A customer testimonial is the ultimate validation of a great service or product.
Testimonials reinforce that the business operates in good faith, follows on its claims, and has excelled beyond the customer’s expectations. Testimonials can help sway an otherwise indecisive person into a customer, too.
Think back to a few of your recent purchases.
You’ll notice a thread…
…that being that your decision was probably finalized by what someone said. If this came from someone you knew then it was doubly valuable in the decision-making process.
Now, keep these in mind when it comes to leveraging testimonials:
Word-Of-Mouth
A testimonial provides new visitors with previous experiences. This creates comfort and reassurance for someone new to the business.
As people become more disenfranchised with advertising and marketing, messages that come from highly regarded individuals take precedence over those coming from a business or marketing agency.
You’re effectively empowering your audience to promote for you when you use testimonials on your website, ads, social shares, and other assets.
There’s no better word-of-mouth than a glowing review by someone they know.
Telling a Story
Testimonials that share how a product or service helped them achieve a goal, change their life, or simply do the thing they wanted will resonate with others.
The customer experience creates an image in a person’s mind. It makes them imagine that they too will have this experience if they buy the thing or service. They project themselves from the perspective of those who left the testimonial. Suddenly, they’re in an emotional state – connected with the offer.
It’s storytelling 101 but done through those who have engaged with your brand.
In short: your audience does the convincing.
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Business Validation
Authority plays a huge role in business.
A testimonial provides a powerful form of validation that a business is operating to its best ability and has the customer in mind. The social proof provided by the testimonial helps build emotional response which in turn helps increase conversions.
It all builds on itself, too.
The more testimonials you get the more you’re seen as an authority. The more authority you have the more likely you’ll get reviews and feedback!
Positive Feedback Loops
Glowing reviews and feedback can boost the morale of your workforce.
Your team is abuzz with excitement and will take these good vibes and transfer them into the work they do. This further creates a great product and experience for clients – creating a full loop of greatness!
Kind words can transform someone’s day.
Try rounding up your team and sharing some of the best reviews and feedback received from customers. Use it as a moment to shine!
A Helping Hand
Client testimonials provide a wealth of information and insight about your product or service in ways that you probably wouldn’t realize. These insights help refine your offering – creating something better with each iteration.
In essence, testimonials become the helping hand and guidance you need to continually deliver exceptional experiences to your audience.
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Done-For-You SEO
This is actually a really neat byproduct of testimonials.
The details people write about your product or service will include keywords. These get picked up and will actually show up in search results. They also reinforce what a page is about because they tend to expand out on bullet points and other aspects you may not have covered in the sales copy.
Start adding testimonials to your sales pages and see how well it grows for all those long-tail keywords and phrases. You’d be surprised how effective they are for your SEO efforts!
A Simple Way to Get Testimonials
What’s the easiest way to get a testimonial from someone?
Ask.
No really, all you need to do is drop an email to their inbox. Or, bring it up next time you’re on the phone. Maybe it’s part of a thank you page or on the invoice.
You can’t expect people to leave a testimonial if they don’t know you want them.
Make sure your site has a way to gather them – like a contact form or review form – and then make it a habit to ask whenever you’re in contact. It’s that easy.
So there you go…
…a few benefits of testimonials and some concepts to help you leverage them for your business efforts.
Want more business tips and insights? Be sure to check out more of our blog!
