Before a customer phones you or walks in, they usually open Google Maps and read the reviews. That makes it worth learning how to get more Google reviews: it is among the cheapest and most influential kinds of marketing, as long as you earn them honestly and within Google's policy.
This guide gives practical steps: preparing your review link, where to place it, when to ask and how to reply. You can gather all of it in one digital business card or page, with a review button beside call and location.
Why reviews matter
Reviews give a new customer a reason to trust you before they try you, and they appear beside your business name in search and maps. A business with many recent reviews looks more present than one nobody talks about. You do not need inflated numbers, just a steady flow of real opinions.
Step one: prepare your review link
You need a verified Google Business Profile. Google's own help page explains how to share a link or QR code that opens the review form directly, which is far easier than asking customers to search for you. See Google's help page. For the full setup, read our Google Business Profile guide.
Note that customers need a Google Account to post, so keep the remaining steps as few as possible.
Where to place the link
- On a counter stand with a QR code and an NFC card.
- On your Wslat page as a clear Rate us on Google button.
- In a WhatsApp message after the service.
- On the printed receipt or invoice.
- In your email signature.
Because a Wslat QR code and NFC card point to a short link you can redirect whenever you like, you do not have to reprint the stand if the link changes. The stand itself is covered in Google review stand.
When to ask for a review
Timing beats wording. Ask when satisfaction peaks: after the order is delivered, after the session ends or when the customer thanks you. Avoid asking during a complaint or a long wait.
| Business | Best moment | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| Restaurant or cafe | When paying the bill | QR stand on the table or counter |
| Clinic | After the visit | WhatsApp message or card at reception |
| Beauty salon | At the mirror after the result | NFC or QR nearby |
| Online shop | After the order arrives | Follow-up message |
| Service provider | After delivering the work | Link in the thank-you message |
How to word the request
Ask kindly and briefly, and never steer the star rating. For example: We would love your honest feedback on your visit, it takes a minute. Put that line next to the code, because people respond to a clear ask.
What Google's policy forbids
Google bans offering incentives such as discounts or free goods in exchange for writing, changing or removing a review, treating it as fake engagement. It also bans discouraging negative reviews or selectively asking only happy customers. You may ask any customer about a real experience, provided you do not influence the rating or content. Read the official text in Google's prohibited content policy.
Replying to reviews
A reply is part of the customer experience and new visitors read it. Thank positive reviewers by name and vary your wording. For a negative review, apologise calmly, offer a fix and move the details to a private channel instead of arguing in public. Patience earns trust from readers who never spoke to you.
Measure what happens
Put a different code in each spot and see which is scanned most, then double down on the best. The Wslat dashboard shows clicks, scans and card taps, and link click tracking explains how to read them. To choose between code types, read dynamic QR code.
To keep it all in one place, make the review button part of a digital business card that opens with a tap or a scan.
FAQ
Can I buy Google reviews?
How long does a review take to appear?
Should I only ask happy customers?
What should I do about a fake or abusive review?
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