Testimonials help to convert visitors to customers
When visitors land on your website, it can be a challenge to persuade them to part with their hard-earned dollars or call a service provider or tradesperson they don’t know. This is why testimonials are good for business.
So what can you do to counteract shoppers’ hesitancy when they come across your website for the first time? How do you gain their trust?
Building credibility is the key to building trust and it all starts with your existing customers’ testimonials. Reviews are an essential building block of any successful on-line business.
Testimonials make good business sense
Testimonials are one of the most effective types of web content you can add to your site. Whether you upload a tweet or an email from a satisfied customer or whether you reach out yourself and request them from your clients, they can be extremely persuasive and that’s why testimonials are good for business.
Reaching out is easier than it sounds, you ou could offer a review of a company you use and get a review in return or customers may even offer to write a blog post about your business and you could reciprocate. This has the benefit of creating links from another site to yours.
Why testimonials are good for business
Testimonials will help with your conversion rate. They provide that one gentle nudge in the right direction.
Buying a new or unfamiliar product can be a bit daunting, especially it it’s a sizable cost item or service you offer. Testimonials and recommendations from previous customers help encourage people to buy your product or invest in your service because they can see that other people have purchased before them and that they’re raving about it or you. It becomes a less risky purchase. The assumption is that a business with quality, concise, honest testimonials is going to be safe to work with. People trust their community.
A testimonial reassures a customer that your product or service is tested, works well and, therefore, could be a good option for them. If you know you have a great relationship with a client and have had fantastic feedback, ask if they would consider writing a line or two. Not everyone thinks to comment on a job really well done.
You may even get a referral. Asking for a testimonial has brought to mind a contact they have who may also benefit from your products and services.
Your customers will appreciate a testimonial that speaks to your, or your products’, integrity.
Read our testimonials to see why our clients love what we do.
What makes a quality testimonial?
Testimonials can come in all sizes, and formats from all sorts of avenues. They can be a short paragraph from a tweet, Instagram or Facebook post or an email a client sent, or a grateful phone call, ask if you can quote them.
It could be a case study, an in-depth analysis of a customer’s experience with your business which you could add as a blog post on your website. That’s a ‘win-win’, a testimonial and new content!
Get creative
Testimonials can also be audio or video. Google loves video, especially sites that include YouTube video. After all, Google own YouTube, so it’s really no wonder they play so nicely together.
There’s nothing wrong with a quick thank you, however, the more specific the better. A testimonial that says, “Great service, great price!” isn’t very informative. Whereas “Every time I had a question, Woodswork Web Design responded immediately, and their online training videos were easy to understand” is much more convincing and more likely to persuade a potential customer that you are a good fit.
Google rewards product reviews that show a clear understanding of a product or service, rather than a quick comment or summary. Content written by experts or enthusiasts who know the topic well are especially liked.
Ultimately, Google is a matchmaker. It looks for content that answers questions. Great testimonials can help to do that.
Where to put testimonials on a website?
Testimonials page
Make a testimonial or feedback page. This page will serve as a platform to show off how others have loved your product or service and, very importantly, it’s another indexed page on your website. Google loves content and because the page will contain keywords you’re trying to rank for, a testimonials page can really help your SEO.
Adding testimonials regularly will mean your site will feel “alive” in Google’s eyes, which is also great for SEO. A testimonial page could include an interesting introduction with a targeted keyword followed by a number of quotes from customers, photos, videos and client logos.
Home page content
Many businesses include testimonials on their Home page. Since many people find businesses through Google searches and land on Home pages, this strategy can work well. Other places to include customer testimonials can be on sales and contact pages or specific testimonials that pertain to particular products or services.
Let’s talk about the different types of testimonials
- Quotes
- Case studies
- Social / digital community or tribe testimonials
- Audio customer interviews
- Video testimonials
1. Quotes
Quote testimonials from a delighted customer can be accompanied by an image of the person being quoted, the person’s position in the company, the name of the company they work for and a company logo.
2. Case studies
A case study or success story is an analysis of an individual customer’s experience with your business. It may include facts and observations about your products or service. It may include quotes from the customer that cover the challenges or pain points, the process or journey and how working with you benefited them. You can write the customer’s story on their behalf, or they could supply it to you themselves. It can then be uploaded as a truely informative blog post.
3. Social / digital community or tribe testimonials
This is written by a customer and posted to their social media: a tweet, or a photo of your product along with a quick compliment on facebook or Instagram uploaded for the world to see. When you see customers promoting you, make sure to engage with them. Like their post, share it and add it to your testimonials page with a link back to the original post if possible.
4. Audio customer interviews
One of the simplest ways to obtain customer feedback is to ask willing customers to provide it in an interview. Ask for a five-minute interview which, with their permission, you could record. Clients could explain their challenges and how your product or service solved a problem for them, highlight a benefit they most liked about your product or service and why they’d recommend your business. You could try using Otter to transcribe the interview and then post the transcript on a standalone landing page or as a blog post on your website. Cool right? Even cooler… the basic plan is FREE. Make sure you read it to check the conversation is transcribed well and remove any irrelevant chat. You could also include the original audio clip file if you have permission.
5. Video testimonials
Video testimonials can convince prospective customers that your products or service are worth buying because your audience can see your product or service in action, learn how other people are successfully using it, and get helpful product information. Upload to YouTube and you can embed the video right into your website instead of adding a link.
You can create videos yourself as a more formal Q&A or if it suits your business, you can use YouTube videos and TikTok videos from people who have given you a shout out.
Remember to ask
If you have no testimonials yet, reach out to clients or customers and ask for one. Not everyone thinks to give feedback, especially when they’ve had a great experience. Your business could be missing out on some amazing testimonials. If you get great feed back land in your lap, make sure you get permission to use it.
Let us know if we can help.