How should I use testimonials on my website?

Testimonials are powerful marketing tools

They work - not because they’re sales pitches. They work because they provide an unbiased voice. By using testimonials in text, audio, or video format, you’re establishing trust. You’re using real people to show success in your product or service.

When you're writing your own website copy, your testimonials will convert prospects into customers … provided you use them correctly.

6 testimonial tips

As so often in life - quality counts ahead of quantity. Evidence shows that testimonials produce two apparently conflicting results –

1.      Website visitors like to see them

2.      They rarely read them

Isn’t that odd? But of course, the very fact that your website visitor can see that you have testimonials is a good thing - and, if they do read them, make sure you present them as well as you possibly can.

Here's how -

1. Be Selective

Choose the testimonials that describe the benefit that your client gained. How did your product or service improve their lives? ‘This widget was great’ won’t cut it. Your potential clients need to know what was great about it.

2. Be genuine

Make your testimonials eye-catching. The more personal you make them, the more believable they’ll become. Just sticking ‘A.P. Bletchley’ at the end won’t do. Where’s the credibility in that? Ideally, you need to back up the testimonial with

• an image
• a name
• a job title
• a company name and location

You could even add a link to their website. Surely they'd be happy with that. These four elements won’t always be easy to achieve. Some people, for example, don’t like supplying photos. But - an image is a simple addition that will increase your trust factor five-fold.

Some companies or individuals don’t want others to know that they’ve used your services – if you’re a therapist, for example. Either way, do what you can to get all four of the above. Your potential client will feel much more confident that your claims are coming from a real person.

3. Show off - everywhere …

… but make your showing off relevant. Dot your testimonials around your website – but not randomly. Imagine you’re a personal trainer. Why would you put a testimonial about a weight-loss programme on your ‘cardio’ page?

And don’t leave a single page testimonial-free. Just because a visitor is on your Contact page doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be showing them another testimonial.

4. Get the design right

Get your web designer to come up with an eye-catching way to display your testimonials.

You might try a web application or a plugin that allows you to post different testimonials on each page of your site.

5. Never Fake It

The most important rule in sharing testimonials is to keep it real. Never risk faking anything on your site, especially testimonials. Why tell lies? And if you get caught out … just imagine the kind of testimonials you’ll see about yourself popping up across social media.

6. Use Video

Video testimonials can make all the difference. Number one for authenticity, a real live testimonial from a real live human will be impressive.

Get a few happy customers to create a short 30 - 60-second video sharing how brilliantly your company has helped them. Your web visitors will quickly grasp the appreciation and emotion that these customers feel about you and your business.

A recommendation

I can't end without a recommendation of my own. Time and again, I've seen Emma Matthews and her team from Raise Your Glass Films deliver terrific, original video communications. Before you look anywhere else for video testimonials, talk to Emma.

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