RatePoint vs. Shopper Approved

Choosing the right customer rating and review system for your website is very important, so it's good to know the facts before you buy.

To help you make a better, more informed decision, we've put together this article to help highlight some of the similarities and differences between Shopper Approved and RatePoint, one of our main competitors.

Background
Both RatePoint and Shopper Approved were created by companies with backgrounds in online security. RatePoint was started by the founders of Geotrust (an SSL company), and Shopper Approved was started by the founders of Trust Guard (a PCI Security Scanning company). The knowledge and experience that the founders of both companies have had in the security industry, provides the perfect foundation for online reputation management.

Similarities
When it comes to basic services, RatePoint and Shopper Approved both focus primarily on overall customer experience reviews rather than specific product reviews (click here to find out why this approach is 10x better). In addition, both companies offer seals and widgets to effectively display your reviews, a member control panel to manage them, and private dispute resolution services with the ability for unhappy customers to improve their ratings once their issues have been resolved. But that's where the similarities end and the differences start really standing out.

Differences
While both companies collect ratings and reviews, the techniques and strategies are very different. Here's a chart highlighting several of the main differences between the two companies, along with a short description of each item.

RatePoint	Shopper Approved
1 criteria Customers are rated on only one criteria, which provides very little feedback for new customers when trying to make a buying decision.	7 criteria Shopper Approved rates customers on 7 important criteria, which are: •Overall satisfaction •Recommend to a friend •Likelihood of buying again •Price satisfaction •Product or Service satisfaction •Delivery satisfaction (products only) •Customer service All of these criteria combine to form a thorough, comprehensive snapshot, which helps to educate, entice, and motivate new customers to buy.
Costs go up as you get more ratings While the initial ratings are free, the monthly fees increase over time as your list grows, eventually reaching costs of up to $700/mo!	Low fixed price – Unlimited ratings Shopper Approved offers the lowest pricing in the industry, with our Premium, Unlimited service priced at only $49.95/mo.
Generic seals RatePoint seals offer no visual relationship between their brand and your website.	Custom, Authenticated seals Every Shopper Approved seal includes your websites name, which adds instant authentication and brand recognition.
No valuable information on seals Visitors have to actually click on the RatePoint seal to see any ratings or information about your website.	Highly valuable information on seals Both the number of ratings and the overall satisfaction 5-star rating is displayed on every Shopper Approved seal in real-time, so customers can get an instant snap-shot.
No control over reviews All ratings and reviews are displayed in order of date.	Hand-pick your top reviews Our hand-picked rating and review option allows you to highlight specific customer feedback, so you can put your best foot forward.
Ambiguous brand From an online shoppers point-of-view, the term RatePoint has very little personal meaning.	Customer targeted brand The 'Shopper Approved' name adds instant, positive brand appeal and value to your website.

Summary
Bottom line, when it comes to customer ratings and reviews, Shopper Approved is the clear winner. Whether you're a brand new company trying to establish trust and build your reputation, or a large company trying to enhance social proof and increase your conversion, Shopper Approved provides your new customers with the resources and tools they need in order to buy from you.

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