Necessary
Required for secure sessions, sign-in, CSRF protection, language selection and saving your cookie choice.
← Back to blog
Building trust with genuine reviews
Prioritise real experience, permission and transparency instead of making a new platform appear established through invented activity.
Having few reviews is normal for a new service. Filling the gap with fictional feedback presented as genuine may make a page look busy, but it misleads visitors. Trust depends not only on positive impressions but on whether the information is true.
Ask people who actually used the service
A neutral feedback request can follow completed service. Selecting only happy clients or demanding a particular score distorts the picture. Health and counselling professions may involve additional professional and privacy considerations.
Clarify permission and use
A private thank-you message should not automatically become advertising. Explain where and with which details it would appear. Shortening a name does not always make someone anonymous. Avoid edits that change context or headlines that exaggerate outcomes.
Treat criticism as information
Delays, confusing processes and technical issues can reveal opportunities to improve. Offer an appropriate resolution route publicly without exposing private details. Suppressing genuine criticism for appearance is different from moderating abuse.
Show something honest at the beginning
Explain the process, verified qualifications, transparent fees and support routes. “No reviews yet” is a truthful state. Clearly label demonstration screens as examples. Genuine experience takes time to accumulate; invented people or appointments are not a substitute.
Sources and further reading
FTC — Online Shopping: Reviews and Recommendations