What you need to know about gaining new testimonials
Posted: August 16, 2011 at 1:47 amSometimes, if not often, a new online business has a hard time getting started because of the trust factor, and that needs to be addressed by all new businesses on the web. You can do wonders for your site and profits by using social proof on your site, and there’s no better way than displaying a slew of past satisfied customers in the form of testimonials. You’ll be a few steps ahead by displaying your testimonials because if you do, then you’ll find that your readers/visitors will respond more favorably to your marketing messages. You can do certain actions, within the law, that will help you acquire the coveted testimonial, and here are about three different ways you can do that.
If you have testimonials, or will be using them, then please be smart and only use real ones. There are many scammy marketers on the Internet that believe in fabricating testimonials and manufacturing them on their own, since it’s so easy. Maybe you’re someone who at least is skeptical about the testimonials you see on sites, and some people just don’t believe them at all. So it’s really up to you to do everything in your power to show that your testimonials are real and from real folks. The basic requirements are a picture with their name and location, and actually anything you do can be faked – so it’s tough.
Testimonials that only provide less than the recommended basic information are probably next to useless, in our opinion. We all have to deal with this situation, and honestly we’ve seen plenty of sites that made us wonder if the testimonials were real. When you want somebody to give you a testimonial, you have to ask in a delicate manner. The word testimonial can run people off when they have to make comments on camera. This will make your customers more relaxed and willing to praise your products. They will not be pressured coming off as a pro or seem too aggressive. It allows them to give the details in their own words via their own style. This might be your website home, service section, billing dept, etc. Your testimonials should be in an extremely visible spot on your page because they are good for increasing conversions.
Testimonials and case studies are powerful devices, and you will only be hurting your business by not acting on this information. You can’t just get any old kind of testimonial, so be sure to tell them to be specific.