In promotion and of advertising, a testimonial or show consists of a person’s written or spoken statement extolling the virtue of some product. The term “testimonial” most commonly applies to the sales-pitches attributed to ordinary citizens. Testimonials can be part of communal marketing.
It’s the customers’ experiences that your sales will increase when they are seen or heard testifying to the benefits of your products or services.
What do people who’ve actually purchased and used your product or service think about it?
Answering that question is one of the most fundamental tasks your website needs to accomplish–and it’s as simple to do as it is important.
Are testimonials effective? Indeed, they are. It could really help you in boosting your sales.
- Testimonials build trust. Through testimonials, you are telling your visitors the positive experiences a customer endure while using your products, or while encountering your services. This could convince other potential customer to purchase!
- Testimonials aren’t “salesy”. As a matter of fact, testimonials stand out as candid and unbiased accounts of how well your product works.
- Testimonials whipped out skepticism. Testimonials influence even the tough-to-sell visitors to give your products a try. Good testimonials have the power of convincing people.
What makes this testimonial so powerful? Let’s break down the elements of an effective testimonial in more detail:
A good testimonial is filled with benefits. A comment like, “This product is great!” is nice to hear, but it doesn’t tell visitors what your product can actually do for them.
You want the benefits of what you offer to be front and center in every testimonial: “This product doubled our profits in a month!” or “This product made the pain in my back disappear completely–and did it fast!” or “We’ve never seen any product that could get the rust off our car without damaging the paint–until now.”
A good testimonial substantiates your claims. If you say your product can do something, your testimonials should back up your promises, complete with actual facts and figures. How much money did your customers save by using your product? How much time did they save by using your service? How did it solve their problems or improve their lives?
A good testimonial is from someone your audience can relate to. You want your visitors to see that your product helped someone just like them. Make sure your testimonials come from someone with whom your target market can identify.
If you sell primarily to seniors, for example, ask your customers if you can include their age along with the testimonial. If you’re selling to moms with children, ask if you can mention how many kids they have or include a photo of their family.
A good testimonial is credible. Accompany each testimonial with the first name, last name and hometown of each testimonial-giver to show that your endorsements come from real people. Always try to include a photo as well.
And if you can, take it to the next level by including audio or video testimonials for maximum effect. Do anything you can to help your visitors connect with your testimonial-givers on a personal level.
A good testimonial endorses the key benefits of your product. It’s fun to hear that your super-duper floor cleaner smells nice or that the bottle doesn’t drip–both things that matter to people who would consider using your product. But have you established that it cleans their floors well?
A good testimonial is comparative. Did your customers try another product that didn’t work before they found yours? You want your visitors to know what your product can do that the other products can’t. Choose testimonials that set your product apart from your competition.
Nothing sells better than truth and you can get closer to the truth and when it comes from someone who’s had a real life experience with you, your product, your services, and your company.