You’ve studied all the current online marketing techniques and you have SEO and social marketing down to a science. Now how do you close the sale once the customer has landed on your website? Through online testimonials, of course. Testimonials are not anything new in the marketing world. Using testimonials in your inbound marketing

strategy can be a secret weapon. Word of mouth has long been considered one of the most effective ways to build a customer base. However, online testimonials have taken marketing with testimonials to a whole new level.

Why do Online Testimonials Work?

Most customers know you wouldn’t post anything negative on your website, so what is the magnetic power of testimonials, exactly? The truth is that most shoppers want to be confident they are making a good decision when they choose a particular product or service. They find the words of others who have “been there, done that” reassuring. Small business owners are perfectly primed to receive testimonials from their customers, due to the unique relationship that results from this connection. However, larger businesses can also benefit from online testimonials, if they use them wisely.

Customer testimonials provide credibility to a business. They show that other customers have followed a similar path and been satisfied with the results. When opinions come from a third party instead of someone within the business, it promotes confidence in the company and the product they are selling. When you are a smaller business, satisfied customers can be the edge you need to get on top of the competition. Online testimonials break through skepticism and help prospective customers see your business with trust.

The Basics of Marketing with Testimonials

Even if you have never posted online testimonials before, you may already have the material to get started. Look for customer feedback that uses words like “pleased”, “satisfied” and “thank you for your service”. These words provide the beginnings of your online testimonials. If you don’t have enough feedback to create compelling customer testimonials, ask previous customers if they would be willing to provide feedback. You can get the information in the form of a survey or by simply asking your customers to write a short blurb about the service or product they received from you.

The best testimonials provide specific details about your business. Instead of using vague terms like “about” and “some”, the most effective testimonials offer information that gives prospective customers precise information about how they can benefit from your business. This information is more trustworthy and will be heeded more effectively by customer, and will probably be given a better ranking on the search engines.

Another positive technique for testimonials is to provide real-time testimonials that offer current information. Real-time testimonials provide prospective customers with new information all the time, so they can rest assured that even recent customers are pleased with your goods or services. Real-time testimonials also let new customers know that your business is still going strong, so they don’t have to worry about receiving outdated information from a company that no longer exists.

Proper use of online testimonials is a powerful way to promote your business. When others are happy with your business, new customers will be more likely to give you a try as well.

This entry was posted on Friday, January 29th, 2010 at 6:57 pm and is filed under Client Testimonials. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.