Effective websites convince their visitors of the value of the brand they represent. In order to accomplish that feat, simply telling your audience about the great features of your product or service is not enough.
Your visitors inherently understand that you have an agenda to sell your goods, which is why they approach any statements you make on your own website with a healthy dose of scepticism.
That scepticism is exactly why social proof and testimonials play such a large role in creating a successful business website. Allowing your current users, clients, or customers to make the case for you increases your credibility, optimising your message to be more believable and authentic.
Keep reading to learn about the why social proof works, the types of testimonials that can enhance your website, and how you can get the perfect testimonials to optimise your website.
How to Use Website Testimonials on Your Business Website
The Benefits of Digital Social Proof
We hinted at it in the introduction: social proof helps your website succeed because it adds an unbiased layer to your value proposition. Our brain compels us to believe messages we hear from people we perceive to be either like us or experts in the field. In fact, 88% of your audience trust product reviews from complete strangers as much as recommendations from personal friends.
In other words, testimonials significantly enhance the credibility of the message.The result of incorporating them in your website are therefore predictable: one survey found that no less than 90% of consumers admitted to their buying decisions being positively influenced by user reviews.
4 Types of Website Testimonials that can Optimise Your Website
Summing up the previous section is easy: testimonials work, and incorporating them in your website is beneficial. The next step is to format them in a way that actually resonates with your audience. Here, you have a number of options:
- Written customer quotes
A paragraph from a customer can help other visitors understand the benefits of your product. Be sure it doesn’t sound over the top, and includes enough detail to be authentic. A picture and byline helps add credibility. - Video testimonials
Consider it the visual version of the above. Video allows you to go into more depth, showcasing the customer and their opinion to web visitors. - Social media updates
You can find what others are saying about your product through social listening. Pulling in your testimonial from this external site further enhances message credibility, as your audience is more likely to believe that this is an actual audience member talking. - Expert reviews
If you can get someone your target audience perceives to be an expert in the field to share their opinion about your brand using any of the above, you get an instant win. Expert testimonials instantly enhance credibility, as your visitors will know exactly who these reviews are coming from.
How to Get Quality Website Testimonials
Of course, none of the above matters if the testimonials you get are incomplete, or don’t seem authentic. Only quality converts, and here are 3 tips to help you get testimonials that actually improve your website.
- Approach clients strategically
Don’t wait for someone to share their thoughts. Instead, ask clients you know to be happy with your product, and ask them at a time in which they have just engaged with your brand. - Incorporate satisfaction surveys
These surveys help you improve your product or service. But including a testimonial section also allows you to get authentic reviews of your brand; now, you can pick the best ones for your website. - Engage in social listening
By monitoring brand mentions and related hashtags, you greatly enhance the chance of coming across a social media post that can serve as a testimonial.
These tips help you find testimonials in any of the above four categories that help you optimise your website. Of course, the final step is incorporating them into your digital presence. Once you’ve arrived at that stage, we’d love to work with you.
Contact us for help in building a website that takes advantage of testimonials to help you build your customer base.
Further Reading
What are Personalised URLs (PURLs) and Why You Should Be Using Them
Using Inbound Marketing to Create Valuable Leads
Small Business Tips: Getting Started With Social Media
Digital Marketing Partnership Success: How to Make the Most of Yours
The Importance of Direction in Web Design
