A dental practice gets 3 new Google reviews per month despite seeing 400 patients. Their receptionist sometimes remembers to ask, sometimes doesn't. Meanwhile, the competing practice across the street has 340+ reviews because they automated the ask: after every appointment, patients get a text with a direct link to leave a Google review. The result? The competitor ranks #1 in local search and gets 3x more new patients from Google.
Grade.us ($90-300/mo) and BirdEye ($299+/mo) automate review generation for enterprises but start at prices that local businesses can't justify. NiceJob ($75/mo) serves SMB but is still expensive. The pattern is clear: automated review requests generate 5-10x more reviews than manual asking, but the tools are priced for companies with marketing budgets.
At $15-39/mo, a review request tool built for small businesses could capture the massive long tail: dentists, plumbers, restaurants, salons, and small SaaS companies. The key features are simple — trigger-based email/SMS, direct links to the right review platform, sentiment gating (route unhappy customers to private feedback), and a dashboard showing review velocity.
💰 Revenue Blueprint
Three-tier value ladder to monetize from day one
Generate a direct review link for any Google Business listing + shareable QR code
100 review requests/month, email + SMS, Google + Trustpilot + G2, sentiment gating, dashboard
Unlimited requests, all platforms, automated triggers (Zapier/webhook), team access, review widget for website, analytics
Why Now?
Google reviews directly impact local SEO ranking (confirmed by Google). AI makes sentiment analysis for gating trivial. SMS open rates remain at 98%.
📊 Market Evidence
The Market Gap
BirdEye ($299+) and Grade.us ($90+) are enterprise-priced. NiceJob ($75/mo) is mid-market. No simple review request automation at $15/mo for small businesses.
Revenue Examples
Growing SMB focus
Raised $60M
🏆 Competitor Landscape
How existing players stack up in this market
Launch Strategy
1) Free review link generator as viral tool. 2) Target local business communities. 3) Partner with local business associations and chambers of commerce. 4) Content: 'How to get 100 Google reviews in 30 days.' 5) Zapier integration for trigger automation.
🛠️ Recommended Tech Stack
Suggested tools and technologies to build this idea
Why this stack: Timing-based triggers need a reliable queue system. BullMQ schedules review requests after positive interactions. Resend and Twilio handle multi-channel delivery.
Strengths
- ✓Reviews directly drive revenue for every business
- ✓Automated asking beats manual 5-10x
- ✓Clear enterprise-to-SMB pricing gap
- ✓Sticky — once reviews flowing, nobody cancels
Risks
- ⚠Review platform policies on solicitation
- ⚠Google could change review display rules
- ⚠NiceJob could lower pricing
Score Breakdown
High demand, proven revenue, low competition — a strong opportunity
Market (20%) + Revenue (20%) + Trend (15%) + Competition (15%) + Build (15%) + Pricing (15%)
BirdEye $60M raised, NiceJob growing fast
Multiple tools at $300K+ MRR
Google reviews increasingly important for local SEO
Several players but all overpriced for SMB
Moderate — SMS/email delivery + platform APIs
Clear gap at $15-39/mo
🚀 Start Building
Copy a prompt into your favorite AI coding tool and start building this idea right now.
Build a SaaS product called "Automated Review Request Tool". ## Product Overview Ask happy customers for reviews at the perfect moment via email and SMS. $15-39/mo. ## Problem Businesses know reviews drive sales but asking for them feels awkward and inconsistent. Most only ask when they remember (rarely). Smart timing — asking right after a positive interaction — can increase review rates 5x, but nobody does it systematically. ## Solution Automated review request system that triggers after positive events (purchase, support resolution, milestone). Smart routing: happy customers → public review sites, unhappy customers → private feedback form. Multi-channel: email + SMS. ## Target Audience Local businesses, SaaS companies, e-commerce brands, service businesses (dentists, plumbers, salons) ## Tech Stack - Next.js 15 (App Router) with TypeScript - Tailwind CSS v4 for styling - Supabase for auth, database, and storage - Vercel for deployment - shadcn/ui for UI components - Framer Motion for animations ## MVP Features to Build 1. Landing page with clear value proposition 2. User authentication (sign up, sign in, forgot password) 3. Core product functionality based on the solution above 4. Dashboard for users to manage their data 5. Pricing page with at least 2 tiers (free + paid) 6. Basic settings/profile page ## Known Competitors BirdEye, NiceJob, Grade.us ## Key Risks to Address Review platform policies on solicitation Google could change review display rules NiceJob could lower pricing ## Deployment 1. Set up Supabase project and configure environment variables 2. Deploy to Vercel with `npx vercel --prod` 3. Set up custom domain 4. Configure Supabase RLS policies for security ## Instructions Start by creating the project structure, then build the landing page first. Use server components where possible. Make it mobile-responsive from the start. Focus on getting the core value loop working before adding polish.