The 90-Day Review Growth Plan for Local Businesses

Ninety days is enough time to completely transform the online reputation of a local business — if you approach it systematically. The businesses that see the biggest gains are not the ones that try harder at random intervals. They are the ones that build a repeatable process and let that process compound over time. Here is a practical 90-day plan that any local business can follow, regardless of their current starting point.

In the first 30 days, the focus is on fixing the foundation. Claim and fully optimise your Google Business Profile if you have not already. Add current photos, accurate hours, your service menu, and a compelling business description. Then audit your past customers. Go back through your booking system, your email list, or your invoicing software and identify everyone who has bought from you in the last 12 months. Send them a re-engagement message asking for feedback. Even converting 5% of that dormant list into reviewers can produce a meaningful initial surge.

Days 31 to 60 are about building the habit. Set up an automated review request system that triggers within one to two hours of every completed transaction. Test different message variants — try a more formal tone versus a conversational one, compare SMS open rates against email, and experiment with the timing. Track your response rates weekly. By the end of this phase, you should have a functioning automated pipeline and a clear picture of what is working.

In the final 30 days, you scale and refine. Double down on the channels that performed best. If SMS is outperforming email, shift your weight there. If a particular message template is getting a 20% conversion rate, make it your default. By day 90, your review count should have increased substantially, your rating should be trending upward, and — crucially — you now have a permanent system that continues working even when you are not thinking about it.