How To Ask Customers For Online Reviews
Online reviews can directly influence your business' success by building trust, improving online visibility, and providing actionable feedback for growth. Here's a simple guide to collect reviews:
- Why Customer Reviews Matter: Reviews act as social proof, helping potential clients feel confident in choosing your services. They also boost your visibility on platforms like Google.
- When to Ask: Request reviews when clients are most satisfied (after completing a project or achieving a milestone).
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How to Ask:
- Email: Great for professional and detailed asks.
- Text: Quick and personal, but use sparingly.
- In-Person: Personal and effective if timed well.
- Automation: Use tools to send timely, personalized follow-ups.
- Make It Easy: Provide direct links, simple instructions, and ensure the process works smoothly on mobile devices.
- Ethical Practices: Avoid fake reviews, incentivizing positive feedback, or selective asks. Always follow platform guidelines and respect client confidentiality.
When and How to Ask for Customer Reviews
Knowing when and how to ask for reviews can turn a happy client into a valuable advocate for you. The trick lies in identifying the moments when your clients are most satisfied and choosing the right way to reach out.
Pick the Right Time to Ask for Feedback
Timing plays a huge role in getting positive reviews. The best moment to ask is when your client feels satisfied, excited, or even pleasantly surprised by your work. Whether it’s right after a successful project, a breakthrough session, or completing a major milestone, catching your customer during these high points can lead to more enthusiastic feedback.
Research from RaveCapture in January 2025 backs this up, showing that owners that ask for reviews after major achievements — like finishing a course module or completing a product or service — are more likely to gather thoughtful and positive responses. This approach also helps build the social proof that’s essential for attracting new clients.
Choose the Best Way to Contact Clients
How you ask for a review is just as important as when you ask. Different clients respond better to different communication methods, so it’s worth tailoring your approach to suit your audience.
- Email: A professional and versatile option, email gives clients time to think about their feedback and provides space for links or detailed instructions. This is a brilliant choice for consultants, coaches, or anyone maintaining formal relationships.
- Text messages: For more casual connections, a quick text can feel personal and immediate. However, use this sparingly to avoid overwhelming your clients or coming across as intrusive.
- In-person: Asking for a review face-to-face can be highly effective, especially at the end of a successful session. It feels personal and harder to ignore. That said, if your client seems rushed or stressed, it’s better to wait for a more relaxed moment.
- Printed materials: A business card with a QR code or a follow-up packet can act as a gentle reminder for clients who prefer offline communication.
Consider combining methods for maximum impact. For example, you might mention the review during an in-person meeting and follow up with an email that includes explicit instructions. The key is to match your approach to your clients’ preferences and habits.
Use Automation While Keeping It Personal
Automation can streamline managing reviews, ensuring you never miss an opportunity to gather feedback. But even with automation, it’s crucial to keep things personal.
Set up automated triggers for key moments, like when a project wraps up or a client hits a milestone. While automation helps with timing, make sure each message feels genuine. Use the client’s name and reference specific details about their experience to show that you value their input.
To keep things polished, consider reviewing automated messages before they’re sent. And if a client doesn’t respond the first time, a friendly follow-up can serve as a gentle nudge. By balancing automation with a personal touch, you can make your review asks feel thoughtful and sincere.
How to Write Review Requests That Work
To get thoughtful and meaningful reviews, it needs to feel genuine, be personalized, and respect their time.
Make It Personal
A personalized plea stands out. Use their name and reference something specific about their experience.
For example, mention the service they used, a challenge they overcame, or a goal they achieved.
If you're a business coach who helped a client boost their revenue, highlight that success. If you're a therapist guiding someone through a tough time, acknowledge their progress while maintaining confidentiality.
Make It Easy for People
Once you’ve personalized your appeal, the next step is to simplify the process. The easier it is, the more likely they are to follow through.
- Use direct links: Provide links that go straight to your review page on review sites like Google or Facebook. Use shortened URLs to make them cleaner and easier to share.
- Offer clear instructions: Explain the steps, like "Click the link, choose your star rating, and write a few sentences about your experience." This helps people unfamiliar with leaving reviews.
- Consider timing: Ask when their experience is fresh, and they’re likely to have a few free minutes.
- Optimize for mobile: Many people read messages and leave reviews on their phones. Double-check that your links work well on mobile devices.
Handle Common Problems and Follow Best Practices
Even with a well-thought-out approach, challenges are inevitable when asking for reviews. Knowing how to tackle these obstacles while staying within ethical boundaries can help you create a reliable and trustworthy review strategy.
What to Do When Clients Hesitate
It's normal for clients to hesitate when asked for reviews, and this reluctance often comes from a few common concerns. For example, 46.3% of potential reviewers feel the process is too time-consuming, and 35.1% are unsure where to leave a review.
Privacy concerns are also a significant factor. Some people worry about their personal information being exposed, or sensitive details being shared online. To ease their minds, explain what information will be visible and assure them they can control what they share. For professionals like therapists or coaches, suggest that clients focus on general outcomes rather than personal specifics.
Time constraints are another frequent issue. If someone says they're too busy, offer to send them a quick text or email with a direct link to the review page, making it easier for them to leave feedback when they have a moment.
Follow Legal and Ethical Rules
Navigating the legal rules around online reviews is crucial, as violations can lead to hefty fines. The FTC, for example, can impose penalties of up to $51,744 per violation for fake review practices.
Under no circumstances should you buy or fabricate reviews. Not only is this illegal, but it also undermines trust. A 2023 BrightLocal survey revealed that 62% of consumers would stop trusting a****n organization if they suspected its reviews were fake or manipulated. The damage to your reputation far outweighs any short-term gains.
Different platforms have specific rules. For example:
- Google allows companies to ask for reviews but prohibits offering incentives.
- Yelp discourages asking for reviews altogether.
- Trustpilot requires transparency about any commercial relationships.
Confidentiality is especially critical for professions like coaching, therapy, and consulting. Never ask clients to share specific details about their personal experiences. Instead, guide them to focus on the overall quality of your service and general outcomes.
Finally, don't ask employees, family members, or friends to write reviews without disclosing their connection to you. Misrepresenting your client base not only violates FTC rules, but also damages credibility.
Add Reviews to Your Daily Work
Once you're confident your practices are ethical, make reviews a regular part of your workflow. Incorporate them into existing touchpoints, like follow-up emails, invoicing, or final client sessions. For many service businesses, the week after completing a project is the best time to ask for feedback.
Automation can simplify the process while keeping it personal. For example, set up automated emails to go out seven days after a project ends or an invoice paid. Include their name, reference the specific service provided, and add a direct link to leave a review.
Customer relationship management (CRM) tools can also be a helpful. Use them to track who you asked for reviews, avoiding duplicates and ensuring you cover all satisfied clients. Create templates for different scenarios (whether it's post-project completion, during ongoing services, or in follow-ups) to save time and maintain consistency.
Responding to reviews is just as important as collecting them. 88% of consumers are more likely to buy from people that actively engage with their reviews. Consider introducing reviews during your onboarding process, so new clients know from the start you value their feedback.
Finally, monitor your review ratio. If you're asking 10 clients for reviews each month but only receiving 2, it might be time to tweak your timing, messaging, or follow-up strategy. Minor adjustments can make a big difference.
Closing Thoughts: Online Customer Reviews
Creating a review strategy takes effort, but it delivers genuine feedback that strengthens trust and drives growth.
The success of collecting reviews hinges on timing, personalization, and maintaining ethical standards. Personalization is especially important: generic asks are easy to overlook.
Ethical practices are equally critical for protecting your reputation and ensuring long-term success. Did you know that 90% of consumers are more likely to support a business that actively responds to both positive and negative reviews? Engaging authentically with feedback builds trust and shows you value their input.
Make the process simple. Since 80% of online reviews come from follow-up emails, including direct links to review platforms and simple instructions can make it easier for them to share their experiences.
Steps to Get Started
Start small by choosing one method for reviews. Whether it’s adding a review request to your project completion email or casually mentioning it during a final client meeting, pick something that aligns with your goals. Research shows that 65% of consumers are more likely to leave a review when asked, so don’t underestimate the power of simply asking.
Track your progress with a simple system to monitor reviews, average ratings, and the effectiveness of your methods.
Use templates to streamline your process (but personalize each ask). This saves time while keeping your messages thoughtful and relevant. Experiment with different approaches to see what resonates most with them.
Support from Women Conquer Business
Once your review process is up and running, expert advice can help you boost your marketing. At Women Conquer Business, we specialize in helping coaches, consultants, therapists, and holistic healers navigate the unique challenges of marketing their services.
- Strategic Marketing Membership: For $47/month or $470/year, you’ll gain access to curated sessions designed to refine your review strategy alongside other marketing efforts.
- Digital Marketing Coaching: Starting at $397/month, this one-on-one support helps you prioritize your marketing efforts, including crafting a review strategy tailored to you.
- Local SEO Services: Starting at $1,500, these services ensure you stand out in local search results, where good reviews can make a big impact.
With the right guidance, you can turn reviews into a powerful tool for growth and audience connection.
FAQs
What’s the best way to ask for reviews while staying ethical and within the rules?
When asking for reviews, it’s essential to stay ethical and follow platform rules. Offering incentives might seem tempting, but it’s usually against the policies of platforms like Google or Yelp, and it can come across as dishonest.
Instead, focus on honesty and transparency. Let them know that leaving a review for your products and services is completely up to them, with no strings attached or any repercussions if they decide not to.
Familiarize yourself with the specific guidelines of the review platforms you’re using. Most, like Yelp and Google, strictly forbid incentivized reviews. Your approach should always be respectful and genuine, encouraging clients to share their authentic experiences. This not only builds trust but also ensures your reviews reflect authentic feedback.
How can I encourage customers to leave an online review?
Encouraging people to share their thoughts through online reviews starts with keeping the process easy and hassle-free. Provide them with explicit instructions and direct links to your review platform. This saves time and removes unnecessary friction. And don’t forget to express your gratitude. Let them know how much their feedback matters.
For customers who seem unsure or reluctant, try a softer approach. Instead of directly asking for a review, ask for general feedback about their experience. This feels less formal and may naturally lead them to leave a review on their own. You could also consider small incentives, like discounts or special offers, to nudge them in the right direction. Just make sure any incentives align with the policies of the review platform you’re using.
Timing is everything. Reach out shortly after a positive experience or a successful service delivery. That’s when your clients are happiest and most likely to share their story.
How can I use automation to ask for reviews while keeping it personal?
To make automation work for reviews without sacrificing the personal touch, it’s all about striking the right balance between efficiency and authenticity. Use automated tools to schedule review asks shortly after a client interaction, but includes a personalized message. Address the customer by name and mention details about their specific experience to make the message feel genuine.
Don’t stop there: add a human element to your follow-up. Take the time to respond to reviews, especially critical ones. This shows customers that their opinions matter and that you truly value their feedback. By combining automation with thoughtful personalization, you can streamline the process while keeping those important connections intact.