How to build trust before you have reviews

When people cannot judge you directly, they look for signals from someone they already trust.

• Sell where buyers are already protected. If you sell products, listing some items on a marketplace with buyer protection while your own site builds a track record lowers the risk for a first-time buyer.
• Take payments with buyer protection. A familiar checkout with a clear refund path tells buyers they can get their money back if something goes wrong.
• Use third-party verification where it exists. Licenses, certifications, insurance, industry memberships and, for collectibles, independent grading all answer the "can I trust this?" question before anyone has to ask it.

A brand-new business can still prove it does real work.

• Photograph real jobs. Before and after shots, work in progress and finished results show what you do far better than adjectives.
• Put a face and a name on the business. A short "who we are" with real photos beats a stock image of a handshake.
• Write down your policies. Clear refund, warranty and response-time promises, written the way you would explain them to a customer, signal confidence.
• Answer fast. Quick, specific replies to inquiries are proof in themselves. Many buyers judge how you will treat them by how you answer their first message.

Once you have customers, ask every one of them for a review a few days after the job is done, while the experience is fresh. Make it easy with a direct link. Then follow the rules, because the penalties are real.

The FTC finalized a rule banning fake reviews and testimonials in August 2024. The rule took effect October 21, 2024. It prohibits buying or selling fake reviews and lets the agency seek civil penalties against knowing violators.

If you give customers anything in exchange for a review, the FTC's Endorsement Guides FAQ explains that an incentive which could affect how people weigh the review should be disclosed, and that even an incentive with no financial value may need disclosure.

Google is stricter still. Its policy on prohibited and restricted content for Maps says businesses may not offer incentives such as payment, discounts or free goods or services in exchange for posting a review, and that reviews posted because of an incentive will be removed. So for your Google Business Profile, the rule is simple: ask, but never pay or reward.

Proof that is specific, visible and checkable. One detailed photo of a finished job does more than ten vague claims. One honest policy does more than a "100% satisfaction" badge. And the first five genuine reviews, collected the right way, will do more for you than fifty you would have to explain later.