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Business review sites are an essential part of the customer buying journey today. Purchasers make snap decisions about a firm simply by reading business reviews — without ever calling your company, setting foot in your store or visiting your website.

What is your presence like on review sites? Have you found all the sites where customers review your business? Are the reviews mostly positive?

Managing your presence is called online reputation management and it’s something you should be doing on business review sites. Reputation management involves identifying, monitoring, and influencing your business’s credibility and reputation online. And central to review sites are customer reviews.

What is a Customer Review?

A customer review is when a customer gives a review of a product, service or brand online based on first hand knowledge. Customer reviews are not professional reviews and are never paid for. About 72% of U.S. consumers have written a review for a local business.

Customer reviews are a form of customer feedback. They usually include some text, as well as a star rating of 1 to 5 stars, with 1 being poor and 5 being excellent.  While there are many places you can find online business listings, the sites below go beyond listings and are popular places for customers to leave reviews.

Best Business Review Sites

The following 26 sites include the best B2C review sites, important for businesses that sell to consumers (examples: Yelp and HomeAdvisor). We also identify the best B2B review sites, for businesses that sell to other businesses (example: G2). Focus on the sites applicable to your industry so you can reap the benefits when buyers use them to make purchase decisions.

1. Google My Business

Google My Business (GMB) is the single most crucial review and listing tool for local businesses. It is is one of the top review sites, replacing what was previously called Google Local. An essential tool for garnering a credible online reputation, it can also help with ranking your business in various kinds of search results. Use this Google My Business Cheat Sheet to get started.

2. Bing Places for Business

Bing Places for Business is the Bing search engine’s version of Google My Business. Consumers can leave ratings and reviews about a company. Local businesses, including businesses with multiple locations, can claim their listing and complete a profile to add their listings to Bing Places, all for free. Once verified, information will appear in Bing Local search and map results.

3. Facebook Ratings and Reviews

Facebook is much more than a social media portal to share posts. The hugely popular social media site is also where followers can leave ratings, reviews, and recommendations on a business’s Page using its Facebook Ratings and Reviews platform. Businesses can turn off ratings and reviews in their Facebook Page settings.

4. Better Business Bureau

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) prides itself on being an ethical marketplace that allows individuals to recommend businesses. The BBB is one of the oldest and most trusted sites, and verifies all consumer reviews. Businesses can also become a BBB accredited business, and the Better Business Bureau assigns its own ratings from A to F but these ratings are independent from reviews by the public.

5. Amazon Customer Reviews

Amazon has been allowing consumers to post reviews about products since 1995. Garnering a string of 4- or 5-star reviews on this leading online retailer’s site can help businesses generate many new sales and build a solid reputation. Business reviews also apply to any listing in Amazon’s Handmade section and to service providers in the Amazon HomeServices section.

6. Yelp

Some small business owners and marketing managers have a love-hate relationship with Yelp, feeling that positive reviews at times get less visibility than negative ones at the site. However, you can’t deny Yelp’s importance. Its pages show up frequently in internet searches. It’s a consumer destination, too. The site also trains companies to respond to reviews. A Yelp listing can help businesses manage their online credibility and reputation. Yelp is one of the top review sites and an important place to encourage potential customers to do business with you.

7. Foursquare

Using its Swarm and CityGuides apps, Foursquare lets users check-in and rate venues they visit. Users can also leave “tips” for others visiting the establishments. Companies that sign up for Foursquare for Business can take advantage of user analytics. Businesses can also add their own tips to Foursquare and make customer reward offers. Foursquare data is often included in other sites and maps.

8. HomeAdvisor

If you operate a home improvement business or provide services to homeowners, listing your services on local business review websites like HomeAdvisor and collecting business reviews can positively impact your business and help you get new customers. All reviews placed on HomeAdvisor go through an extensive screening process and are verified by the site’s moderators.

9. Yellow Pages

You can get a free business listing on Yellow Pages which enables businesses to manage the reviews placed on the site about their company. Yellow Pages has transitioned from paper to digital, and is now supporting businesses online with local marketing and reviews. While the yellow pages are no longer the heavyweight driver of new customers the way they were decades ago when print books ruled, make sure to claim your business there.

10. TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor is a review platform focused on the hotel, travel, restaurant, airline, or entertainment industries. Customers share reviews of hotels and other establishments connected to the travel industry. Given that TripAdvisor has collected more than 878 million reviews, it’s in every travel business’s interest to claim its listing and generate positive reviews on one of the largest travel sites in existence.

11. Angie’s List

Angie’s List is regarded as one of the most credible business review sites, being early to offer business listings. Reviews cannot be from anonymous sources on Angie s List, which again, adds to the credibility of the evaluations posted there. Companies can set up a page on Angie s List for free where customers can leave reviews.

12. TrustRadius

TrustRadius is an online review source designed for software businesses. Adding to the credibility of TrustRadius is the fact that all reviewers are authenticated via LinkedIn. This enables users to view what their connections on LinkedIn say about their business and software products.

13. OpenTable

If you own or run a restaurant, registering on OpenTable will enable customers to make reservations and write reviews. Restaurants receive a star rating on OpenTable based on the number of reviews and the percentage of people who recommend the restaurant. Naturally, the higher the review rating, the better a restaurant’s credibility and online reputation.

14. PlanetRate

PlanetRate enables customers to write reviews on businesses of all industries. Companies can register on PlanetRate and actively collect reviews. Users can write in-depth analyses of companies on PlanetRate. Any positive feedback on this review site can influence how consumers perceive your business.

15. Salesforce AppExchange

Salesforce AppExchange is an enterprise cloud marketplace designed to extend the Salesforce platform. It lets users rate businesses through a five-star rating system. Businesses with a Salesforce AppExchange app can keep track of their app’s rating and monitor their online business reviews.

16. Trustpilot

Trustpilot allows businesses to generate a profile page and encourage customers to provide reviews. Companies can send customizable review invitations for a higher-level paid membership fee and share their reviews and social ratings on social media.

17. Glassdoor

Glassdoor users can search reviews and ratings of more than 700,000 businesses around the world. Employees can also share what it is like to work for a company on Glassdoor. With candid and honest reviews about a business’s services, products, and what it is like to work for, Glassdoor can be an invaluable source for enhancing a company’s reputation with prospective employees.

18. G2

G2 (formerly known as G2 Crowd) is a business review site for companies that sell software. Business software apps are ranked on a five-star scale. With more than five million business users heading to G2 each month to read reviews and buy software, having quality ratings on G2 can directly influence business buying decisions.

19. VendOp

Customers can search for vendors of a particular industry and specification on VendOp. The site provides a portal for purchasers to share their experiences with other customers. Users can search reviews by ratings, service, and location on VendOp.

20. Manta

Manta is mainly a business review site, one dedicated to small business. Business owners can claim and customize their page to improve online visibility and marketability. Consumers can search from millions of businesses, and registered users can leave star ratings and write reviews.

21. Avvo

Avvo is a business review site for attorneys. Consumers can review their lawyer for the benefit of other consumers and assign up to 5 stars. Avvo claims to include 97% of all lawyers in the United States in its database, and also lists them by practice specialty. All reviews are subject to approval by Avvo, which separately provides its own rating of 1 to 10, based on specified criteria.

22. WebMD

WebMD is a vast site getting over 100 million visitors a month, containing medical information for consumers. It also has listings of doctors and dentists, and allows consumers to leave business reviews of them.

23. FinancesOnline

FinancesOnline is an independent review platform that addresses B2B, SaaS, and financial companies. It helps users find and compare software products and services best suited to their needs. They can also read customer product reviews and reports from experts. Currently, the site has more than 50,000 online reviews from users of software products.

24. Merchant Circle

Opening its virtual doors in 2005, Merchant Circle has more than 15 million local business listings across the U.S. in its database. Consumers refer to Merchant Circle to find businesses, read reviews by consumers, and get competitive quotes from companies they seek out. Make sure you claim your business listing. It can be a source for acquiring new customers.

25. Sitejabber

Sitejabber is a site with online reviews of businesses which also lets customers get answers to questions from other customers and the business itself. After making a purchase, customers can leave their own feedback and get help resolving any issues that may arise.

26. Which?

Which? is an independent not-for-profit UK-based consumer review site that reviews services and products and then writes and shares the reviews. Managing to have commendable reviews written about your products or services on Which? can go a long way in generating a sound and credible online reputation.

Other Review Sites

There are over 100 larger sites that allow user-generated reviews, and many smaller ones. Most are niche specific. CitiSearch, Local.com, Viewpoints, ConsumerAffairs, Etsy, Goodreads, Cars.com, Edmunds, CarGuru, Care.com, Thumbtack, Fiverr, Zomato, VRBO, Airbnb, Zillow, Houzz, Apartments.com, Bankrate, and the Apple Apps Store and Google Play for apps — these are just a few that feature reviews today. Find the business review sites relevant to your industry and your business. Then start listening to what the public is saying about your company, and engage.

5 Tips for Leveraging Business Review Sites

The following best practice tips will help you use online review sites to get highly sought-after, positive reviews.

Claim Your Business Profile

You can claim a listing on many review sites such as Yelp and Google My Business — and you should. Doing so enables you to verify or add your business information such as your phone number, hours of operation and email address. You can respond to user reviews, add photos and sometimes add links to a blog post or articles. Your profile becomes an extension of your business website, and a great way to draw in new customers. Google My Business is especially crucial because Google is the world’s largest search engine.

Encourage Business Reviews 

Make it a habit to encourage customers to share a review or give feedback on your Facebook page, Yelp, the BBB, or other review sites. Reviews essentially are word of mouth. Instead of speaking one-on-one with a neighbor or friend, consumers take to review websites.

Some business owners dread looking at customer reviews because they expect them to be negative. Have confidence. Embrace each review as the equivalent of free advertising and an integral part of your digital marketing through happy customers.

Don’t Incentivize Reviews

While you can encourage reviews, do not incentivize users to give them. Also, it’s important to understand the rules for each review site. Some, like Yelp, have strict guidelines about asking for reviews.

Don’t Write Fake Reviews 

Writing fake business reviews could get your business banned from the review site. Review sites work hard to preserve consumer trust and have algorithms to detect and remove fake reviews. No matter how tempting, it is not worth the risk and could damage your company’s reputation should you be discovered.

Respond to Negative Reviews

Never let negative reviews go unanswered. Keep an open mind, remain unemotional and apologize if necessary. Take negative comments back to your team and use them to improve. If you did nothing wrong, acknowledge the situation and empathize. Avoid arguing with a customer or flaming the reviewer.

It turns out that 30% of consumers reverse negative reviews on online review sites when the company responds, according to a survey by ZenBusiness. Yet, only 12% of consumers say their reviews are often or always responded to. Therefore, by responding, you gain a real advantage over all the other small businesses that never respond.

Do I Still Need My Own Website if I Have Review Site Listings?

You should always have your own company website. Some businesses use their Google My Business profile, Facebook page or other business review sites as a replacement for a website of their own. But this is not wise, for one simple reason: third-party sites are outside of your control.

If Facebook decides — however unjustly — to delete your Page, it could take weeks or months to appeal and get it back, if ever. An effective digital marketing strategy should include both your own website as well as business review sites.

Should I Display Reviews on My Website?

Yes. A number of software apps are available to help with aggregating reviews and displaying them on your site. The software reminds customers to review your business post-sale. The apps also automate collecting reviews that have already been published on third-party sites, and provide widgets so you can embed and display reviews on your own website. Examples: GatherUp, Reviews.io and BirdEye.

Do Customer Review Sites Help with Search Engine Rankings?

Information from business listing sites, including user reviews, can show up high in search results in numerous ways. In particular, GMB and Bing Places information is often displayed prominently in the respective Google search engine and Bing search engine pages and maps. A search engine optimization (SEO) professional who specializes in local SEO can help you with a local SEO strategy and explain more.

Rather than focusing just on rankings, however, think broadly about “visibility”. Review sites give you more places to be found online. Too many small businesses are effectively invisible online. The more review websites your company appears in, with positive ratings, the better.

Ready?

The internet has given consumers the power to make or break a business’s reputation by leaving reviews on social media sites like Facebook, search engines, or any number of business review sites like Yelp. It’s in your best interest to embrace review sites to make a positive brand impression.

Image via Shutterstock; various screenshots

The year 2020 has nearly come to an end. Time to let out a big “HALLELUJAH” if you’re a small business owner. But of course, the challenges that were presented to many of us this year aren’t going away, at least not any time soon.

And you never know when the next challenge might present itself. So, if anything, it’s time to get prepared for what may come next. It’s time to recession-proof your small business.

An upcoming webinar hosted by 3 prominent small business leaders aims to do just that.

On January 14, Small Business Trends publisher and CEO Anita Campbell along with DIY Marketers publisher Ivana Taylor join serial entrepreneur Rhonda Abrams for the webinar, The Sh*t’s Hit the Fan – NOW WHAT? 99 Recession Proof Tips for Small Business. The event is based on the book of the same title authored by Abrams.

During this online event, you’ll hear actual steps to take to get your small business ready for whatever might get thrown its way. It’s an event you literally can’t afford to miss. Get ready by registering using the link below.

Register Now

Featured Events, Contests and Awards

Check out these other small business events …

Women in Cloud Summit 2021
January 28, 2021, Online

The Women in Cloud Summit is a three-day, life-changing event for women tech entrepreneurs, corporate and community leaders, policymakers, and allies from around the globe. Women are key drivers of economic growth, and the Summit strives to change the industry narrative by creating economic access for women in the cloud economy. Summit attendees will hear from inspirational speakers, connect and communicate with industry leaders and experts, and network with other community members and entrepreneurs. Join us virtually from January 28-30, 2021.

WEBINAR: What Business Structure is Right for You?
April 28, 2021, Online

Picking a business structure is usually the first big legal decision for a new business owner and one of the most confusing. However confusing, it is an essential step to protecting your personal assets from any liabilities of the company. In this webinar, Nellie Akalp CEO of CorpNet.com, will share insight on business entities to help guide you to the best decision for your new venture.

WEBINAR: Best State to Incorporate
July 28, 2021, Online

Some say Delaware, others say Nevada while someone else may say your home state. What is the best state to register a business in? What if your business is expanding into new territory? At what point should you Foreign Qualify? Nellie Akalp, CEO of CorpNet.com, will go in-depth to answer these questions and more in this webinar.

WEBINAR: Steps to Start Your Business
October 20, 2021, Online

Starting a business can be an exhilarating time, where everything seems full of potential and purpose. But navigating the logistics of launching a business can be daunting. In this webinar Nellie Akalp, CEO of CorpNet.com, will outline the steps necessary to legally start a business and get up and running on the right foot.

More Events

• DataScience Contest
  January 1, 2021, Online
• Decoding Future HR 2021
  January 19, 2021, Online
• Talent Acquisition Week | VIRTUAL
  January 25, 2021, Online
• Rail Cybersecurity Summit USA
  February 9, 2021, Online
• 5th Advancing Project Controls Summit 2021
  February 22, 2021, Online
• Employee Wellness Summit
  February 24, 2021, Online
• Digital Marketing World Forum – North America Online 2021
  March 24, 2021, Online
• Power BI in 2021
  April 1, 2021, Online
• HR Benefits Conference, April 2021
  April 7, 2021, Las Vegas, NV
• TECHSPO New York 2021 Technology Expo (Internet ~ Mobile ~ AdTech ~ MarTech ~ SaaS)
  April 15, 2021, Online
• DigiMarCon Mid-Atlantic 2021 – Digital Marketing, Media and Advertising Conference & Exhibition
  April 26, 2021, Philadelphia, PA
• Sitecore CMS in 2021
  May 1, 2021, Online
• DevOps Engineer in 2021
  May 1, 2021, Online
• DigiMarCon New England 2021 – Digital Marketing, Media and Advertising Conference & Exhibition
  May 6, 2021, Boston, MA
• Marketing Analytics Summit North America – Virtual Edition 2021
  May 10, 2021, Online
• DigiMarCon Canada West 2021 – Digital Marketing, Media and Advertising Conference & Exhibition
  May 13, 2021, Vancouver, BC
• DigiMarCon Canada East 2021 – Digital Marketing, Media and Advertising Conference & Exhibition
  May 17, 2021, Montreal, QC
• DigiMarCon Canada 2021 – Digital Marketing, Media and Advertising Conference & Exhibition
  May 20, 2021, Toronto, ON
• DigiMarCon Canada 2021 – Digital Marketing, Media and Advertising Conference & Exhibition
  May 20, 2021, Toronto, ON
• TECHSPO Toronto 2021 Technology Expo (Internet ~ Mobile ~ AdTech ~ MarTech ~ SaaS)
  May 20, 2021, Toronto, ON

More Contests

This weekly listing of small business events, contests and awards is provided as a community service by Small Business Trends.

You can see a full list of events, contest and award listings or post your own events by visiting the Small Business Events Calendar.

Image: Depositphotos

The healthcare industry is changing dramatically. And technology is becoming a big part of that change. NexHealth wants to help usher in the next wave of efficiency in the healthcare industry.

The company provides a platform that connects patients and healthcare providers. Read more about the unique business idea in this week’s Small Business Spotlight.

What the Business Does

Connects patients, doctors, and developers.

Chelsea Robinson, Growth Marketing Manager at NexHealth told Small Business Trends, “We have an all-in-one patient experience management platform which integrates directly with practice management and EHR systems. Our platform includes important features like two way messaging, online booking, online payments, telehealth, appointment reminders and more.”

Business Niche

A real-time online booking platform.

Robinson says, “It supports full customization capabilities for 1 to 500 location medical and dental practices.”

How the Business Got Started

Because of personal experience.

Robinson explains, “After pre-med, and actually en route to medical school, our CEO, Alamin Uddin pivoted to build NexHealth. He was working in a dental office and experienced first-hand the exigent need to automate and improve the patient experience. He called on a good friend to help him accomplish this (our co-founder Waleed Asif). And the rest is history.”

Biggest Win

Developing integrations with a proprietary healthcare API.

Robinson says, “We further developed and released the API to our customers after recognizing the disparity of the healthcare industry. We wanted to offer more value to our base beyond what they were already getting in the space. It’s a “win”, not only because of the additional revenue it has brought in, but also because it’s a huge aid to innovation in a space the sorely needs it.”

Biggest Risk

Moving from New York to San Francisco.

Robinson explains, “We wanted to raise more funding in Silicon Valley, but our main market (and most of our customers at the time) was in New York. We were worried we’d lose visibility in that market, but it hasn’t hindered us from success there AND we’ve been able to raise critical funding. In fact, we recently closed a $15M Series A round.”

Lesson Learned

Invest in your team.

Robinson adds, “In our early days, we didn’t really focus on culture and making employees happy like we do now. Nearly tripling our employee headcount in the past six months has forced us to build structure into the business and make sure people feel good about working for our team. Investing in people is tantamount to investing in success.”

How They’d Spend an Extra $100,000

Engineering resources to build more integrations for customers.

Robinson explains, “We want to scale our system integrations so we can cater to more of the dental and medical market. Consistent, yet targeted improvement is important in SaaS. Listening and responding to your customer base’s evolving needs is what keeps the ball rolling.”

Last Team Outing

Celebrating a significant milestone.

Robinson says, “Our 3rd anniversary was in February and we were able to celebrate with some bowling and Karaoke before the pandemic escalated. Nothing says team bonding quite like knocking over some pins and belting out “Roxanne” with your coworkers.”

* * * * *

Image: NexHealth, Alamin Uddin and Waleed Asif

If you buy something through our links, we may earn money from our affiliate partners. Learn more.

More people are working remotely and when it comes time to talk, a video call is increasingly the preferred method. And if you want to look professional when you are on a video call, having a good backdrop goes a long way.

The background in your video calls is a representation of who you are. If it is clean, organized and it doesn’t distract from the conversation, your peers will appreciate your effort. Not only that, but it helps everyone focus on the conversation at hand.

Without the distraction of unwanted items or clutter in the background, you can do your job more effectively. The backdrops on this list will showcase the most important aspect of a video call, you.

Best Backdrop for Video Calls

Elgato Green Screen

Top Pick: This backdrop is ideal for tight spots while the green screen allows you to create virtually any background you want. The screen comes with a collapsible chroma key panel that auto-locks for easy management. The fabric is made with wrinkle-resistant polyester. It comes with a nifty pneumatic x-frame that automatically locks the screen in place. Moreover, you can retract the backdrop into the hard case and store it easily. It extends to 58.27 x 70.87 inches and has a sturdy aluminum frame.

Elgato Green Screen with collapsible chroma key panel for background removal with auto-locking frame

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Yeele Bookcase Backdrop

Runner Up: Yeele’s bookcase backdrop provides a comfortable and familiar setting for video calls. It offers privacy and prevents distractions from cluttered backgrounds. This backdrop comes in at 7 x 5 feet and it is made with vinyl that is non-toxic, acid-free, recyclable, and weighs just 0.33 pounds. Optional sizes also come in 5 x 3 feet; 5 x 4 feet; 6 x 4 feet; and 7 x 5 feet. The material is non-reflective to help minimize light reflection and it is also fade resistant.

This Computer-printed backdrop is ideal for different still and video backgrounds. And the company provides a wide range of images covering numerous themes.

Yeele Bookcase Backdrop Wooden Bookshelf Books Library Artistic Portrait Photoshoot Photography Background

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Westcott X-Drop 3-Pack Backdrop Kit

Best Value: With three 5’X7’ portable background as part of the deal, Westcott delivers a great value. The black, white, and gray backdrops are water-resistant, washable, and reflection-free. And they come with a collapsible aluminum stand that weighs under 3 lbs. with a durable fabric case for compact storage and travel.

The X-Drop’s telescopic frame expands to 5′ x 7′ and locks into place. Backdrops attach to the X-Drop’s hooks via built-in grommets. You can complete the backdrop set up quickly and easily.

Westcott X-Drop 3-Pack Backdrop Kit (5′ x 7′) Quick Assemble, Portable Background

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Webaround Gen2 Portable Webcam Background

Webaround’s portable webcam background weighs just two pounds, so it is very portable. It fits snugly on most office, gaming and even dinning room style chairs and is available in blue, green and gray for a nice and clean webcam background. Made from polyester and steel, it is designed to quickly collapse and store. The dimensions are 52 x 1 x 52 inches, which is enough to adequately create a solid background.

Webaround Fan Favorite Gen2 Portable Webcam Background, 52 Inches

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Glass Window Photo Backdrop Office Viewing

If you want the iconic skyscrapers of NY City as your backdrop this is the way to go. Starting at 5’X3’ the company can make the image as large as 15’X10’. Made of vinyl, it provides high image quality and durability. And if NYC cityscape is not your cup of tea, the company offers many other images.

Glass Window Photo Backdrop Office Viewing New York City Side Photography Background

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Kate Collapsible Backdrop Blue Pink Popup Backdrop

At 5’X6.5’, this backdrop is double-sided with blue and pink colors. There are also other color combinations available from the company. A durable, collapsible metal spring frame inside the backdrop makes it easy to store in the packing bag.  Made from no wrinkle microfiber fabric, the color won’t fade.  And if you want to have a custom pattern print on it, the company providers the service.

Kate 5×6.5ft Collapsible Backdrop Blue Pink Popup Backdrop for Photography Foldable Backdrops

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Savage Vinyl Backdrop

Savage Universal is a company that has been providing paper backgrounds and photographic products since 1937. This matte finish vinyl backdrop is easy to hang and it provides a solid, flawless background while eliminating glare. It is easy to clean, and you can even cut it to fit the background in your office or other space.

Savage Vinyl Backdrop – Photo Gray, 5’x7′

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Features to Look for in Backdrops for Video Calls

• Color: Choose colors that are easy on the eyes, such as blue, light gray, and soft white. Loud colors and patterns are distracting and they can also make it harder to see you clearly.
• Material: Look for materials that are easy to roll and deploy for your background. Make sure to also choose materials that are easy to clean and are durable. If you have your company name/logo on it, get quality print that won’t fade or wash off when you clean it.
• Size: The backdrop should be big enough to cover you entirely on all sides.
• Retractable or permanent: If you choose a retractable backdrop, the mechanism for retracting the backdrop has to be strong. Look for a reputable company that offers some protection. A permanent backdrop is easy to use and will be there at a moment’s notice, but unless you have a dedicated office/space it can be distracting when not in use.
• Ease of use: An easy to use backdrop will let you get on a video call quickly. Even if you have time, it should be easy to set up and get talking.

Your Video Call Protocol

If you are on a video call on a regular basis, set up a protocol to follow each time. This will ensure the people who talk to you get the best audio/visual experience when they interact with you.

Here are some steps you can follow to make this possible:

• Dress as for an in-person meeting (this means top and bottom, you never know when you might have to suddenly stand up to get something).
• Don’t have things that distract you on your desk (food, drinks, phone, or anything else). Keep your desk organized and have the things you need for the call at an arm’s reach. If the meeting is long, have some water away from the camera.
• Try to have natural light. If it is not possible, side lighting will deliver the best image. And remember don’t mix both sources of light.
• Place your camera just a little over your eye level and look at it during your call.
• Your audio should turn off/mute when you are not speaking. And when you are ready to speak try to let the people in the call know by giving a visual signal. This helps avoid the on and off cutting that takes place in video calls.
• Sit slightly back than you usually do at your desk. The goal is a mid-range image that includes your head at the top of your shoulders. Take pictures or record a video to find the sweet spot.
• Don’t sit too close to your backdrop. If you have space, have at least four to six feet from the backdrop and make sure it covers the whole of your background.
• If you can, try to have a room that is dedicated to your video calls.

The Importance of Video

Video is now part of the way we communicate at work and in our personal lives. Knowing what makes your calls appear professional each and every time is a skill set you must learn. And a good backdrop is just one of the tools you are going to need to make it happen.

Image: Depositphotos.com