How Should You Use Testimonials?

Building trust is one of the key elements to building a solid customer base, and nobody believes anything more than strangers on the internet telling them their experience with your company was a good one. No, seriously…testimonials, or reviews, can really make a difference for your organization. They let potential customers know your business is providing a quality product or service, and they give you valuable information about what your clients think about your business and where you can improve.

Testimonials can come in many different forms. You can have quotes on your website in a dedicated area in text format, or you can link to your reviews that others have posted on Facebook or other social media sites. If you want to be more creative, you can even film video testimonials of your customers praising your business.

Why Do They Work?

Testimonials develop trust. They do this on a number of levels. First, they let your potential customers know you are a legitimate business. Second, they tell them that you run a good, quality organization and provide an excellent experience. Third, they let your target know you have been in business for a while and foster ongoing relationships with your clients.

Testimonials eliminate the cheesy sales pitch. You have an entire website to give your sales pitch, and now it is the turn of your customers to explain why they love your business so much in their words. They can explain how your product or service made their lives better and connect with the reader.

What Kind of Testimonial Works?

There is a right way to do a testimonial and an entirely ineffective way. It should never just say, “That was amazing. I loved it.” Tell a story. Why did they love it? Why was it amazing? A testimonial should sell your company. To do that, your chosen clients need to explain in detail how the service you provided really transformed their lives. They need to clarify the benefits of working with your company, how you stand behind your promises, and, if applicable, include facts and figures. The testimonial should be from someone credible, relatable, and from your target consumer. Lastly, and perhaps the most obvious factor, the testimonial should always be positive.

How Should You Use Testimonials?

Your greatest testimonials should most definitely be placed on your website. You can include them on your homepage in a variety of ways, incorporate them in the about us section, have one or two on each page of your site, or have an entire page dedicated to what customers have to say about you. You can also include them on your social media sites, and create an infographic with them. Offline, one or two customer reviews make a lasting impression on brochures and flyers, and integrated into sales presentations.

A word of warning though…never use a testimonial without getting permission or add additional comments. You may lose a customer that used to love your business.

Adding testimonials will not only overcome the skepticism of your potential customer, but it also transforms your message into a credible, fair-minded endorsement of your business. To add them is not only easy and cost-effective, but they literally get your customers to sell your products and services for you.