1. Engagement
  • How much engagement (if any) does the media generate through the business website?

Opening Hours

  1. Open Hours
  • What are the opening hours and how convenient are they for customers?
  1. Public Holidays
  • Are there any special public holidays they work on instead of closing?

Social Media

  1. Social Media Penetration
  • How popular is the brand on social media channels like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube?
  1. Social Media Engagement
  • What level of engagement does the business generate with social media audiences? How frequently are pages updated with fresh content?
  1. Follower Growth
  • How many followers does the page have relative to its competitors and age of operation?
  1. Customer Loyalty
  • How does their social media presence reinforce customer loyalty? Do they reply to comments or offer special discounts? Do customers voluntarily share business posts to their own pages?

Website Quality

  1. Information
  • Does the website provide all the necessary information a customer could want/need?
  1. Clarity
  • Does the website’s copy have correct spelling and grammar? Is the writing easy to understand?
  1. Writing Quality
  • What’s the overall sophistication of the website’s copy?
  1. Real-Time Chat
  • Does the website implement a functional chat system for customer help and support?
  1. Appointment Booking/Placing Orders
  • Can customers easily make appointments or order products online?
  1. Aesthetic Quality
  • How attractive is the website? Does it have a cohesive visual theme?
  1. Contact Information
  • Is there accurate contact information available on the website?
  1. Emblem/Logo
  • Does the business website have a distinctive logo or emblem?
  1. Licensing
  • Are all relevant licenses maintained in good order by the business?
  1. Security
  • Does the website have an adequate and in-date SSL security certificate?
  1. Link structure
  • Is the website easy to navigate? Does it have a logical link structure?
  1. Performance
  • How long does it take an average page to load?

Awards and Acknowledgements

  1. History
  • What awards have they won in the past and have they been consecutive?
  1. Legitimacy
  • Have they revived a similar award from multiple credible sources?
  1. Special Achievements
  • Is the brand known for any special achievements?

Feedback and Reviews

  1. Complaints
  • Are there any outstanding complaints about the business?
  1. PR response
  • How effectively has the business handled complaints and related PR issues?
  1. Fake Complaints
  • Does to business received fake or exaggerated negative feedback? How do they handle this?
  1. Lawsuits
  • Are there any current or pending lawsuits involving the business with regards to consumer law?
  1. Rating and Reviews
  • Does the business have legitimate and sincere reviews?
  1. Current Reviews
  • What do the most recent reviews say about the quality of the business?
  1. Reviewer Credibility
  • Do the people leaving review have authority/credibility behind their opinion?
  1. Frequency
  • Is there a natural frequency of reviews over the life of the business?
  1. Responses
  • How does the business respond both negative/positive reviews?
  1. Key Concerns
  • Were there any major concerns common across multiple negative reviews?
  1. Review Analysis
  • What is the overall impression the reviews give about the business?

Other

  1. Discounts
  • Does the business offer genuine discounts to its customers? Are they in cash or percentages?
  1. Value
  • Does the business give fair value for the price it asks for?
  1. Location
  • Where is the business located? Is it convenient for cusomers?
  1. Special Offers
  • Are there any special one-time offers or unique services offered?
  1. Gifting
  • Does the business provide a form of gift voucher?
  1. Multiple Locations
  • Does the business have branches in multiple areas?
  1. Phone Service
  • Does the business respond enthusiastically to phone calls? Do they provide good phone service?
  1. Address Confirmation
  • Confirming the physical address of the business.
  1. Insurance Information
  • What kind of insurance does the business have?
  1. Warranties and Returns
  • What kind of returns or warranties policy does the business have?
  1. Website Host
  • What server is the website hosted on?
  1. Fundraisers and Community Engagement
  • Has the business been active in the community through fundraisers other charity work?
  1. Overall Satisfaction
  • Overall, how satisfactory is the business?