Why Customer Testimonials Are Important & How To Get Them

I often get asked why customer testimonials are so important.

Well, have you ever wondered why some companies have customers tripping over each other to get a piece of their brand, while other companies get pushed to the side?

In most cases, it has nothing to do with one brand being that much better than the other.

 

But it is a fact of life that competition goes hand-in-hand with business.

Though some companies have unlocked the secret of how to make their target audience choose them over their competitors. Not just once, but repeatedly.

So what’s the key?

If you dig a little deeper, you’ll discover that these leading companies make a point of not blowing their own horn. Instead, they let their customers do it for them…

And these customer testimonials are worth their weight in gold.

Because they always get amazing results.

But before we get ahead of ourselves, let’s first establish what a testimonial is.

 

So what’s a testimonial, and how are they different from reviews?

A customer testimonial is generally a written or video statement from a consumer that supports both your credibility and product or service.

They act like well-trained dogs… always sitting at the ready, to be the perfect endorsement for your brand.

And they’re also cherry-picked to showcase the best side of your products or services.

 

On the other hand, a customer review is more like a stray dog… you’re never quite sure what response you’ll get.

Because a review doesn’t necessarily say what you want it to say. 

This type of feedback from consumers will show what they truly think of your products or services. It might be positive. But there’s always a chance it could be negative and damage your brand.

So let’s be very clear, it’s testimonials that will boost your business.

Let me show you how that works.

 

Why customer testimonials are so important to your business

It’s no secret that consumers are fast losing trust in traditional business communication, such as marketing and advertising.

Today, more than ever, you need word-of-mouth recommendations from your customers to convince new prospects to buy from you.

It makes sense, doesn’t it?

Because who makes a more credible advocate for your brand, you or a happy customer?

Naturally, you can sing the praises of your product or service better than anyone.

But consumers want more.

They want proof that you’re legit.

That’s why testimonials are one of the most valuable types of copy you can add to your website and marketing material.

 

Good testimonials give your audience that one final push to take action.

Need more convincing?

Testimonials are great for providing social proof. Which is simply working that part of our ego that makes us want a piece of what everyone is talking about.

Customer testimonials also humanise your brand. This human interest angle helps prospective customers relate to and connect with your products or services.

Most importantly, we all know that reputation is everything in business. And, as discussed, testimonials are excellent at building trust and credibility.

But above all, testimonials have the power to greatly increase conversions.

And, after all, sales are what keep you in business. 

So what about using your testimonials effectively?

 

Customer testimonials are NOT just for a testimonial page

Believe it or not, testimonials should be displayed on more than just a dedicated testimonials page on your website.

(But you do have a testimonial page, right?)

Firstly, your homepage should showcase some of your most powerful testimonials, since this is where most of your prospective customers will first land.

Secondly, if you have a products or services page then this is another key area to include more specific testimonials.

 

Of course, your social media pages are a great place to share customer testimonials.

And, depending on your content marketing approach, you’d do well to include testimonials in your email campaigns, and also tucked into your blog posts or any case studies.

Other situations that are great for sharing your customer testimonials are in sales presentations, event materials, and videos that can be used in various locations.

But perhaps you’re still not sure how to go about getting customer testimonials?

So let’s move on.

 

Here are two foolproof ways to get great customer testimonials

To be perfectly honest, the best way to get testimonials is to simply ask for them.

And the sooner after your customer has taken action the better.

Of course, if you ask someone for a 500-word testimonial about your product or service, they’d most likely ignore you. Or make an excuse to get out of it.

We know that people are busy.

But there is an alternative…

 

All you have to do is send an email with specific open-ended questions that are simple to answer.

Or you can ask to give them a quick call to ask the same questions.

Choose questions that help draw out their story, not just one-word responses.

Then, with their answers, you’ll have a glowing testimonial that shows the big picture.

Some great example questions – courtesy of psychotactics.com – are:

• What was the obstacle or hesitation that would have prevented you from buying this product/service?
• What did you find as a result of buying this product/service?
• What specific feature did you like most about this product/service?
• What would be the three other benefits of this prod­uct/service?
• Would you recommend this product/service? If so, why? Is there anything you’d like to add?

 

Mind you, some people may still freeze (or avoid you), even with these simple questions.

So another great option is to ask them how they’re getting on with your product or service.

If they reply in a positive way, you can then ask for more details if needed.

From there, you can summarise what they’ve said, send them a copy and ask if they’re happy for you to use it as a testimonial.

Couldn’t be easier.

 

Now it’s over to you…

All in all, customer testimonials are important in any business.

They’re vital for building trust, credibility, and social proof amongst your prospective customers.

You can even scour the web for positive reviews that already exist. The best hunting grounds to try are Google reviews, Facebook, LinkedIn, and review sites.

And, best of all, testimonials never go out of date.

 

So make sure you use them widely across all your marketing materials and website.

Do you feature customer testimonials on your website? And what’s your favourite method for getting them?

 

Any questions?

Get in touch or leave a comment below.