Why reviews from your current clients are so important
Most likely, the competition in your industry is fierce, with lots of rival businesses snapping at your heels. Consequently, potential clients have plenty of choices. When it comes to making purchasing decisions, they will religiously take their cue from what others are saying.
You can talk about superior quality and industry-leading products and services until you are blue in the face, but no matter what you say it’s never going to be as powerful as having someone else talk you up. According to a study by Spiegel Research Centre, the likelihood of a product being bought increases 270% when it gets five reviews.
In this month’s newsletter, we’re going to look at the reasons why you should include testimonials on your website.
Testimonials build trust and credibility
In general, we humans are a sceptical bunch. If someone new lands on your website and knows nothing about you, they may not be fully convinced about any claims you make. However, objective reviews are not only cold hard proof that people are using your products and services, but that they find value in them. This consumer endorsement is third-party validation that boosts your reputation by building trust and credibility.
The testimonials must be real, so don’t make them up. Ethics aside, the moment someone discovers a testimonial is fake, all your credibility will disappear. If you’re in the financial services industry, compliance departments will ask for proof that testimonials are genuine and will not allow them on your website without this.
Testimonials can resonate more than marketing tactics
Used well, online marketing tactics such as lead magnets, opt-in forms and calls to action can be very successful. However, consumers might turn away if they feel they are being bombarded with marketing messages. Testimonials are different. Authentic opinions from real people have the potential to cut through conventional marketing strategies to resonate with potential clients.
Testimonials can explain your products and services
Well-written testimonials can be more than just a few lines that heap praise on you. They can describe a client’s need and how well your product or service fulfilled that need.
Testimonials can help you create an emotional connection
In general, it is a lot easier for consumers to relate to other consumers than to a CEO. If a website visitor can relate to the person who wrote the review, they’ll be more likely to connect to your brand. This strong emotional bond can turn visitors into loyal clients. It will be helpful if you can include photos and names of the clients leaving reviews to help others connect with them.
Testimonials can improve your SEO
Google Reviews and replying to them can help improve your search engine rankings and give your overall SEO efforts a nice boost. Google Reviews are an integrated feature within Google My Business, and when clients leave positive comments, they signal your trustworthiness to search engine algorithms.
To recap…testimonials are powerful because they are your most persuasive sales messages, more so than your adverts or any message coming from your sales reps. You may well be the most credible source of information about your products and services, but prospective clients don’t see it that way because you have an incentive to sell. They want to hear what your current clients are saying about you.
PS: If you receive negative reviews on your website, don’t worry. It’s not the end of the world! Your business can benefit from the complaints because they allow you to address the client’s concerns publicly and showcase your excellent aftercare service. For tips on how to do this, read our newsletter “How to Turn Negative Reviews into a Positive Experience.”
