The Power of the Customer Testimonial

If your business is getting dozens of positive reviews —— you must be doing something right! If you’re not, it could be that you’re not using the right techniques to get these glowing customer testimonials. Either way, learning how to use customer testimonials to your advantage is one of the best things you can do for your organic marketing.

The Science Behind Social Proof

Today, over 90% of consumers read online reviews. Whether it’s to buy a new pair of sneakers or to visit a local restaurant, most potential customers do their research. That includes reading reviews and testimonials. After all, it’s one of the best ways to see if the product or service we’re interested in will satisfy our expectations. We think, “if it worked for them, maybe it will work for me too.” 

This is the core principle behind the social proof theory. 

Fundamentally as social creatures, humans carry traces of herd mentality. When we see others doing something, we get an urge to follow and do the same. Back in the day, you might have gotten a GameBoy because all of your friends had one. Today, you might find yourself buying a kitchen scrubber because it got over five glowing stars on Amazon. 

Companies that understand the importance of social proof will get why customer testimonials matter. A recent statistic showed that 88% of consumers trust reviews and testimonials that they read online as much as a word-of-mouth endorsement from a friend or family member. Customer testimonials are some of the best forms of social proof because they’re written in everyday language and present pain points that consumers relate to. 

What Customer Testimonials Do For Your Business

Customer testimonials demonstrate the benefits of your company’s products with clarity and authenticity. But that’s not all. Here are three benefits of positive customer testimonials:

• Customer testimonials build credibility and trust.

One of the best things about reviews and testimonials is that they’re written by “real people.” Right off the bat, they sound a lot more natural and authentic than anything copywriters can write. They increase your credibility because they demonstrate the benefits of your products in a real-life situation. And they build brand trust because they show that you’re not afraid of using your customers’ words as your advertising.

• Customer testimonials increase brand reach.

Displaying customer testimonials on your website could increase the amount of traffic you get. Nowadays, search engines reward websites with customer testimonials, particularly those that update them regularly. Moreover, encouraging your customers to leave testimonials on their social media accounts could increase your reach on all sorts of platforms.

• Customer testimonials boost conversions.

Customers who browse and read reviews are 58% more likely to make a purchase. Reading the words of an existing customer allows your prospective customers to identify more strongly with them. In that sense, testimonials are more powerful than paid advertising because they feel more authentic. They don’t cost anything to add to your website, but they have enormous repercussions on your conversion rates. 

How To Leverage Customer Testimonials 

Customer testimonials are vital to your organic marketing. But how do you get them?

The easiest way to get more customer testimonials is to start asking for them. For ecommerce businesses, an excellent way to do that is to ask customers to leave a review a couple of days after they’ve received your product. For service-based companies like restaurants or beauticians, you can ask customers to write a testimonial in person or on your business card. 

One thing to remember: make it as easy as possible for customers to leave testimonials. Don’t ask for a 1,000-word review! Make it clear that a couple of sentences are already plenty. You can also offer customers the chance to do a video testimonial—they’re compelling and perfect for customers who don’t feel confident in their writing. 

Monetary incentives also really help to get more testimonials. Offer customers a discount on their next purchase or visit, and they’ll be happy to spend a couple of minutes writing up a review. 

Once you have a couple of customer testimonials to your name, don’t be shy about using them. Display them all over your website, include them in your newsletter, print them out and paste them on your store’s walls if need be! 

Another very effective technique is to share customer testimonials on social media. Creating a post that says, “Thank you so much for this review [Name]! [Customer Testimonial]” is easy and effective. 

First off, it makes your customer feel valued for leaving this testimonial. It’s also a great way to highlight your company’s merits without looking like you’re tooting your own horn. 

A final word of advice: highlight customer testimonials that are emotionally charged. Studies consistently show that these kinds of reviews tend to connect most strongly with prospective customers.

Final Words

You can’t underestimate the power of customer testimonials when it comes to increasing brand trust, reach, and conversions. The best thing is, getting and displaying customer testimonials doesn’t have to cost a dime.

A lot of the time, testimonials for your company already exist: on social media, Yelp, or sites like Trustpilot. There’s so much out there that it can be hard to gather them all in one place, which is precisely what Feelter helps you with. 

With Feelter’s social proof tools, you can display these testimonials all over your website to drastically improve your conversion rates. Book a demo now.