Jessica BowersChoosing Others’ Words Wisely
In today’s digital age it is crucial to have a website to support your business. A company website can offer insight to your business’s goods and services, provide contact information for potential customers, share helpful FAQs, and can also be a great way to showcase the experience of happy customers.
Establishing trust and credibility is crucial — one great way to show customer satisfaction is by adding a testimonials page to your site. Consider this a tool for social proof; you’re effectively proving to your customers that your company has a track record of satisfied customers. Without a testimonials page, your chances of establishing yourself as a brand that delivers on their promises are significantly lower.
When you are building or updating your testimonials page, focus on incorporating positive reviews from real customers who speak to the quality of your company’s product or service, and to your customer service experience. Future customers will look to these testimonials when making their purchasing decisions, and relevant, truthful reviews will prove helpful in making a final sale.
Here are a few tips facts every organization should know in order to leverage their customer testimonials as a tool for converting website visitors into leads:
1. Establish Yourself as a Trusted Source
One of the most important qualities a business can possess is trustworthiness. It’s something that helps to build a brand’s reputation. Real-life testimonials are one of the best tools that businesses can have for building the type of trust that will pay off handsomely over time.
By adding real-life testimonials to your business’ website, you aren’t just saying, “We promise that we sell great products or deliver a great service.” Instead, you’re letting your actual customers tell visitors what a positive experience they had with your company in their own words.
2. Use Your Weapon in the Fight against Skepticism
Consumers in this day and age naturally approach dealing with new companies with a bit of cynicism. It’s hard to argue with that approach, especially if that person has been burned a number of times in the past.
Testimonials are actually one of the best ways to overcome that skepticism.
3. Allow Stats to Speak for Themselves
According to a survey that was conducted by Dimensional Research, 90 percent of all customers say that they are significantly influenced by online reviews when buying products or ordering services, and 86 percent say their buying decisions are influenced by negative online reviews. Furthermore, according to Econsultancy, when a site has customer reviews, 63 percent of visitors are more likely to make a purchase, and reviews produce an average of 18 percent uplift in sales.
A testimonial can serve as a positive review for your business that is conveniently located right on your official website. When it comes to marketing, it doesn’t get any better than that!
4. Pay Attention to How Testimonials Are Used
In order to see exactly how important real-life testimonials can be to your business’ website, it’s key to pay attention to how other companies are using them. Check the websites of some of the companies you trust, who are well-known for customer service and satisfaction.
LifeLock, for example, not only has real-life testimonials, but it also features videos of customers talking about their success stories. These testimonials paint an incredibly vivid picture that will be difficult for potential customers to ignore.
5. Choose Wise Testimonial Placement
Make sure that the testimonials are easy for site visitors to access. Consider posting a feed of your most recent testimonial posts and videos within your homepage sidebar, and/or linking Testimonials to the top navigation. Use good quality photos or videos, and include first names and locations, if applicable for an added personal touch.
Is your organization using testimonials as a tool for social proof on your website? How have you leveraged customer testimonials to increase your website conversions?
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