Survey: Amazon, Google top SMB ‘Trust Index’

Local business network Alignable released its most recent small business (SMB) Trust Index Report, which reflects net promoter scores (NPS) from its member base. The company says it’s now monitoring “115 brands across 25 categories” and capturing ratings from more than 50,000 business owners.

All Alignable members are permitted to rate brands, and the company does not screen for customer or purchaser status. However, Alignable argues that this methodology provides a more accurate picture of brand reputation than selectively polling customers.

Here’s the list of highest-rated brands overall in Q4 2017:

1. Amazon
2. Google
3. Authorize.Net
4. Apple
5. WordPress
6. FedEx
7. Stripe
8. PayPal
9. Google Apps
10. UPS
11. LinkedIn
12. MailChimp
13. Square
14. Vistaprint
15. 1&1
16. Twitter
17. Dropbox
18. Microsoft Office
19. Intuit Quickbooks
20. OpenTable

The company also released a list of reputation leaders by category. Those not already on the list above include:

• E-commerce: WooCommerce
• Social & Digital: YouTube
• Traditional & Events: Eventbrite
• Marketing Automation & CRM: HubSpot
• Hiring: Indeed
• People Management: ADP
• Banking: American Express
• Accounting: Intuit Quickbooks
• Communications: Verizon

In the past, the ratings were somewhat opaque, but Alignable has now started exposing business owner comments that provide some insights into SMB opinions and experiences behind the ratings.

Many ad products and SMB marketing companies on the extended list are poorly rated. For example, Facebook Ads received two stars, AdWords gets 1.5 stars, and Yelp receives 0.5 stars, as do Yext, ReachLocal and Web.com.

About The Author

Greg Sterling

Greg Sterling is a Contributing Editor at Search Engine Land. He writes a personal blog, Screenwerk, about connecting the dots between digital media and real-world consumer behavior. He is also VP of Strategy and Insights for the Local Search Association. Follow him on Twitter or find him at Google+.