The Advantages of Testimonials (And How to Do Them Right)

Are you looking to make higher sales and multiply your profits on your website? Let your satisfied customers sell your products for you. Did you know that if you’re selling a product on your website, customer testimonials can be a key content factor in promoting your new business or attracting potential customers? Customer testimonials present an honest unbiased voice about a product and a company.

Think about it! Do you enjoy reading wordy web pages filled with dry research and statistics? I don’t and am sure you don’t too; quite frankly it’s just boring. But, if you want to buy a product, you really don’t want to read a long list of statistics of what it can do without proof do you? You want to hear from real people about the product and what their honest opinions are. In this case, you can easily tell if the product you are about to purchase is really worth your money. The same goes for your business. What do people who have purchased or used your product or service think about it?

Answering the above question is one of the most important principle tasks your website needs to accomplish. By using testimonials (reviews and comments from your satisfied customers) in the form of texts, audios or videos on your website, you not only answer the question for your potential customers but also transform your sales pitch into a plausible, honest recommendation for your product.

Let’s delve into some of the ways testimonials can improve your website and drive more sales as well as, how you can effectively use testimonials to convert more leads on your website. We will also break down some of the most important elements of an effective testimonial.

If you’re not investing in testimonials right now, you need to read this. After you implement some of these ideas or evaluate your current testimonials, I promise you’ll see the best results possible.

If your customers are raving about what your product has done for them or about the great customer service they received from your business, they are simply telling the visitors on your website that they had a positive experience with your company and product

A good testimonial has the ability to convince even your most reluctant visitors that your product had the power to make a difference in their life. This works wonders! It helps your visitors see that your product is not just a gimmick and that your ultimate goal is to help them.

Since testimonials are not in your written voice. They don’t stand out as candid and biased accounts. Rather, reading a positive review from a customer can only brace confidence that the product about to be purchased is indeed the right choice!

If your product is not one – dimensional, that means there is just not one benefit. If different customers post different reviews of benefits they gained from using your product, and how their lives changed for the better, you’d be able to appeal to a number of different types of customers.

Videos increase your local Search Engine Content; this makes you more likely to show up in a local search. Needless to say, this gives your website more access to customers.

Can you post just any testimonial? No way, some testimonials can do more harm than good. Reviews that are too vague and seem fraudulent can drive your prospects away, being taken as biased and gimmick. Therefore, when choosing testimonials, there are a few key contents, to look for that make the difference between a vague testimonial and one that sells.

Here are some of the elements of an effective testimonial:

1. A good testimonial is filled with benefits of what the product can do for your potential customers.

2. A good testimonial substantiates your claims; all your claims and promises should be backed in a testimonial complete with actual facts and figures.

3. A good testimonial should be someone your audience and target market can relate to and identify. Include a photo of them on the testimonial and age along with it.

4. A credible testimonial is accompanied with the first name, last name, and hometown of each testimonial giver; this shows your potential clients that your endorsements come from real people. If you can include an audio or video for maximum effect, go right ahead.

5. A good testimonial should set you apart from your competition. You want your potential customers to know that your product can do what other products can’t.

Now that you know what to look for in testimonials, how do you actually gather the reviews you need from your customers?

There are many ways…

One of the easiest ways to implement, but it’s not that effective is to include a link to your website that creates a platform for customers to give their vote of confidence in the product.

To gather feedback consistently, you need to be pro-active.

So you can create an autoresponder that contacts your customers and gets their feedback after purchasing the product and ask how they like the product. As well as give them a chance to offer feedback on the service they received from your business.

If you are a new small business in the market, offer your product or services for free to a selected group of customers in exchange for their thoughts and reviews. At this point, get a good testimonial video maybe that you can use to set you apart from the rest.

Simply send each of your customers a link to the independent reviews sites such as Google, Facebook etc. This could be done via an email.

Or if you want to automate the whole process, you can use a product especially designed for the purpose of managing and growing your reputation online.

Strategies for making the most out of your testimonials

Include the best testimonials on the front and centre of your home page to keep the readers focused on your credibility as you outline the benefits of your service or products. Set up a whole page of your glowing testimonials on your website as well as, including pieces of their comments throughout the website. Also, use them on every page of your website so that wherever your customers click they can find a positive review of your product or service to get them hooked.

If you are not using testimonials on your website, you are missing out on one of the cheapest and most powerful tools available to you. Using glowing, fact-filled testimonials on your website will let your visitors know that you're worthy of their trust.