Review Strategy for New Businesses: Getting Your First Reviews

Why Reviews Matter More Than Ever

93% of consumers read online reviews before making a purchase. For new brands, reviews are the fastest way to bridge the credibility gap with established competitors. No reviews means no trust. No trust means no sales.

Where to Collect Reviews

Priority Platforms

Google Business Profile — Most important for local businesses. Google reviews appear directly in search results.

Industry-Specific Platforms:

• SaaS: G2, Capterra, TrustRadius
• E-commerce: Amazon, product page reviews
• Restaurants: Yelp, TripAdvisor
• Home services: Angi, HomeAdvisor, Thumbtack
• B2B: Clutch, GoodFirms

Your Own Website — Testimonials on your site are less trusted than third-party reviews but still valuable for SEO and conversion optimization.

Social Media — Facebook recommendations and LinkedIn endorsements contribute to your brand's perceived trustworthiness.

Focus on One or Two Platforms First

Don't spread your early review efforts across ten platforms. Choose the one or two platforms your target audience checks before purchasing, and concentrate there.

Getting Your First 10 Reviews

Ask Directly

The most effective review strategy is embarrassingly simple: ask. Most satisfied customers will leave a review if asked at the right time in the right way.

When to Ask

• Immediately after a positive experience or compliment
• After successful project completion or delivery
• When a customer proactively expresses satisfaction
• After they've had enough time to evaluate the product (but not so long they forget)

How to Ask

In person: "I'm so glad you're happy with [result]. We're a new brand, and reviews really help us grow. Would you mind leaving a quick Google review? It takes about 30 seconds."

By email: Send a follow-up email with a direct link to your review page. One click should take them directly to the review form — not to your profile page where they have to find the review button.

By text: For service businesses, a text message with a review link gets higher response rates than email.

Make It Easy

Every extra click reduces completion rates. Provide:

• A direct link to the review submission form
• QR codes on receipts, business cards, or in-store signage
• Instructions if the platform requires specific steps

Building a Review System

Automate the Ask

Don't rely on memory. Build review requests into your business process:

• E-commerce: Automated email 7 days after delivery
• Services: Automated email 2 days after project completion
• SaaS: In-app prompt after the user achieves a key milestone
• Retail: Text message 24 hours after purchase

Create a Review Funnel

Smart businesses filter the review ask:

Step 1: Ask "How was your experience?" (internal survey) Step 2: If positive (4-5 stars), direct them to a public review platform Step 3: If negative (1-3 stars), direct them to a private feedback form

This isn't fake — you're simply routing unhappy customers to a place where you can actually resolve their issues before they go public.

Track and Respond

• Monitor new reviews daily
• Respond to every review within 24 hours
• Thank positive reviewers specifically
• Address negative reviews with empathy and solutions

What to Do With Negative Reviews

Don't Panic

One negative review among many positive ones actually increases trust. A 4.7-star average with some 3-star reviews looks more authentic than a perfect 5.0.

Respond Publicly, Resolve Privately

"We're sorry about your experience, [Name]. I'd like to make this right — could you email me directly at [email]? — [Your name], Founder"

This shows future customers that you care and take action.

Learn From It

If multiple reviews mention the same problem, fix the problem. Reviews are free customer research.

Review Velocity Matters

Search algorithms consider review recency and frequency. 50 reviews from two years ago are less valuable than 20 reviews from the past three months.

Build a consistent stream of reviews rather than collecting a batch and stopping. Aim for two to four new reviews per month as a minimum for local businesses.

What NOT to Do

• Never pay for reviews. It's unethical and most platforms will penalize you.
• Never write fake reviews. You will get caught eventually.
• Never offer incentives for positive reviews specifically. You can offer incentives for any review, but conditioning the reward on a positive review violates most platform policies.
• Never review-gate on Google. Google explicitly prohibits selectively asking only happy customers for reviews (though other platforms allow it).

Your Brand Name in Reviews

Customers often mention your brand name in reviews. A distinctive, memorable name gets mentioned more frequently and accurately. A generic name gets confused with competitors.

Make sure your brand name is distinctive and searchable. Use BrandScout to find a name that stands out in reviews and search results.