The Benefits of Testimonials (And How to Do Them Right)

If you're selling a product on your website, customer testimonials can be a key content element because they are unbiased comments that prompt visitors to buy. By using testimonials in text, audio or video formats on your site, you introduce content that will promote your product in convincing fashion.

You should be using testimonials to help establish credibility. Testimonials work because they aren’’t strong sales pitches, they come across in an unbiased voice and establish trust. You’re using real people to show success in your product or service.

In the end, you testimonials will be there to convert more prospects into customers as long as you use them correctly.

Here are four tips for effectively using testimonials to convert more leads on your website:

1. Be Selective

A key to using testimonials is to choose the ones that work best. Instead of direct recommendations of your product (“”I think it’s great!””), find testimonials that provide product details that explain it satisfies a consumer need or tackles a pain point. Testimonials that provide specific product benefits will induce sales.

2. Show Face

Make your testimonials eye-catching by adding an image next to your customer’s statement. Research has shown that adding a picture increases your click-through-rate by a significant amount.

Prospects like to put a face to a name. It helps them feel more secure and confident in what you’re claiming. It shows that it’s coming from a real person. Adding an image is a simple addition that will increase your trust factor tenfold.

3. Show Them Off Everywhere

Once you get great testimonials for your website it’s important to show them off.

Make sure to add them across your website, wherever appropriate. Add them to your homepage, contact page, case studies page, or even create a dedicated testimonials page.

After you determine where you’re going to add your testimonials, talk with your web designer to determine the best way to add testimonials to your site.

You might try a web application that allows you to set up a testimonial page or a plugin that will allow you to post different testimonials on each page of your site. There are a number of possibilities here so determine what works best and incorporate testimonials all over your site.

4. Remember Your Buyer Personas

When gathering your testimonials it’s important to make sure you’re hitting all the pain points of every one of your buyer personas. Many of your prospects are looking to see testimonials that they can relate to; stories that show others like them being successful.

Be sure to feature customers from all the demographics and buyer personas that you’re trying to attract. Focusing on just one in your testimonials won’t get you the most reach and value as you’re able to.

5. Never Fake It

The most important rule in sharing testimonials is to use real testimonials from real customers. It’s not worth the risk to fake anything on your site, especially testimonials.

Testimonials are there to provide credibility and establish trust. If you’re faking them how are your prospects supposed the build a healthy relationship with your company? Faking testimonials can put your reputation on the line and even if you do win some business, your customers are likely to go in with unrealistic expectations.

6. Get Video

Creating a video testimonial isn’t something you need to do, but it’s something you definitely should consider. Seeing and hearing a customer talk about your product or service resonates more than just reading about it.

Get some of your more personable customers to create a short 30 second to 1 minute video testimonial sharing how your company has helped them. Your prospects will be able to really see the appreciation and emotion from your current customers.

Check out this example from Codecademy:

Get Started

Now it’s time to start gathering your testimonials. Reach out to your current customers that you know are happy with your company and ask them to share their success story. By showcasing these powerful feelings and stories about your product or services, you’re creating another tool to get prospects to trust your brand and commit to it.