Ask at the right moment
The best time is immediately after a good outcome — job completed, order delivered, problem solved. A week later the feeling has faded.
Automating the timing is the whole trick. Businesses that ask manually ask when they remember, which is rarely and inconsistently.
Make it one link
- A single link straight to the review page
- No instructions, no account creation
- Sent by whichever channel they actually use
- One reminder if there is no response, then stop
Displaying them properly
- Full name and business where permitted — initials are unconvincing
- Specific rather than generic — what you actually did
- On the relevant service page, not only on a testimonials page
- With a date, so they are visibly current
- Marked up as structured data where appropriate
Handle the negative ones properly
Reply calmly, publicly, without arguing, and offer to resolve it privately. A well-handled complaint is more persuasive than a page of five-star reviews.
A perfect record looks fabricated. A good record with a couple of handled complaints looks real.
Never fabricate or incentivise
Fake reviews are usually obvious, frequently unlawful and permanently damaging when discovered. Incentivised ones are prohibited by most platforms.
Ask honestly, ask everyone, and the average takes care of itself.