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How to Create Effective Testimonials and Reviews
Rick Henkin
There's more to creating effective testimonials and reviews than just putting up a web page with a long list of customer quotes. What the testimonial says, how it's displayed and where it's placed on your website are extremely important to making them work for you. Benefits of testimonials and reviewsThe primary benefit of a testimonial or review is to build trust with your audience. People respond more favorably to "voices" that don't belong to the company. The assumption is that if people like themselves react favorably to your product or service, then they probably will as well. See our article, Persuasion and Influence Part 4: Social Proof Principle for more information. Testimonials and reviews also give you credibility. For anyone coming to your website for the 1st time, it gives them an opportunity to hear what others think about you and your business, rather than hearing you extolling your own virtues. It's more believable when coming from a 3rd party, especially if that 3rd party endorser is known and respected like an authority or expert on the topic. Think of it as a form of marketing which carries a lot more weight in the viewer's mind. People arriving at your website already expect you to tout your service or product, so, to a degree, they discount what you have to say. What makes a good testimonial or review?It's specific- Oftentimes, we see vague testimonials that show a phrase or sentence taken out of context. For example: "I can't wait to tell everyone I know about your service" or "...I was very happy with your product..." While these statements are positive and sound like they're good, they also sound like you might have written them yourself. Vague testimonials don't sound authentic or genuine and can actually hurt your credibility. A specific testimonial says, "I increased my sales by 20% after studying your course" or "My electricity bill was 30% lower after I installed your XYZ light bulbs." Specific testimonials sound more authentic than vague ones, especially if they address a benefit that will likely appeal to other customers. It cites complete references- Instead of using "R. Henkin, Los Angeles" ask permission to use "Rick Henkin, CEO, IncreaseOnlineProfits.com, Los Angeles, CA." Complete references sound much more believable because the reader realizes that he could track down the the endorser if he wanted. More often than not, he won't, and will just accept what's been stated. It overcomes objections- Testimonials that mention a common objection to your product or service and then tell how that reviewer benefited because they overcame that objection can be very powerful. This is because they're addressing an issue that your customers are already concerned with, in advance. An example is- "I really didn't believe that I would only have to wax my car just twice a year with your product. It just sounded too good to be true. But I've been using your car wax now for 2 years and it really works. I've only waxed my car 4 times and it looks great all year round." (You should always try to answer objections in advance, whether it's in a testimonial, on your homepage, or your FAQ. The reason is, that if you don't bring it up, your visitor won't either. He'll just click away to a competitor's website and not come back). It displays a photo or video of the reviewer- A picture is worth a thousand words in terms of credibility. 1st of all, a photo takes the viewer one step closer to believing a real person wrote those words. A video proves that a real person spoke those words. The testimonial can be made even more powerful if it shows the reviewer using your product. It shows up at the right time and place- Different testimonials serve their function better depending on where they're placed along the conversion path. For example, your visitors will have different concerns and anxieties on your homepage or product pages than they will on your checkout page when you're asking for their credit card information. Make sure that the testimonials that appear along the buying process throughout your website are relevant not only to the page on which they're appearing, but are placed on that page next to the area where questions and concerns are most likely to come up. How to get testimonials and reviewsIf you just wait for people to voluntarily offer endorsements of your products or service, you may be waiting a long time. It's not because they don't want to give them to you, it's just that most people won't do something unless asked. Here are several methods for acquiring testimonials:
How to get "phenomenal" testimonials and reviews The best way to get "phenomenal" testimonials and reviews is to ask leading questions that keep your customer's responses from being vague. Questions such as:
You can even give each participant a little something as a thank you. It can be something of value to your customers that costs you very little like an extra month added on to their subscription or a free download, etc. In all cases, whether you used the testimonial or review "as is", or edit it, always let them know that what you plan to do with their testimonial and get their permission first. ARTICLE DATE: 2009-09-06 REVISED DATE: Share this Article as a Tweet on Twitter
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