In the modern age, most people will take to the internet before settling on a business to hire for their needs. One of the things they’re looking for is reviews, and positive reviews can be the number 1 motivator for a potential customer to choose your business.

There are so many places that customers can leave a review of your business, but some of the most popular include:

• Facebook

• Google MyBusiness

• Trustpilot

• Glassdoor

It can be tempting to just make your own reviews up (and much easier). However, this can soon land you in hot water with advertising standards and we would not recommend that you make up reviews. Nowadays the general public has a sixth sense for sniffing out advertising and if your reviews seem insincere they may well know.

So, how do you get them? It’s simple, ask. If you have completed a job and the customer seems particularly impressed and pleased with the work you have done then politely suggest that she gives you a review on Facebook, for example. Most people will be happy to oblige and spend a couple of minutes writing a review for you.

If you have a website of your own it’s more than acceptable to put genuine reviews from customers on there no matter where they have been posted. In fact, we would recommend you do this.

Of course, in order to attract positive reviews naturally, you will need to continually offer exceptional service and quality work. But what happens if you receive a negative review? It happens to many good businesses and the key here is to stay calm and not react angrily. Have a strategy in place beforehand and try to remain professional and helpful above all else. People may see the negative review, but they will also see you’re trying to help and rectify the situation too.