It's tempting to think review coverage means being everywhere: Google, Facebook, Yelp, an industry-specific directory, all at once. For most small, local businesses, that's the wrong order of operations. Depth on the platform that matters most beats a thin presence spread across all of them.
Start with Google, because that's where local searches already are
For a local service business, Google Business Profile reviews show up directly in the search result and the map listing a customer is already looking at, before they ever reach your website. That's the highest-leverage place for review volume and recency to matter.
Add a second platform only if your customers actually use it
If your specific trade or region leans heavily on a second platform (a home-service directory, an industry marketplace, Facebook in some communities), it's worth asking for reviews there too. But that decision should follow evidence of where your customers actually are, not a general instinct to be everywhere.
Don't split every request evenly
If you're going to ask, ask for the platform that matters most first. A customer will usually only leave one review unless specifically asked twice, so the order you ask in determines where the review actually lands.
Consistency matters more than count
A profile with 40 recent, real reviews on one platform outperforms four profiles with 10 stale ones each. See NAP consistency: why your name, address and phone must match everywhere for a related reason concentrated, consistent information beats a scattered presence.
Questions
Should I ask for a review on my own website too?
A form or link on your site can route to whichever platform matters most, but the actual review still needs to land on a real, public platform to carry any weight with strangers.
What if a customer already left a review somewhere I don't check often?
Set up notifications for every platform you have a profile on, even the ones you don't actively pursue, so you can still respond in a reasonable timeframe.
Is it worth deleting an old, inactive profile on a platform I don't use?
Usually not worth the effort, and an old profile with a few decent reviews still does some quiet work. Just don't spend fresh effort asking for reviews there if your customers aren't looking at it.