The Reviews That Win You Orders (and the Ones That Don’t)
- Ronnie Codman
- Aug 19
- 4 min read
In the world of takeaways and restaurants, reviews aren’t just nice to have - they’re essential. Before a customer even visits your site, orders your food, or steps through your door, you can bet they’ll be looking you up.
And where are they doing it?
Not Just Eat.
Not Uber Eats.
Not Deliveroo.
Google.
Your Google Business Profile is a new kind of shop window. And if you're ignoring it - or collecting reviews everywhere except Google - you're giving away traffic, trust, and ultimately, revenue.
Here’s why Google reviews count for more than you think, and how to start collecting more of them, fast.
Why Google Reviews Matter (More Than You Think)
When a customer searches for your shop, or even something generic like “best pizza near me”, Google decides what they are shown.
Your location, your hours, your photos, your reviews - all of that is displayed on your Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business), often before your website is ever clicked.
The more (and better) your Google reviews:
The higher you rank in local searches
The more likely customers are to click on your profile
The more trust you build before they even see your menu
Many customers don’t look much further than Google - make sure you get it right!
Stop Giving Your Best Reviews to Food Portals!
If you’re stacking up 100+ reviews on food portals, but only have 3 or 4 on Google, you’re building your brand on borrowed ground. We see this all the time:
A shop has hundreds of 5-star reviews on Just Eat/Deliveroo/Uber Eats - and barely any on Google!
The problem?
Those reviews don’t help your Google ranking
They reinforce the platform’s brand, not yours
They do nothing for customers searching outside those apps
If all your glowing reviews live inside third-party platforms, your business stays hidden in their ecosystem, not yours. Worse still, it creates a vicious circle: a customer sees a high review count on Just Eat or Uber Eats, so they trust the platform and place an order. They enjoy the food and leave a review there, reinforcing the platform’s reputation, not yours. Meanwhile, you pay up to 35% + VAT for a customer who already knows your name. The next customer searches for you, sees the same platform reviews, and follows the same path. The loop continues, and your brand gets buried deeper each time.
And there’s another risk: if one of those platforms suspends your listing, updates their algorithm, or prioritises a competitor, your visibility can disappear overnight - along with all the social proof you’ve built. Those glowing reviews? Locked inside someone else’s system.
By focusing your review strategy around Google, you retain control, build resilience, and keep ownership of your customer trust. This is where the food portals are pinching many of their orders anyway! See this recent blog of ours.
Turn Happy Customers into Google Reviews
The good news? You already have happy customers who are willing to review you. They just need a nudge.
Ask at the right time: when food is delivered hot, or a customer is thanking you at the till
Follow up with a short, friendly message after their order
Use your ordering system to send an automatic review request via email or SMS
It takes 30 seconds for them, and it could change your search ranking for years.
Make It Easy: QR Codes & Automation
Want more reviews? Remove the friction.
Create a QR code that links directly to your Google review form. Place it:
On your counter
In takeaway bags
On delivery packaging or receipts
Add a short line: "Enjoyed your meal? Let us know! It only takes 30 seconds."
You can generate your review link from your Google Business dashboard, and turn it into a QR code using tools like https://www.qrcode-monkey.com/
Simple, visual, effective.
And, if you’re using a direct ordering platform like Order Digital, review collection can be automated. You can:
Trigger review requests after every completed order
Build in review links to your thank-you emails
Identify and reward those customers who leave positive reviews
In short, your system does the follow-up for you and your Google reputation builds itself.
Don’t Fear the Bad Ones
Every shop gets the odd stinking review. That’s normal. In fact, there is little you can do to control this - we often see customers leaving bad reviews for the wrong shop!
What matters is how you respond:
Thank them for their feedback
Stay calm, even if it feels unfair
Offer to make it right
Replies show you care, and show future customers that you’re active and engaged. A bad review you reply to can be more powerful than a good one you ignore.
A Word of Caution
Your Google Business Profile is a vital asset - protect it!
We strongly advise never giving admin-level access to third-party providers or agencies. Admins have the ability to remove other users, make ownership changes, and even lock you out of your own listing.
Instead, grant manager-level access. It gives others the ability to update information, respond to reviews, and manage listings, without risking full control.
This simple step keeps your business secure and prevents you from being held hostage if a relationship ever turns sour. We at Order Digital will never ask for admin-level access.
See It In Action: Get Found. Get Chosen. Get Reviewed.
One of our clients had just 4 reviews on Google when they joined us.
We helped them:
Set up a review automation flow
Add QR codes to all collection and delivery packaging
3D print a plastic QR code stand that sat at the front of their shop
They went from 4 reviews to 127 reviews in just 8 weeks. Direct traffic rose. Phone calls went up. More people ordered direct.
Reviews aren’t just about stars. They’re about visibility. Trust. Growth. You can’t build a long-term brand on platforms that don’t belong to you.
Google is where discovery happens. It’s where your future customers are looking. Make sure that when they do, they find a business that looks trusted, tried, and worth choosing.
Want help collecting more reviews and growing your direct orders? Fill in the form below and our team will be in touch.