Feefo is aiming to have its second generation platform launched before the end of the year, offering enhanced sharing and social functionality.
The site, which generates reviews from firms’ customers, will retain its current core functionality, by which customers are emailed on the back of a genuine transaction and asked to complete a simple rating and review for the products and services experienced.
The new Feefo platform will provide an enhanced user experience for the businesses that use Feefo, and just as importantly for consumers looking for verified and trusted reviews to help shape their purchasing decision.
Matt Eames, Feefo sales director, said: “It will be more socially active. There will be greater functionality allowing reviews to be “liked” and shared, and other exciting developments including the ability to post video-based reviews, which will be recognised as content relevant to your business on Google and other search engines.”
As well as development in-house, Feefo is working with Eysys on its next generation platform, the latest venture from Comtec founder Simon Powell.
Eysys has developed a suite of tools designed to make websites’ ecommerce more effective by driving up conversions through better targeting and personalisation.
Eames said that Feefo continues to see significant growth, with just over a third of its 1,500 business partners in the travel sector, and a launch planned in the US this week.
“As a result we are sending a review request out every second and receiving a review every eight seconds. Someone, somewhere in the world, is writing a review on Feefo.”
Feefo has also recently seen reviews go live with a feed to both Yahoo and Bing, as well as its long-standing partnership with Google.
Google is continuing to test the best way to deliver content for the benefit of the consumer experience, with Feefo recently approved to integrate product reviews into Google Shopping product listing ads. This is likely to be extended to Hotel Finder, a sector in which Feefo has seen particular interest.
On the growing relationship with Google, Eames said: “Google uses the reviews collected by Feefo to help answer people’s questions. We have more than 16 million reviews and Google recognises the value of that content for the consumer journey,” Eames said.
Destination marketing companies are another area of growth, with Feefo saying it is seeing increased interest from businesses in countries looking to generate Google Seller Ratings or the “gold stars” in search.
The firm has also recently extended their Google partnership to now include Australia.