Build a Simple Referral Engine Using Your Client Portal

The highest-quality customers almost always come from referrals. They trust you faster, accept your prices more easily, and convert at a much higher rate than any ad, flyer, or Facebook post.

The problem? Most trades and service businesses leave referrals to luck. They hope customers will recommend them… but never actively encourage it, track it, or make it easy.

In GoTaskhub, your client portal — combined with the “Refer a friend” feature — can turn happy customers into an ongoing source of consistent, high-quality leads.

Why referrals beat almost every other channel

• Higher trust: When a friend or neighbour recommends you, half the selling is done already.
• Higher close rate: Referred leads convert faster and with less friction.
• Lower cost: You didn’t pay for ads, leaflets, or boosted posts to acquire them.

If you want a pipeline full of good customers, referrals are the most reliable long-term source.

The problem: most businesses leave referrals to chance

Common mistakes include:

• Only asking for referrals once in a while
• No simple way for customers to send your details
• No tracking — so you never know who referred whom
• No reward or recognition for loyal clients

Fix these, and your business becomes dramatically easier to grow.

Define what a “good referral” looks like

A referral engine works best when you know exactly what kind of work you want more of.

• Ideal job size or type
• Ideal customer (location, budget, expectations)
• Jobs you enjoy and are most profitable

If you don’t define this, you risk attracting the wrong kind of work — and more stress instead of more profit.

Design a simple referral offer

Referral rewards don’t have to cost much. They just need to feel like a “thank you.”

Common, effective referral rewards

• €10–€25 discount on their next job
• A small gift card (coffee shop, Amazon, etc.)
• Free small service or add-on
• A charity donation in their name

Keep it simple

The reward should be easy to explain, easy to deliver, and easy for the customer to understand.

When should the reward trigger?

Usually one of these:

• After the referred customer pays their first invoice
• After their job is completed
• After they accept their first quote

Consistency matters more than size.

Using GoTaskhub’s client portal to capture referrals

This is where GoTaskhub makes the whole process frictionless. Inside the client portal, every customer can access a dedicated “Refer a friend” section.

What the customer sees

• A short explanation of your referral offer
• A simple form to refer someone
• Your branding, logo, and business details

When they submit a referral, it appears automatically inside yourportalReferrals data — ready to convert into a lead or customer inside your CRM.

How it helps you

• Referrals are organised and visible
• You see who referred whom
• You can reward top referrers properly
• You get a new steady lead source with almost zero work

When and how to ask for referrals

Timing matters. Ask for referrals when customers feel most pleased with your work.

Best moments to ask

• Right after a job is completed successfully
• When the customer says “Thank you” or “Great job”
• When sending the invoice or completion report
• After a positive review or message

Simple scripts that work

In person

“If you know anyone who needs help with {service}, feel free to send them my portal link. I always look after people who come through a referral.”

In email/WhatsApp

“Thanks again for choosing us. If you have friends, neighbours, or family who might need similar work, you can refer them easily using this link:{portalLink}. We really appreciate it!”

In your quote or invoice emails

Add a P.S.: “P.S. We love referrals — if you know anyone who might need work done, feel free to share your client portal link!”

Tracking referral performance inside GoTaskhub

• Tag leads and customers as “Referred by {name}"
• Track revenue from referrals vs other channels
• Identify your “super referrers”

These insights help you understand which relationships are most valuable — and where to focus your attention.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Making your referral offer complicated or unclear
• Only asking for referrals once
• Forgetting to say thank you
• Letting referral leads get lost in messages or notes

Next steps

• Decide on a simple referral offer
• Enable or promote the Refer a friend section in your client portal
• Add a small referral note to your quote and invoice templates
• Start tagging referred leads in your CRM

With a few small habits — and GoTaskhub doing the heavy lifting — you can build a reliable referral engine that feeds your business for years to come.