By this point, at least in online marketing circles, it is common knowledge that having testimonials is better than not having them. But, to figure out how you can get more testimonials onto your website you will need to know what they do.
There are three major merits to having testimonials on your products:
- Proof of quality for the buyer
- More familiarity for the website
- Better reputation with search engines
But, having actual feedback that will relay the message you want is generally rare. This comes from the human tendency to only describe the negatives and leave what is good as ‘normal’. If your product does exactly what you have described, few will feel the need to repeat that in feedback.
But, that doesn’t mean that there are no ways to get testimonials. With a bit of proactivity, it is easy to streamline feedback and get everything you need without resorting to making things up.
What Do Testimonials Do?
Testimonials are a modern equivalent of the ‘’word of mouth’’. And, if your customer doesn’t have anyone in their vicinity who has tried your product, they can use other people online to confirm your claims.
The difference between testimonials and regular marketing is that customers won’t be afraid to mention some issues or point out how to better use the product. And that is something that wouldn’t pass for a marketing meeting.
This gives a friendly human face on the product and lets the new buyer know that others have already tried and are happy.
Additionally, there is a digital component that having more feedback promotes your website and online store. The more feedback you have and the better your communication with customers is, you will be ranked better in searches.
And, there are four main ways to get those coveted testimonials:
#1 Simply Ask
For most companies, this is the easiest and the least expensive way to get testimonials. There are many who are willing to comment on your product and are satisfied with the service but just didn’t remember to do it.
You can simply send a message to people who you know have bought your product and remind them to leave a comment on your website.
You can find a testimonial request template online and just copy what you have seen. Or, if none of the templates fit, simply write your own, mentioning the product specifically.
#2 Entice Your Users
Especially if you are selling something people use for work and often, you might not get regular feedback simply because there is nothing extraordinary about the product or service. Ironically, this does make for the best service, but just not one someone will write home about.
In those cases, you will need to entice your buyers to leave some sort of feedback. Include a gift, or a discount, or anything that you think will make the users comment on your company.
Ideally, this can go hand in hand with promoting your newsletter or some other type of marketing hook that would make the whole effort worth it even more.
#3 Start a Campaign
Using social media marketing (SMM) to promote feedback is a slightly trickier way to engage your customers, but can be the most effective if done right.
Generally, you can start a conversation with your audience, and once you see their responses ask certain people for testimonials. This sort of casual request will often give the best-worded testimonials from people who know how to express themselves.
Additionally, testimonials that are given organically on your web page or social media accounts on Facebook, and Instagram will have a similar effect on those who have not yet tried your product. But, to also get that SEO points on your page you might want to refer some of those commenters on your store page.
Finally, a good API can combine the two and copy Social Media feedback on your page. But, because of all the things posted on such pages, you might want to moderate that a bit, which will take time and thus money.
#4 Funnel Feedback
You might want to create a funnel for feedback the same way you do for sales. Once you know people have received the service or product, engage them to finish their registration by leaving comments.
The whole process shouldn’t last more than a few minutes as some might lose interest if the time is longer.
Keep it Real
Regardless of the approach you choose, you always need to keep the testimonials real. Even if there are things you might not approve of, like swear words, simply place a dark strip leaving only the first word. Don’t moderate the comments themselves.
Also, don’t make your own fake testimonials. Some active users will figure you out and you will lose any credibility that you might get organically. Just wait for the comments and rely on other types of marketing before you get those first customers that will give you a piece of their mind.