The best way to show customer reviews on your website is to use real reviews, with the reviewer's first name or initials, the date and what they bought, placed next to the service they describe. Link to where the reviews come from, such as your Google Business Profile, and never edit, invent or selectively hide them in a way that misleads. In the UK and US there are now specific legal rules on fake and incentivised reviews.
Reviews influence which local business people choose. One small poll on X asked what made people pick the last local business they hired, with Google reviews listed alongside the website and personal recommendations. Showing reviews well on your own site joins those signals up.
Where should reviews go on a website?
- Next to the service they mention. A review about a facial belongs on the facial page.
- Near the main action, such as the booking button or enquiry form.
- On the home page, one or two short ones.
- A link to the full set, such as your Google profile, for people who want more.
Avoid putting every review on a separate "testimonials" page that few people visit.
What makes a review believable?
| Detail | Why it helps |
|---|
| First name or initials | Shows a real person, while protecting privacy |
| Date | Shows the business is active |
| What they bought | Makes the review relevant to the reader |
| Specific result | "My daughter went from a 4 to a 7" says more than "great tutor" |
| Source link | Lets readers check |
| Photo, with permission | Optional, adds credibility |
Short, specific reviews usually work better than long general praise. Do not rewrite a customer's words to make them sound better.
What are the rules on reviews?
This is general information, not legal advice. Check the rules where you trade.
- UK. Under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act, from 6 April 2025 fake reviews and concealed incentivised reviews are banned, and businesses must not publish reviews in a way that misleads. The CMA has published guidance on fake reviews (CMA208).
- US. The FTC's rule on consumer reviews and testimonials, effective 21 October 2024, prohibits fake reviews, buying reviews and suppressing negative ones, among other things.
In practice: only show real reviews, say if a reviewer received anything in return, and do not hide bad reviews while claiming to show all of them.
How do you ask customers for reviews?
- Ask soon after a good result, while it is fresh.
- Send a direct link to your Google review page.
- Ask a specific question, such as "What changed for you?", to get specific answers.
- Ask everyone, not only the customers you expect to be happy.
- Ask permission before using a review on your website.
Do not offer discounts or gifts in exchange for positive reviews.
Should you embed Google reviews or copy them?
| Approach | Pros | Cons |
|---|
| Copy chosen reviews as text | Fast, readable by search engines and screen readers | Must stay accurate and dated |
| Embed a reviews widget | Updates automatically | Can slow the page, may load as a script search engines skip |
| Link to your Google profile | Simple and transparent | Visitors leave your site |
Many small businesses copy a few reviews as text and link to the full profile. Whichever you choose, keep the text exactly as written.
Can reviews get review stars in Google search?
Google's review snippet guidelines say review stars for local businesses are only for sites that capture reviews about other businesses, not self-serving reviews a business shows about itself. So adding review schema to your own testimonials is unlikely to produce stars. Reviews still help visitors, and reviews on your Google Business Profile appear in Maps and local results. See Google Business Profile vs website.
How do you handle a bad review?
Reply on the platform where it was posted, calmly and briefly, without arguing or sharing private details. Offer to sort it out directly. Readers often judge a business on how it handles complaints as much as on the complaint.
What about before-and-after photos?
These count as a form of testimonial and have their own advertising rules in health and beauty. See our guide to before-and-after photos on a clinic website.
Do reviews help with AI assistants?
AI assistants often draw on review platforms and the business's own site when recommending local businesses. Our guide to getting your local business recommended by ChatGPT covers the wider picture.
Which templates have review sections built in?
- Dermis (free) has reviews by treatment, next to a drag before-and-after.
- Clara Tutor ($49) has family reviews with grade jumps.
- Wayline ($49) has traveller stories.
Replace any demo text with real reviews from your own customers before launch.
Related guides: aesthetics clinic websites.
Frequently asked questions
Can I put Google reviews on my website?
Yes, if you show them accurately. You can copy them as text with the name and date, embed a widget, or link to your profile. Do not edit the wording.
Is it legal to write my own reviews?
No. Fake reviews are banned in the UK under the DMCC Act from April 2025 and in the US under the FTC rule from October 2024. Only publish genuine reviews.
Can I offer a discount for a review?
Offering incentives for positive reviews breaks the rules in many places. If any reviewer received something in return, that must be disclosed. Check the guidance where you trade.
Will review schema give me stars in Google?
Unlikely for reviews about your own business on your own site. Google does not show review stars for self-serving reviews on LocalBusiness or Organization pages.
Should I hide negative reviews?
Do not present a filtered set as if it were complete. Reply to negative reviews politely on the platform where they were posted.