How Testimonials Can Help Your Business
Customer testimonials can be what makes or breaks a business–a lack of them gives potential customers reasons to wonder why there’s nothing from a business’ current customers, and an abundance of them suggests to potential customers that a business is proud of their work and is willing to let it speak for itself.
Testimonials tell your current customers that you place value in their feedback, and increase the likelihood of retaining them in the future along with getting new customers from them.
However, even businesses with five-star products and services often neglect the necessity for customer testimonials. How do you ask for them, and more importantly, how do you use them?
How To Ask For Customer Testimonials
9 times out of 10, businesses need to ask for customer testimonials. This isn’t because customers don’t love their product or service–it is a function of customers being preoccupied with their own business, but chances are if you know a customer was happy as a result of your services, they’re willing to provide a testimonial.
Each request for a testimonial should be personalized. Give them a call at their office or visit them–don’t just send an email blast out to your customer list asking for a review. There a few different styles of testimonials that can be effective:
- Get A Quote: The simplest method, simply ask for a quote from your customer about what they liked the most from their time working with you. This can fit anywhere in your marketing efforts easily.
- Google Review: If it isn’t on Google, did it really happen? Many users use Google as the barometer to determine whether or not your business is worth working with, and if you aren’t sending your very best customers to leave a review on it, it could end up hurting you in the long run.
- Video Testimonials: When it’s an available option, professionally shot and edited video is a powerful tool for anything, including customer testimonials. Seeing the final product in conjunction with how enthusiastic a former client is about working with you can be what pushes a potential customer over the edge to work with you.
How To Use Customer Testimonials
The great thing about customer testimonials is that they never change, so you can continue to use them in your marketing efforts however you’d like.
- On Your Youtube Channel: For video testimonials, you can upload them to your Youtube and share the link across all social media platforms. This does two things–one, it gives your client exposure and makes them happy, and two, it drives traffic to your Youtube, which should contain other useful videos for the audience you’re trying to reach.
- Email Marketing: If you send out email campaigns on a regular basis, don’t be afraid to put any new testimonials you have into them. Be proud of the work you do, and give yourself the opportunity to earn business by showing the people on your email list how happy your clients are.
- On Your Website: For anyone who found your website organically and is considering working with you, you might want to consider putting your customer testimonials in an easy-to-find portion of your site. It could be the difference between converting a sale or not.
Facts About Testimonials
- 92% of customers say they read reviews online before buying a product
- 72% of customers will only take action after reading a positive review
- 70% of people trust reviews or recommendations from strangers
- Regular usage of customer testimonials can increase revenue by 62%
- Testimonials on sales pages increase conversions by 34%
Testimonials aren’t just a gimmicky marketing tool–they can be your most powerful sales-driver and the difference between you and your competitor.
