The Power of Customer Testimonials: How To Get Them, And How To Use Them To Help Close Business.
Customer testimonials are one of the most powerful marketing tools available to businesses. In fact, Big Commerce reports that business owners who regularly use testimonials generate 62% more revenue from every customer, every time. And according to Wyzowl, “95% of people say that reviews—whether positive or negative—influence their purchasing decisions.”
Keeping this in mind, it’s important to note that customer testimonials are not without challenges. For instance, no matter how pleased customers are with their purchase, some won’t leave a review for one reason or another. This is problematic because oftentimes businesses won’t hear about a customer’s experience until they have a gripe. When disgruntled customer reviews outnumber the ones submitted by those who are satisfied, a business’ rating is unfairly skewed. This is the reason why it’s essential for happy customers to provide detailed testimonials.
Get Ready for a Tsunami of Customer Testimonials!
Your business will enjoy smooth sale-ing when you use the following tips to encourage customer testimonials.
Search Your Social Media
Your Facebook and LinkedIn pages are ideal places to find unsolicited customer reviews. You can then take a screen shot or copy and paste them to your website’s testimonial page. However, it’s polite to let them know you’re publicizing their remark and offer them a reward for their testimonial, but we’ll delve into this more later.
Local? Search those directories!
Local search directories such as Yelp, Localworks, Google Business Profiles, and Merchant Circle are a wealth of positive (and negative) customer reviews. As you’re checking through these sites, screenshot the positive results, then post them on your website with a link to the original quote. Just remember that it’s a professional standard to ask permission from the third party site before taking the liberty of posting the testimonial to your website.
Pro Tip: Don’t make the mistake of ignoring negative testimonials. Reply to them and offer to make it right! The customer will be thrilled that you stepped up to the plate and reward you by editing their review. When a negative testimonial becomes a positive one, your business’ rating will improve tremendously, and prospects will see that your company has outstanding customer service.
Request Video Testimonials
Video testimonials are very persuasive! When you find positive reviews on your social media and local directories, reach out to the commenters to see if they’re willing to create a short video detailing their experience with the product or service. You’ll be surprised to discover that most satisfied customers will happily oblige. Once you receive their video, upload it to your company’s YouTube account and website, then watch your sales skyrocket!
Gain Testimonials by Enticing Customers with a Reward
When you offer an incentive to customers for leaving a review about their purchase, your business will reap the benefits. This savvy marketing technique will generate a consistent flow of customer testimonials to influence others to spend their money with you. The reward for providing a testimonial can be anything from a free gift to a discount code they can use on their next purchase.
Regardless of what you decide to offer, do not stipulate that the customer must leave a five-star review to receive the reward as this will backfire on you. The last thing your business needs is to be accused of “buying” positive testimonials. To avoid this, simply request that the review be honest and as detailed as possible. Furthermore, it’s a good idea to specify that the customer must admit to receiving an incentive at the conclusion of the review. This way, accusations of dishonesty cannot be leveled against your company.
Get Alerted When Your Name is Dropped
Are your customers talking about your business on their social media platforms? Find out by setting up notifications with Google Alerts and BrandMentions! When a customer mentions your company on the internet, you’ll receive an email alert. You can then visit the blog, video, or social media feed to read the comment. If you want to screen shot or copy the quote to include on your website’s testimonial page, contact the person and request permission. Most happy customers will be glad to accommodate!
Use Customer Testimonials to Close More Business
Now that you’ve collected and posted several positive testimonials to your website, the hard work is over! All you need to do now is use the techniques below to turn the customer reviews into influential marketing tools, then watch the sales roll in.
Add Pics for Greater Impact – Customer testimonials about a specific item become ten times more effective when accompanied by a photo of the product.
Include the Reviewer’s Full Name and Photo – When a testimonial features these details, it demonstrates to the audience that it’s authentic and trustworthy.
Feature Testimonials in Your Content Marketing – As you’re creating blogs, videos, and newsletters, strategically place testimonials within the content. Doing so adds credibility to the product or service being discussed and strengthens the overall presentation.
Customer Testimonials Speak Volumes!
When your website features a testimonial page, it’s as influential as word-of-mouth advertising, but better because it reaches so many more people. Furthermore, displaying a collection of reviews in one place with links to the original comments is powerful as it qualifies the excellent quality of your products and services. Before long, prospects who were on the fence about buying from your company will be convinced that they’re making a worthwhile purchase and your income will grow!
If you’re ready to increase sales with a testimonial page packed with authentic customer reviews, Higgins Marketing Group can help. Contact us for a pressure-free chat about how we can elevate your chances of influencing prospects to buy and provide their own detailed testimonial!
Not sure yet? Check out our work and let us know when you’re ready.