1. Ask right after a win
The best time to ask is when the customer has just felt the value of what you do. Good moments include:
- A project is delivered and the client says thanks.
- A customer reaches a result — their first sale, a finished course, a problem solved.
- A support conversation ends with “that was really helpful”.
- A customer renews, re-orders or refers someone to you.
Asking weeks later works too, but the details fade. The closer you ask to the moment, the more specific (and believable) the testimonial will be.
2. Make it take one minute
Every extra step loses people. Remove as many as you can:
- Send one link. Don’t ask people to find your page on a review site or reply with an essay.
- No sign-up. Customers shouldn’t need an account to say something nice about you.
- Keep the form short. Name, a star rating and a few sentences are enough. Company, job title and photo can be optional.
- Tell them what to write about. A blank box is hard. One guiding question is easy — see our testimonial questions.
With Wallsy, this is what a collection page does: you share one link, and customers leave a rating and a testimonial without creating an account.
3. Ask personally, in the channel you already use
A short personal message beats a generic newsletter blast. Use the channel where you already talk to the customer — email, WhatsApp, Slack, a support chat, or in person at the end of a call. Mention something specific about working together, and keep the ask small: “Would you mind writing two or three sentences about it?”
Need wording? Use our testimonial request templates.
4. Get clear permission to publish
Always make sure the customer agrees to you publishing their words and name. The simplest way is a consent checkbox on the form itself (“I give [your business] permission to publish this testimonial with my name”), and keeping a record of when they agreed. Wallsy collection pages include this checkbox on every submission and store the consent with the testimonial.
5. Follow up once — then let it go
People mean to reply and forget. One friendly reminder three to five days later is normal and usually welcome. If there’s still no reply, stop — a second reminder rarely helps and can sour a good relationship.
6. Review before you publish
Read every testimonial before it goes on your website. Fix obvious typos, but don’t change what the person said. If something isn’t right for your site, simply don’t publish it. (In Wallsy, every submission waits in your moderation inbox until you approve and publish it.)
7. Say thank you — and show them
Thank people for their time, and let them know when their words are live. Many customers are happy to share your Wall of Love page themselves once they’re on it.
Quick checklist
- Ask within a few days of a clear win.
- Send one link to a short form — no account needed.
- Give one guiding question.
- Get explicit permission to publish.
- Follow up once, after 3–5 days.
- Review, publish, and say thanks.