Whatever you say about your business, visitors take it with a pinch of salt. What other customers say is different. Reviews are one of the strongest reasons people choose one local business over another. But a row of vague five-star quotes from "John, Norwich" can do more harm than good. Here is how to make reviews work.
Why some reviews are not believed
- They are vague. "Great service, highly recommend!" could be about anyone.
- They are anonymous. No full name, no business, no way to check.
- They are too perfect. Ten identical glowing quotes look written by the same person.
- They are old. A review from six years ago says little about the business today.
What makes a review convincing
- Specific details. What was done, what the problem was, what changed. "They replaced our flat roof in two days and left the garden spotless" tells a story.
- A real person. First and last name, or first name and business, and a photo if they agree.
- A way to check. A link to the original review on Google or another independent site.
- Recent dates, and a steady flow of new reviews over time.
Where to put them
Do not hide all your reviews on a separate page that few people visit. Put them where decisions are made:
- a few short ones on the home page;
- relevant ones on each service page, such as a roofing review on the roofing page;
- one next to your contact form or booking button, where hesitation is highest.
On our own website, each review links to the original on Google, so visitors can see it was not written by us.
Go beyond quotes
- Case studies. A short story with the problem, what was done and the result is the most persuasive proof there is. Our client pages follow that pattern, with each client's own review.
- Numbers. If you have real figures, use them, with the source and the dates. For example, Reset Saunas has taken 711 guests through the booking system we built since June 2025.
- Your Google rating. Show it and link to it. A good rating from many reviews is more convincing than any single quote.
Collect reviews steadily
The businesses with the best reviews usually just ask consistently:
- Ask soon after the job is finished, while the customer is happy.
- Make it easy: send the direct link to your Google review page.
- Thank every reviewer, and reply calmly to the occasional critical one.
What never to do
- Do not write reviews yourself or ask friends to pose as customers. It is misleading, can break consumer protection law and platform rules, and it gets noticed.
- Do not edit customers' words beyond fixing an obvious typo, and never change their meaning.
- Do not pay for reviews or offer rewards only for positive ones.
A quick review audit
Look at your website and count: how many reviews show a real name, a specific detail and a date, and link to the original? If the answer is "few", start by asking your three happiest recent customers for a Google review this week. If you would like your reviews presented properly on your site, get in touch.