Testimonials. They can do wonders for your business as long as they are used the right way.
The main reason for using them is that they help establish credibility and they give you the opportunity to prove claims about your product or service. The end result is that they can help you convert more of your visitors into customers if they are used correctly.
But before we get into the correct way of using them, you need to first understand what not to do.
Don’t create fake testimonials!
The biggest mistake you can make is creating fake testimonials. Why? It’s not just because they aren’t believable, but if you get caught it will ruin your credibility.
You are better off not having any testimonials than creating fake ones. And if you truly have a great product or service, sooner or later your customers will start giving you real testimonials.
Alright, so here is how you can effectively use testimonials:
Know your customers
When I was trying to sell informational marketing products to small businesses I decided to get a few testimonials from some big names:
Neil has advised TechCrunch for more than two years and been an important part of the growth of the TechCrunch Network by helping us implement SEO best practices. Search engines have grown to be responsible for 1/3 of all TechCrunch traffic, so Neil’s ongoing support is critical to our business.
– Michael Arrington, founder of TechCrunch
Neil’s expertise was instrumental in helping the Cheezburger network to grow from a odd little cat blog to the largest humor network on the Web – serving more than 190 million page-views a month.
- Ben Huh, owner of I Can Has Cheezburger
Neil is a real SEO guru. His knowledge is stellar and he’s truly a standout in an industry cluttered with self-proclaimed experts.
– Alex Algard, founder of White Pages
Do you see anything wrong with them? The people who were buying my informational marketing material weren’t able to relate to the larger companies listed above. Yes it is good to use testimonials from big names, but you also want testimonials from average Joes.
Go web 2.0
This is the new aged web. Your testimonials don’t just have to be text based anymore. Consider asking your customers for video or audio testimonials. The advantage of using different types of media is that they also allow you to leverage channels like YouTube to gain customers, while text based ones won’t.
Don’t forget the basics
What’s the problem with most testimonials? They don’t include the person’s full name, their company, location or age. Now granted it may not be relevant to put all that information in the signature of a testimonial, but it’s a lot more realistic than saying that “J. Smith” wrote that testimonial.
In addition to that, consider adding a picture of your customer next to the testimonial. Nothing beats having a picture of a smiling customer.
Don’t be vague
A good testimonial says something nice about you or your company, but a great one explains the benefits or your product or service. So instead of just trying to get short testimonials that don’t contain much substance, try to get ones that contain facts and hard data.
If they start becoming too long you can do two things:
- Italicize and bold the important parts – not everyone enjoys reading. Italicizing and bolding will allow skimmers to get the main points without having to read every single word.
- Make them a case study – you can always link a short testimonial to a case study. This way if people are skeptical and want to read more, they can.
Testimonials can be meaningful
The best way to use testimonials is in a meaningful way. You can post small snippets where they will support your company’s claim.
For example, if you have a paragraph that talks about how the Maytag washer you are selling is durable, put a testimonial supporting that fact nearby. When Mary says, “my Maytag washer is still running strong after 10 years… which is pretty darn good considering that my husband accidentally crashed into it with his car”, it gives a lot of credibility to the washer you are selling.
Location, location, location
Having great testimonials isn’t enough. Depending on where you place them, it can drastically affect your conversions.
The chances are, you’ll just end up placing testimonials on your homepage or your sales page. But if you place them in multiple locations, you may see an increase in conversions.
For example, with my old Quick Sprout membership program, the check out page that included a testimonial in the sidebar converted 6.38% better than the check out page that didn’t include a testimonial.
Try placing your testimonials in different positions and pages. And when doing so, make sure you split test them so that you can figure out if it impacted your bottom line.
Conclusion
Testimonials can convert window shoppers into buyers as long as you use them the right way. Don’t just copy what your competition is doing or base your decisions off of what I am telling you. Try things out for yourself!
Do you have any other recommendations on how you can use testimonials effectively?
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Really great article. I like like the explanation with the A/B test. But my biggest question is, how do I get testimonial ?
You ask them to write a testimonial about you. Of course, first you have to do something for them
But where you find them ?
Ziker, you can create a product, or provide a service and give out some free review copies (or free service) to certain individuals on the condition that they will provide a review. Always ask for neutral reviews.
Exactly, thanks for the explanation.
Email people in your niche, give them a free sample and ask them to review for you.
“You scratch my back, I scratch yours”
Talk to other blogs in your industry.
In my experience, the best way to get a testimonial is by asking your existing customers. If you don’t have any existing customers, consider giving away your product for free to a couple of influential people who can review it.
A number of bloggers have reached out to me with free copies of their products, and I’m usually happy to provide a testimonial.
That’s a great idea when you’re starting fresh…send some free stuff to some popular bloggers.
I’ve always loved the way people use testimonials on sales pages. Thanks for a great post, Neil !
Well Alex, one thing you need to understand that testimonials on Sales pages are often given by friends or close associates. Testimonials on email lists are often done for the purpose of driving traffic to the sales page for affiliate sales. In fact, most of the people giving testimonials may have never used the product (or service) but do so for the sake of friendship or expect similar favor in future.
Yea I believe over 75% of testimonials are fake. They are just trying to sell the product.
You can usually tell when they’re fake
Sometimes that is the case, but I think you’ll get better testimonials from actual people who use the product/service.
It’s definitely something necessary to get someone to buy.
Neil, one thing that I’ve always heard that I didn’t see here was the structure of a testimonial (problems before > purchased your product > this is what it did > how I feel now). I can see how you lose genuineness when you ask someone for a template testimonial. Do you think this is something that’s outdated?
I don’t think it’s outdated. I love that concept as it makes it much more concrete.
Its funny that you wrote this today. I put a series of testimonials on my site last night. What do you think of them Neil?
I couldn’t see them, where are they?
They appear to be on the home page just under the 8 product images. They were very hard to see and I passed over them more than once before seeing them. It might be a good idea to unclutter that part of the website or do something bring more attention to them.
Agreed. Great feedback.
The way I ask for my clients testimonials is when i follow up with them to see if they have used the services yet. If they did, I just simply asked them if they were happy, if they are, they’ll be more than happy to allow you to use their testimonials. They love the recognition, I love to share their testimonials, the prospects are delighted when they read or hear the testimonials…..it’s a win win situation!
That works perfectly! Good move.
I tend to ignore testimonials because they all seem so fake. Even if you have a valid testimonial because it has been so miss-used in the past I don’t see them as being credible.
Not all testimonials are fake, but most of testimonials comes from people who know each other. Especially for latest IM product launches, the testimonials are usually from fellow IMers from a tight knit group who want to drive affiliate sales by way of their testimonials/feedback to their list.
That is a good way to do it i guess, if you have the network. But still it seems phony to me. They are just doing it to drive sales and while the product may be good, you know it isn’t what they were using. There are plenty of product I use that I let no one know about, if they did, it wouldn’t work as well for me.
lol… that’s one way to look it. I know what you mean though.
That definitely happens more often than not. Good IM wouldn’t promote crappy stuff though.
Even though you may, remember most other people don’t.
It still gets me how many people fall for some things. I guess it’s like P.T. Barnum said.. “There is a Sucker born every minute.”
lol… That’s probably why people keep it up right.
I agree with you on this one. Testimonials don’t have the weight they used to. Just look at all the Acia berry testimonials out there. They look real but so fake. I can see why people get duped on that one.
It’s sad that some people try to do things deceivingly like that…
Very good points, especially the part about including the average individual (as compared to the grand poobahs).
I always like showcasing testimonials graphically as well (ie, framing them with a drop-shadow and the like). It makes them stand out far more effectively.
Barbara, as long as the testimonials appeal to the prospective buyer, it does not matter if it is decorated or not. However, if a little flavor is added to make it stand out, then it will be visually appealing and may increase the odds of conversion.
Very true Nick. It’s not necessary, but a little bit here and there helps.
Yes very true, the way you present them makes a huge difference.
Your customers will have more power and influence over new prospects than any marketing you could ever pay for. In other words, what people say about your company is worth more than anything you can say about it!
well to add to this any publication including bad press is good though. Now I know many don’t want to be seen in a negative light but anything out there pushing your name around is a good thing, as long as what is out there isn’t all bad.
I agree with that 100%
Testimonials posted on LinkedIn profile is the best for me as it has transparency on both giver and receiver that anyone can verify.
Sites like those definitely give you more comfort as those testimonials are truly valid. YELP does the same thing.
The most important thing for me when it comes to testimonials is to use them at problem points.
Most people just whack them on a testimonials page like you say, but they should be placed at the points where people encounter some friction or might not want to proceed on. The typical ones are when you first show them the price, ask them to check out, itemize the product, etc.
Great article.
Tyrant
Good point, I like where you’re going with that. Maybe int the P.S….
I think testimonials are a good marketing tool. But sometimes I am a little skeptical about a lot of them especially when they seem to overrate the product!
Yea the same goes for comments on a blog. You can tell they are a fake article if everyone is hip hop horay for the product
Yeah, sometimes people lay them out as a little too much which kinda works against them.
Excellent advice, testimonials, case studies that include testimonials, quotes placed stratigically in text, video testimonials, LinkedIn, etc. I love LinkedIn, give one, get one, is my mantra. Never ask for one. All kinds of way to encourage folks to give one. Surveys, postcards asking for feedback, are great ways to find people willing to share their positive stories. The best time to ask for a testimonial is immediately after a successful transaction. Always be focused on the process of fostering testimonials. That sets the tone for positive expectations for and from all parties.
I agree with that totally because it’s when a client is most excited and happy about working with you.
Neil,
This is great. Testimonials are a great way to gain credibility.
One way to improve them is to coach the testimony givers. This helps with getting more hard data (facts) into the testimonial. Most people don’t know what to talk about so they ramble. If you coach them, you can get more data in each testimonial.
The video idea for testimonials is great. I hadn’t thought about videos before, but it’s a great way to get a more dynamic video in front of people. I will definitely use this in the future.
Thanks for the great post.
Joseph
Joseph, do you mean coaching them to always give positive testimonials? I think a testimonial in the end-user’s own words appears more genuine than a testimonials with jargons and words that the reader would need a dictionary to decode. You can always leave out negative testimonials from being published live.
Not necessarily positive, I think he means guiding them to answer questions so you can get specific responses.
I know what you mean… sometimes people don’t know where to begin so its best to ask them question to help along in the process.
I heard FTC were going to require that equal prominence to testimonials be given to a statement saying something like “This (insert your metric here) is the result that the average user of this product can expect” or some other kind of disclaimer like that. Do you know FTC they went ahead with this?
Yes, the regulation is in force. If you see the disclaimer section (or fine print towards the bottom of the page), you would notice that it is clearly stated that testimonials provided on the page are solely from the users, and typical results may vary for other users.
There are many sites that verify testimonials, google it. I’m not sure if FTC wen ahead with anything like that though.
I think its more credible if the testimonials came from a well known celebrity.
Sometimes, but not always… and it depends on the industry.
Awesome post Neil. Testimonials are HUGE when growing a business and you’ve made some really great points about how to effectively use them.
There seem to be a few questions about how to get them and some great feedback from others on how to do that.
In addition to what was already said (asking for them right after you provide the product/service, coaching customers on how to give testimonials etc) I would say that you might also want to create a “template” for a testimonial. I’m not talking about creating a fake testimonial but actually making it easier for your customers to give you the proper praise that you deserve. Everyone is busy these days. Even if a customer loves the product or service you have provided them, they still have to take valuable time out of their busy schedule to write up a testimonial for you.
What I do in most cases is call the customer after I have provided the service and everything is complete. I call them and ask them what was the main reason they hired me, what did they like about my service and what were the main benefits they achieved by using my service. Then I ask them if it is ok to write this up as a testimonial for them and send it to them for their approval. They can change it however they like or keep it the same. It’s up to them. But the bottom line is, I just captured the information my prospects want to know and I saved myself and my customer a lot of time.
In fact, Adeel and Bobby used this same exact method on Google Bomb and Niche Bomb as stepping stones to make their latest product, Success Bomb extremely popular. Testimonials provided on their free review products (Google Bomb and Niche Bomb) is what made Success Bomb sales go through the roof.
They are very very smart IM
That’s a good idea especially when you have a product/service that you need to be very attentive to, it’s a great way to build repeat and referral business.
Video is more engaging and with the technology like Flip Video, there’s no reason why you can’t do a video testimonial from your customer(s).
True, and it shows validity.
I’ve seen a lot of ecommerce sites offer a monthly prize for the best review that month. Seems like a good way to get both quality and quantity.
That’s definitely another method to use, which may work for some, but not for most.
I agree with you Niel, testimonials if used effectively could change the game. Placing it at the right place is again the second most important thing after having testimonials from your clients.
That’s why I recomend doing A/B testing to see where it would be best placed.
I have a special place for testimonials on my website. Neil or anyone.Can you check them out and tell me what you would do different . Thanks Bill
I’d say clean it up a bit and maybe put a yellow box around them, and do some A/B testing to see what position works best for you.
Yeah.. I think if we need to make a trust with customers then I need to get good testimonials. This is very effective way to get popularity of product and services.
It also allows your customer to feel grounded with you and your company.
Hi Neal,
Most important thing as where locate your testimonial, used testimonial right way then people know you. Some time testimonial decides how and where you are best.
Thanks for sharing best Article
That’s why it’s critical to do testing.
Yes Neil you are right it’s critical but when you used testimonial right way then you success to coverage more business for your company…
If you provide valuable and useful testimonials, you’ll have a much better conversion rate.
Getting comments like that from Micheal Arrington is already worth millions of dollars. If you have any services page offering SEO services right here, I’m sure you will get some good high profile client base.
They are, but sometimes the regular testimonials are much more effective
Agreed. Getting high profile comments tend to put us in gold standard where potential clients might think we are way too expensive. Regular comments will just be great.
Sometimes it’s just as effective.
I don’t really trust testimonials… I don’t even read them, in exchange I read user reviews on different eCommerce sites, there I believe aren’t lies and are written by real customers.
You will change your mindset if you see the comment from your idol.
Yes, very true… but you can’t get a testimonial from everyones idol… so I wouldn’t rely on that being the biggest factor. Value is what counts at the end of the day.
Yes, it is not easy even to get one good comment from the idol. Common rating from normal or startup individuals or companies will add great value.
It’s a trial and failure thing… you win some and you lose some.
That’s also a good way to go, but often times if there are sites that “review” the product or service, often times they’re affiliate sites.
Even if it’s an affiliate site or review place there are real comments from people who actually bought that product and you can form an opinion based on their comments.
People tend to not really believe in testimonials because to be sincere, you can’t really verify if they are true or not. I think that having a testimonial from big names can help more than one from a nobody. Putting a name that nobody heard about seems like something invented.
You’re right to a degree because sometimes too many big names actually brings down the values of testimonials.
Personally I just think most people view testimonials with skepticism, UNLESS it it’s from someone with built up with trust, like a celeb or popular online personality.
Sometimes, but I think personalized testimonials that relate to the other people help
Testimonials for me is like a bunch of Actors. You dunno if you believe or not. I think its more credible if the testimonials came from a well known celebrity.
Sometimes, but often times, people know that actors are hired for testimonials. Look at celebs for ProActive.
We use hard copy “reference letters” as testimonials. We ask ALL our clients for them, and promise that we’ll never copy, reproduce, scan…. to give clients a measure of security. I have them all in a book that I take with me to show clients on sales calls. Most are very impressed.
We’ve asked for digital testimonials, and people are reluctant to do this. (we’re based in Beijing)
What about Linked In recommendations though…. is is legal to take “public domain” testimonials and put them onto a website, away from the Linked In page where they were first posted? I have many recommendations, but they aren’t connected to our service. I doubt that clients ever go to my Linked In page to read the recommendations, but I know they look at our website. What’s the convention?
I am not sure if you legally can use those. I would consider consulting a lawyer about that…
I love how you mention don’t create fake testimonials. I just love when I see the same image and testimonials on different sites. Gotta love that!
lol, that’s always a fun thing to see huh.
Recently, I have attended webinar from Brad Callen where they start a program for affiliate which creates landing page automatically which includes testimonials and contents. Nowadays, affiliate king players using automated method and fake testimonials to create sweet landing page to bait more sales.
It’s getting pretty ludicrous out there, can’t imagine how things will regulate.
A number of bloggers have reached out to me with free copies of their products, and I’m usually happy to provide a testimonial.
Exactly.. there you go! It works and this proves that it works well. Law of reciprocity
I currently use Collision Testimonials, which is a free WordPress Plugin that gives you a shortcode to put on a Testimonials page that you create on your blog. The reason I like it is because it allows visitors to easily leave a testimonial which is then submitted to the author of the website for approval. Once approved it automatically gets featured on the testimonial page.
Does anyone else know of a better testimonial plugin than Collision testimonials for WordPress?
I didn’t even know about that so thanks for sharing, I’ll definitely check it out.
Sometimes a client doesn’t want to show his/her face in any website. Then I try to use their logo company and to link it to their company, giving consistency and more confidence to the testimonial.
Such a great way to promote your bussiness is something that everybody should be taking advantage of.
I agree, it provides a ton of credibility.
Testimonials is a Clever Weapon as you described only need to use smartly to enhance work with proper presentation so it helpful to create good impact on visitors.
It gives you instant credibility… consumers pretty much require it now a days.
yes credibility is become very important to earn new clients and their quick trust on service providers.
Yes, it’s one thing that can get someone instantly hooked.
Testimonials Our like sweet candies to a baby. People get attracted to it unconditionally.
Thanks
Yes that’s right, but you have to make sure that the ‘candy’ is attractive & worthy to look at for the buyer.
True…. just stay away from writing fake ones.
Really…I didn’t know that testimonial can make such a difference in internet business.I believe it also needs creativity with your language to succeed in this.
I completely disagree, testimonials can be the different between 9 to 10 sales a day. Even that small number adds up.
Not sure if it’s that high, but they are significance.
People are always very interested to know what other people think.
wow neil, it sounds great that testimonialscan be used in a meaningful way..i liked your tip that we can post small snippets in our testimonials so that they will support our company’s claim.
nice tip…
They can and they’ll increase your conversions drastically.
While you make some great points here. I just don’t trust testimonials any more. I had a friend who wanted to try the acia berry stuff and ended up getting duped. She showed me the site she went on and it looked really legit I couldn’t tell off the bat it was a bogus news site until I searched it. People are very easily tricked and people out there are making good money off that fact.
I agree, it’s a shady thing, which is why you may need to do things like video testimonials or something.
Using real testimonials for a genuine product on the squeeze page is a biggest pre-sell factor. If someone use consumer’s comment and feedback on the sales page it will definitely useful to get more sale.
Testimonials are usually the determining factor for people buying your product and not.
I am glad you wrote this article. I usually just ignore most testimonials. I guess you would say I have been jaded by past experiences. After reading this I think I may give them a second go around but I think I will always be sort of skeptical.
That’s okay, just try it (with legitimate testimonials) and see what happens.
I’ve often thought about trying to do better than my crappy salary by starting my own business, but what are the chances of success? I tend to be a bit of a coaster the office, perhaps having a stake in the business would give me the motivation I need.
Any tips for what you need to do/not do in order to be successful.
Chances of success are low, but if you keep at it and push yourself through the resistance, your odds become much better.
I as a personal preference, just ignore testimonials unless they are coming from an absolute true blue respected establishment.
You mean like a MSN or AOL or reputable company? Keep in mind, people fake that stuff all the time though.
Very nice article. It all boils down to moderation and how tastefully something is done. Overdose of anything is likely to turn off readers and possible customers, so in this case as with many other things quantity is yet again > quality.
Thanks, good point!
It has never crossed my mind not to collect the big names, when I started my company this is what I started collecting. I never thought about getting more average ones. But it totally makes sense. Thank you for the great advice.
It is always nice to have a few big names to back your company up. However using only big names can make people skeptical and question whether the company just bought it’s testimonials. Throw in a good number of regular names and it will show that not big name people back you up, but also everyday people too.
Interesting post, Neil. I’m a bit skeptical about testimonials, even if they imply famous names. And this is because nowadays many things are done just for money, to the detriment of quality.
Yep, I see your point. I’m sure there are others who feel the same way.
Neil, thanks for the great tips! I’ve been sprinkling testimonials throughout my blog and in the description for my upcoming e-book. We’ll see how it works.
I have to ask, where did you get that great RSS/email subscribe plugin at the bottom of your post?
It was custom made, pretty much everything is custom done on my blog.
I read an article recently where a guy in California who runs an auto repair shop has to turn business away because he is overloaded with leads from his Yelp reviews. I think he has about 160+
That is awesome, the power of testimonials or “word of mouth” is really very powerful.
hey neil,
great post. that is really effective for me. i liked it very much.
Thanks.
Matt
If you don’t have any existing customers, consider giving away your product for free to a couple of influential people who can review it.