Good reviews do two jobs at once. They help you appear higher in local searches, and they convince people to pick you when they are comparing a few firms. For a trade business, there are few better uses of five minutes.
The challenge is that happy customers rarely leave a review unless they are asked. Here is a routine that works.
Ask at the right moment
The best time to ask is at the end of the job, when the customer is pleased and the work is fresh in their mind. Say something like: “If you are happy with it, a quick Google review would really help us. I’ll send you the link.”
Make it effortless
The biggest barrier is effort. Get your direct review link from your Google Business Profile and send it by text or WhatsApp while you are still on the doorstep. One tap should take them straight to the review box.
You can also put a QR code that opens the review link on your invoices or business cards.
Send a short reminder
If they have not done it after a day or two, send one polite nudge. Keep it friendly and make it easy to ignore.
Do not pay or reward for reviews
Offering discounts or gifts in return for reviews breaks Google’s rules, and can get your reviews removed or your profile penalised. It also does not look good if customers notice. Ask honestly and let the quality of your work do the persuading.
Do not cherry-pick
Ask everyone, not just the people you know will say yes. A profile made up entirely of five-star reviews can look suspicious, and a few honest ones show you are genuine.
Reply to every review
Thank people for good reviews, using their name and mentioning the job. For a bad review, stay calm, stick to facts and offer to put it right. Future customers read your replies and judge you on them.
Use the reviews you get
Put your best reviews on your website, near the call-to-action, with the first name and town. Link to your Google profile so people can see the full set. See trust signals.
Make it a habit
Choose one simple routine, such as sending the review link at the end of every job, and stick with it. Ten genuine reviews over a few months will do more for you than a burst of them followed by silence.
Reviews come to the tradespeople who ask. Make it part of finishing every job.
Backed up by your website
A strong website and a strong set of reviews reinforce each other. See the offer for how we help.