How do we get more reviews?
Most businesses ask customers to "leave us a review when you get a chance" and wonder why nothing happens. The reality? Getting consistent reviews requires eliminating friction, asking at strategic moments, and building simple systems that work without constant effort.
Why Most Review Requests Fail
Customers don't leave reviews because they forget, don't know where to go, or don't understand why it matters. Your solution needs to address all three simultaneously.
The businesses generating 3x more reviews aren't getting luckier with customers—they're removing obstacles and creating intentional moments where leaving feedback feels natural and effortless.
Start Here: Remove the Friction
Create a direct link to your Google Business Profile review page using this format: https://search.google.com/local/writereview?placeid=YOUR_PLACE_ID
Turn this into a QR code customers can scan instantly. Every additional click you eliminate increases your response rate significantly.
The Timing That Actually Works
Don't wait days after service when enthusiasm fades. Ask immediately after your customer's happiest moment—when the problem just got solved, when they see the finished result, or right after they express genuine satisfaction.
This is when emotions are strongest and the experience feels fresh. Delayed requests compete with dozens of other priorities and almost always lose.
The Two-Question Filter
Protect your reputation while identifying your best advocates. First, ask privately: "How would you rate your experience from 1-10?"
Responses of 9-10 get directed to public review platforms. Lower scores trigger internal follow-up to address concerns before they become public complaints. This approach ensures your online reviews reflect genuinely satisfied customers while giving you early warning about service issues.
Make It Part of Your Workflow
The difference between sporadic reviews and consistent flow? Automation. Set up triggers in your CRM or email system that send review requests 24-48 hours after service completion.
Include the direct link, explain how their feedback helps others make confident decisions, and keep the message short. Most customers will either respond immediately or not at all—lengthy explanations don't improve response rates.
What Not to Do
Never offer incentives for reviews—the FTC prohibits conditioning reviews on compensation. Don't buy fake reviews (penalties reach $51,744 per violation). Don't filter which customers can leave reviews based on satisfaction. And never solicit Yelp reviews, which violates their terms of service.
Beyond the Basics
These foundational strategies work across industries, but scaling review generation requires understanding customer psychology, platform-specific optimization, response strategies that encourage future reviews, and tools that automate without feeling robotic.
Response rate matters as much as request rate. Businesses that respond to every review—positive and negative—see up to 12% higher future review rates because customers know their feedback will be acknowledged.
Build Your System
Want the complete playbook? Our full guide to review generation covers nine proven strategies, platform-specific rules, tools at every price point, and how to optimize reviews for AI search visibility.
Or if you'd rather have experts build the automated systems that generate consistent reviews without ongoing manual effort, our lead generation services include review generation as part of comprehensive local SEO strategies.
Start this week: Create your direct review link, identify your peak moment, and ask your next three satisfied customers. That foundation alone will generate more reviews than months of hoping customers remember on their own.