If you go to any business’ website, you’ll likely read copy that spells out how the company sells cutting-edge products that are way better than those of their competitors. They probably say they have great customer service and low prices.
With so many organizations saying the exact same thing, it can be difficult for customers to sift through a sea of replicas to find the precise products and services they’re looking for.
If you want to ensure that prospective customers gain more insight into what they can expect should they decide to do business with you, let someone else sing your praises. Differentiate your brand from your competitors by prominently featuring customer testimonials on your website. Here are some reasons why you should:
Testimonials Are Trustworthy
Let’s imagine you’ve passed a bakery in your town every day for a few years and your curiosity has grown to levels you can’t ignore. You decide to check out the bakery’s website, and you’re greeted with text that reads: “HOME OF THE BEST BAKED GOODS ON THE PLANET!” You don’t have to consult Google to realize there are thousands of bakeries around the globe that advertise themselves similarly.
Testimonials, on the other hand, come from real people who are not affiliated with your business. And since these customers are certainly not obliged to provide feedback to any business, prospective customers are much more likely to trust them.
Testimonials Encourage Unsure Customers to Buy
We’ve all been on the fence before about whether to buy a product or not. Oftentimes, we just need a little push over the edge of indecision – whether that’s a sale, a few words of encouragement or an impulse – to decide to open our wallets.
Customer testimonials can certainly provide that push. Prospective customers might very well decide that, darn it, Jane F. from Sarasota, FL is saying all the right things about a product they weren’t sure of. For some reason, nearly 80 percent of customers believe online reviews as much as they’d believe a recommendation from someone they know.
Testimonials Provide Great Search Results
Did you know that more than 75 percent of customers consult online reviews of products they are thinking about buying before they make the purchase? Since that’s the case, you might as well populate the web with content that will be forever in your favor.
Keep in mind, though, you don’t want to overrun your entire site with testimonials. Rather, these assets should serve to complement your existing copy.
You also don’t want to make your testimonials too gaudy. In other words, don’t post them in 72-pt font on your home page. Your customers want easy access to the resources you’ve stockpiled on your website. Opt for a subtle delivery.
Take a look at Sweeperland’s customer testimonials. In addition to devoting a small block of space to the words their customers have said, the industrial cleaning company also has the logos of its clients scrolling across the bottom of the site. That way, prospective customers can quickly see which companies Sweeperland has worked with, and assess whether they should do the same.
Customer testimonials are important marketing vehicles that remind prospective clients that doing business with your brand is the right decision.
