Utilizing Testimonials

More than just a mere “nice to have” for your website, testimonials are far more important to your brand’s bottom line than you probably realize. According to new research, testimonials have proven to increase conversions, and play a significant role in customer research and buying habits.

Indeed, some 90 percent of respondents who read positive online reviews say those reviews influenced their buying decisions. With this in mind, you should consider how to harness the marketing value of social proof via testimonials. Lucky for you, we’ve prepared a handy guide.

The Why

Testimonials are persuasive because they are an effective form of social proof – a psychological concept based on the idea that we are far more influenced by the actions of others because we assume that those actions reflect the “correct” behavior.

For example, if your favorite beauty influencer recommends a certain face serum, you are likely to trust that recommendation. You might even go ahead and buy the product; the testimonial has effectively validated the product’s value in your eyes.

The How

As a brand, then you need to be proactive in collecting testimonials to use as part of your marketing strategy. Luckily, this doesn’t have to be a time-consuming process: using an automated email triggered to send some five to seven days after the delivery of your product, you are able to reach out to each customer and asking them to leave a review.

To encourage your customers to take the time to leave a review, you may decide to offer a discount off their next purchase with you or enter them into the drawing for a prize. In some cases, just a shoutout on your social media platforms may be enough to pass on your thanks.

Another way to make things easier for your customers is to send out a customer satisfaction survey. Once again, this is a fairly uncomplicated process on your end thanks to email automation. Using online tools like SurveyMonkey, you can automatically follow up with customers to gather feedback. Some sample questions include:

•         Why did you buy [our product]?
•         What are you using [our product] for?
•         What questions or reservations did you have prior to making your purchase?
•         How well does [our product] meet your expectations?

The Who

When reaching out to customers for testimonials, keep in mind that your best reviews won’t come from just anyone. Often, the testimonials that will work most effectively for you come from a specific segment of your customer base.

An obvious group to seek out are your “best” customers. These are your biggest fans, and the most likely to take the time to write a detailed rave review. To find this base, sort your customers accordingly:

•         Number of purchases
•         Total spent
•         Length of customer relationship

Customer testimonials can go a long way in drawing in new customers who may be holding on to doubts about your product. If you don’t already use testimonials on your site, it might be time to return to your marketing strategy and revise it appropriately.