I’m sure you often look for reviews and testimonials before buying something, am I right? You want to make sure you’re making the right choice.
It’s no secret that social proof is a powerful marketing tool that can influence your potential customers’ purchasing decisions.
Why? Because we trust the words of someone who has tried your products or services more — no matter if it’s a stranger or a friend — than whatever a brand tells us.
We’re afraid of making mistakes, and don’t trust brands we barely know. So we’ll look for recommendations or feedback.
In fact, according to a survey conducted by BrightLocal, 91% of consumers read online reviews before making a purchase, and 84% trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.
That’s why including testimonials in your website is a powerful way to increase your sales.
- It adds credibility
- It builds trust
- It helps overcome objections that potential customers may have.
- It positions your brand as a more desirable option
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How to ask for testimonials
Now that you understand the importance of testimonials, let’s see how you can get them:
- Identify the right time to ask for a testimonial. This could be immediately after a purchase, after a successful project, or after a particularly positive interaction with your business.
- Make it easy for the customer to provide a testimonial. Send a brief survey or questionnaire that asks for specific feedback on their experience. You can even ask for a short video testimonial.
- Tell them how important it is for you to have their feedback and express your gratitude.
How to get good testimonials
This is probably the most important part, because the quality of the testimonials will impact the perception of your customers.
For example:
- Don’t tell me that this product is amazing. Tell me how it helped you SOLVE this problem.
- Don’t tell me that you love its features. Tell me HOW its features make your life better.
- Don’t tell me that I offered you an outstanding service. Tell me what was the outcome of working together (you’re feeling better, made more money, healed, etc.)
You want meaningful testimonials that highlight the benefits of your products or services and show how they can transform people’s lives.
Because we don’t buy products or services, after all. We buy a transformation.
So, what questions should you ask? Here you can download a document with 9 questions I use with my clients.
How to showcase testimonials
Now that you have collected valuable feedback from your clients, it’s time to put the answers together to write a powerful testimonial.
I don’t change any of the clients’ words, I just edit slightly to merge or split sentences so everything makes sense. And because of this, I like showing the client the final copy for approval.
“Noemi has helped me improve my brand image, managed to curate the message I wanted to share and added a spark of creativity and flair to my posts that drive engagement.
She has stepped up my game in relation to brand awareness and image. I have had an increase in leads that I have managed to convert. In the process, I am learning how to market my services.
I consider Noemi a trusted marketing advisor, she makes my business her business, and the enthusiasm she brings to our meetings is contagious. Noemi is very professional and honest in her opinion. I highly recommend her.”
And now, your testimonial is ready to be included on your website. Here are a few tips to keep in mind:
Include testimonials on relevant pages
Product pages, service pages, landing pages… even your homepage is a great place. Show your clients how you can change people’s as soon as they land on your site. This ensures that potential customers see the testimonials in the context of the product or service they are interested in.
Use a variety of formats
Testimonials can be in the form of text, video, or audio. Consider using a mix of formats to keep things interesting and engaging for visitors to your site.
Use photos and names
Include the name and photo of the person providing the testimonial. If you help professionals, it’s also interesting to include the position and the industry. This adds a personal touch and makes the testimonial more relatable and trustworthy.
Keep it up to date
Make sure to regularly update your testimonials to keep things fresh and relevant. Also, you may want to remove some old testimonials that are no longer relevant for your business, or replace those that are not so meaningful.
And that’s it. I hope this article helps you leverage the psychological bias of social proof and collect testimonials that will convince potential customers to choose your business over your competitors.
Do you have any questions? Let me know on the comments section 🙂
Download the questions here.
