How to Get Client Reviews for Your IT Company (and Stay Within the Rules)
When and how to ask clients for reviews, an email you can adapt, how to handle negative feedback, and the FTC and Google rules every IT company should follow.
The most reliable way to get client reviews for an IT company is to ask every client at the same natural points in a project, make reviewing a two-minute task with a direct link, and suggest what a useful review covers. What you must not do is pay or reward clients for positive reviews, write reviews yourself or pressure people to remove criticism. US regulators and platforms such as Google have clear rules on all three, and breaking them can cost far more than a missing review.
Why reviews matter so much for IT companies
A buyer cannot test-drive a software project. Before they sign, they want evidence that companies like theirs had a good experience with you. Reviews give that evidence in the client's own words, covering things a portfolio cannot show: communication, deadlines, honesty about problems and support after launch.
Reviews also affect visibility. Google lists review count and ratings among the signals of prominence in local search and says that more reviews and positive ratings can help a business's local ranking. On Trusted IT Firms, client reviews are worth up to 10 of the 100 profile score points: one approved review earns 4 points, three earn 7 and five or more earn the full 10. Editors also look at well-reviewed, complete profiles when they award badges such as Top Rated.
Know the rules before you ask
On August 14, 2024, the US Federal Trade Commission announced a final rule banning fake reviews and testimonials. It covers, among other things:
- fake reviews, including AI-generated ones, and reviews that misrepresent a real customer experience;
- compensation that is conditioned on a review expressing a particular sentiment;
- reviews by officers or managers that do not clearly disclose their connection to the business;
- suppressing negative reviews through legal threats, intimidation or false accusations;
- buying or selling fake followers, views or other social media indicators.
The FTC's Endorsement Guides add a point many companies miss: asking only the customers you expect to be happy can be misleading if it substantially skews how favourable your reviews look. Google's policy for reviews on Maps goes further and says businesses must not offer incentives, such as payment, discounts or free services, in exchange for posting any review. It also removes reviews written under a conflict of interest, such as by current or former employees or contractors.
If you work with US clients, the FTC rules apply to you directly. Wherever you are based, they are a sensible baseline, and platform policies such as Google's apply to every business that uses the platform.
Reviews on Trusted IT Firms are checked by our team before they appear. Each person can review a company once per email address, links are not allowed in the review text, and the reviewer's email address is never shown publicly.
When and whom to ask
When to ask
Timing is everything. Ask while the work is fresh and the client has just seen value. Good moments include:
- a week or two after a launch, once the client has used what you built;
- when the client signs off a major milestone;
- at the end of each quarter on a long support or retainer contract;
- at project close, during the handover meeting.
Build these points into your project plan and ask every client at the same stage, not only the ones you think will be pleased. That keeps you on the right side of the FTC guidance and gives buyers a realistic picture.
Who to ask
Ask the person who worked with your team most closely, such as the product owner, project manager or technical lead. Their review will be more specific than one from a senior executive who only saw the invoices. On larger projects, it is fine to ask two or three people at the client to review separately, each with their own email address, because each saw different parts of the work. Do not ask your own staff, contractors, friends or family: those reviews break platform policies and mislead buyers.
How to ask: a simple email you can adapt
Keep the request short, personal and easy to act on. Here is a template:
Hi Priya, thanks again for working with us on the new order portal. Now that your team has used it for a couple of weeks, would you be willing to write a short review of the project on our Trusted IT Firms profile? It takes about two minutes: [link to profile]. A few lines on what we built, how the project ran and what has changed for your team would help other companies decide if we are a good fit. Honest feedback of any kind is welcome. Thank you, Arjun
Notice that the email asks for honest feedback, not a five-star rating, and offers nothing in return. Send one polite reminder after a week if you hear nothing, and then let it go.
What makes a review useful to buyers
You cannot write the review for the client, but you can suggest what to cover. Useful reviews mention:
- the type of project and the technologies involved;
- how communication and project management worked;
- how the team handled problems or changes in scope;
- the result, in the client's own words;
- the reviewer's role, so readers know their point of view.
Where to collect reviews
Reviews carry the most weight on independent platforms that check them, because buyers know you cannot edit them. Spread your requests across the places your buyers actually look rather than sending every client to the same site:
- Your directory profiles. Buyers comparing IT vendors read reviews next to your services, rates and projects. On Trusted IT Firms, the review form sits on your profile page, so a direct link to your profile is all a client needs.
- Google Business Profile. Useful if you serve local clients or have an office buyers visit, because reviews there appear on Search and Maps.
- LinkedIn Service Page. LinkedIn says providers can invite clients to leave reviews after a project agreed through a Service Page.
Ask each client for one review on the platform that matters most for the buyers you want next, rather than asking them to post the same text on several sites. Keep a simple record of who reviewed where, so you do not ask the same person twice in the same month. If a client prefers not to review publicly, ask whether you may quote their feedback in a case study instead, and respect the answer.
Handling negative or mixed reviews
Every company that delivers projects will eventually get a critical review. How you respond matters more than the review itself. Google notes that replying to reviews shows customers you value their feedback.
- Wait until you are calm, then check the facts with your team.
- Reply briefly and politely. Thank the reviewer, acknowledge the issue and explain what you have changed.
- Offer to continue the conversation directly, and do not share confidential project details in public.
- Never threaten legal action or pressure the client to remove the review. That is exactly the kind of review suppression the FTC rule targets.
Do and don't: a quick reference
| Do | Don't |
|---|---|
| Ask every client at the same project stages | Ask only the clients you expect to be happy |
| Send a direct link to your review form | Offer discounts, gifts or free work for reviews |
| Suggest topics the review could cover | Write the review for the client |
| Reply to criticism calmly and briefly | Threaten or pressure reviewers |
| Quote reviews accurately, with permission | Post reviews from staff, friends or family |
Use reviews in your sales process
Once you have reviews, put them to work. Link to your profile from proposals, add short quotes to relevant case studies and include them in pitch decks. Quote accurately, do not change the meaning and ask permission before using a client's name and logo outside the review platform. If a client received anything that readers would not expect, such as a discount connected to the testimonial, the Endorsement Guides say that connection should be disclosed clearly and close to the testimonial.
Make reviews a habit, not a campaign
Add "request a review" as a task in your project template at launch, milestone and close. Give one person responsibility for checking each month which clients have been asked and which have replied. A steady flow of recent reviews says more to a buyer than a burst of old ones.
If your company is not yet on Trusted IT Firms, create a free listing so clients have somewhere to review you. Then browse other companies in the directory, including software development firms and IT services companies, to see how reviews appear on a finished profile.
Frequently asked questions
Can we offer a discount in exchange for a review?
No. Google's policy bans incentives such as payment, discounts or free services for any review, and the FTC rule bans compensation conditioned on a particular sentiment.
Is it OK to ask only our happiest clients for reviews?
The FTC's Endorsement Guides warn that asking only customers you expect to be happy can be misleading if it substantially skews your reviews. Ask every client at the same stages.
Can our employees review our company?
They should not. Google removes reviews written under a conflict of interest, including by employees, and the FTC rule requires insiders to disclose their connection.
How many reviews does an IT company need?
There is no fixed number, but on Trusted IT Firms five or more approved reviews earn the full 10 profile score points for reviews.
Are reviews on Trusted IT Firms moderated?
Yes. Every review is checked by the Trusted IT Firms team before it appears, each email can review a company once and links are not allowed in the text.
Sources
- Federal Trade Commission announces final rule banning fake reviews and testimonials (FTC, August 14, 2024)
- FTC's Endorsement Guides: What People Are Asking (FTC)
- Maps user contributed content policy (Google)
- Tips to improve your local ranking on Google (Google Business Profile Help)
- Get started as a service provider on LinkedIn (LinkedIn Help)
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