Testimonials are important to include on your business’ website for a variety of reasons. You should take the time to gather reviews and include them on your website. Reviews are highly effective at encouraging your target audience to purchase your product or service.

The main difference between testimonials and reviews is that reviews are independent feedback that can be either positive or negative, whereas testimonials are specifically selected to endorse your company. If your website features testimonials but hasn’t been updated in a while, it may be time to gather more recent ones. You should ask loyal clients or customers to provide a testimonial, which you can then review before using. 

The main purpose of a testimonial is to convey to potential customers that your company is credible and offers high-quality products or services. People don’t want to buy from companies that don’t have any reviews (or, even worse, have many bad reviews!). They want to know that other people have had good experiences with them. Fundamentally, the most important thing that testimonials do is assure your audience that your business is trustworthy. 

They show that you are not new to the industry and that others have relied on your business. To increase credibility, include a photo, name, and occupation of the person who provided the testimonial. 

Putting in the Work to Acquire Testimonials

So, how do you get high-quality testimonials? Generic and vague testimonials won’t tell audiences what they are looking for. You should include thoughtful, genuine testimonials that give specific examples. However, if the testimonial only includes praise on top of praise, it will come across as fake. Testimonials should include three parts: before the client chose your company, when they were wondering what the right choice was.

The second is after, when they use the product or service and find that it is helpful. Lastly is the experience, where the customer states how they felt about the process and how the product or service has improved their life. When testimonials have these three elements, they tell a story and help them feel real.

Creating Client Dialogue

If you tell people you want a long, written testimonial about their experience with your company, they will most likely not do it. People have busy lives, and that would take a long time. Not only that, but it’s a lot of work and effort that seems to have little reward for the prior customer. You can format the testimonial into survey questions, breaking it into manageable parts for clients to fill out. 

You could also call them and ask them to answer questions verbally, recording the responses. Some questions could include, “What are some benefits and features you liked about the product/service?” and “Would you recommend this product/service to others and why?” You can then take quotes from the survey or conversation to use in testimonials. 

Formatting Content for Business Use

There are various types of testimonials, some short and some longer. There are also different formats, such as writing or videos. The most-used type is a quote testimonial. They are easy to put on your webpages, effective, and fast to read. 

Second is the long-form testimonial, which could be a transcript of an interview or multiple paragraphs. This is for people who want to read details about the client experience. This type of testimonial can feel more genuine than a short quote does. 

The last primary type is the video testimonial. This option can convince potential customers to go with your company. Not only could the testimonial include audio of a prior customer’s experience, but you could also include footage of your team at work, charts and graphs, your product in action, and more. 

Reaping the Rewards 

One benefit of using testimonials is that they increase client loyalty. Including a person’s testimonial on your website can help them feel appreciated and seen. It strengthens the bond between your business and your client base.

Asking for customer feedback helps them feel appreciated and that their voice matters. Making clients feel special can turn them into repeat customers (although it depends on the nature of the products/services you offer). 

Your Clients Reflect Your Business

Have you ever been on a website that uses overly proper, clinical language? That type of wording is useful in some cases, such as when describing specific professional services. However, when it comes to testimonials, that kind of language will seem distant and fake. 

People can sense when something is off, and that goes for testimonials on websites. That’s the great thing about getting real testimonials from your customers; they will use everyday language that is relatable to the average person reading it. Instead of trying to come up with something independently, just pull words directly from your customers.

Most importantly, including testimonials is very helpful for improving your website’s Search Engine Optimization. Google likes seeing reviews and testimonials for companies, so when you have them, it will boost your business in the search results. This is crucial to being seen online in today’s competitive market. Firstly, reviews and testimonials increase the click-through rate, meaning that they make more people visit your website. You could also write blog posts about customer success stories. 

Be the Next Success Story 

Highstreet Marketing stays up-to-date with the latest SEO techniques. Trust our experts to implement effective methods to get your business to rank high in search results. We can help source testimonials, format them, and include them on your website. 

When you work with Highstreet Marketing, your company’s online presence, credibility, and sales will rise. Our goal is to help local businesses succeed and connect with their target audience.

Schedule a consultation to develop a digital marketing strategy at highstreetad.com today!