Reviews are one of the most useful things you can put on a website. When someone is deciding whether to call you, hearing from people who've already used you counts for a lot more than anything you say about yourself.
But plenty of small business sites get reviews wrong. They hide them on a separate page nobody visits, or show three vague quotes with no names, or still feature the same reviews from years ago. Here's how to do it properly.
Put reviews where people make decisions
The best place for a review is right next to the moment someone decides whether to get in touch. That usually means near your buttons.
- Under the main "Get a quote" or "Call us" button on your home page
- On each service page, close to the contact button
- Next to your contact form
- Near your prices, if you show them
Think of it like this. A visitor is about to tap the button, but they hesitate. A short review right there, saying you turned up on time and did a great job, can be the thing that tips them over.
A separate reviews page is fine to have as well, but don't rely on it. Most people won't go looking.
Match reviews to the page
On service pages, use reviews that mention that service. If someone's reading about your boiler servicing, a review about boiler servicing is far more convincing than a general one about a different job.
This is a good reason to ask customers to mention the job when they leave a review. A line like "If you could mention it was a bathroom fit, that would really help" is a fair request.
Show real names and dates
A review that just says "Great service. Customer" doesn't do much. People have seen enough fake reviews to be wary.
Make each one feel real:
- Use the customer's name, or first name and initial, such as "Sarah P."
- Add the town or area if they're happy with that
- Include the month and year the review was left
- Mention the job, such as "Kitchen fitting" or "Regular cleaning"
Check with the customer before using their name in a way they might not expect. Reviews left publicly on Google are already public, but it's still good manners.
Dates matter more than people think. A review from last month tells a visitor you're active and still doing good work. A page full of undated reviews leaves them guessing.
Link to your Google reviews
Your Google reviews are the ones many people trust most, because they know you can't control them. Link to them from your website so visitors can see the full picture.
A simple line works: "Read all our reviews on Google". Put it under the reviews you show on your site.
If you have a good number of Google reviews, you could mention your overall star rating near the top of your home page too. Just make sure it's accurate and up to date.
Keep them current
Reviews go stale. If the newest one on your site is from a long time ago, people may wonder whether you're still trading.
Set yourself a simple routine:
- Once a month, check your Google reviews for new ones
- Pick one or two good, recent ones that mention specific jobs
- Add them to the relevant pages on your site
- Swap out the oldest ones if a page is getting crowded
It only takes a few minutes, and it keeps your site feeling alive. It's also the kind of small, regular job worth handing to someone else if you never get round to it. Our Growth plan includes content changes like this, and you can read about it on our pricing page.
Never fake or edit reviews
This one's simple. Don't make up reviews, don't write them for friends to post, and don't change the wording of real ones to make them sound better.
It might feel harmless, but it's dishonest, it can break the rules of review sites, and if a customer spots it the damage to your reputation is far worse than having fewer reviews. Fake reviews also tend to sound fake. They're too polished and too vague.
It's fine to:
- Shorten a long review, as long as you don't change its meaning
- Pick which reviews to show on each page
It's not fine to:
- Add words the customer didn't say
- Combine two reviews into one
- Remove a criticism and present what's left as the full review
If you shorten one, link to the original so anyone can check.
What about bad reviews
Every business gets the odd poor review. You don't have to show them on your own site, but how you deal with them on Google matters.
Reply politely, briefly and without arguing. Say sorry for the experience, explain anything that needs explaining, and offer to put it right. Future customers read those replies, and a calm, fair response can do you more good than harm.
Getting more reviews
The easiest way to get reviews is to ask. Most happy customers are glad to leave one, but they won't think to do it on their own.
- Ask at the end of the job, while they're pleased
- Send a short text or WhatsApp with a direct link to your Google review page
- Keep the message short and friendly
Making reviews part of your site
At We are Graft, reviews are built into every site from the start, placed where people can see them rather than tucked away. If you'd like to see how your reviews would look, ask for a free design. You'll see it before you pay a penny.