The power of testimonials
“Trailblazer allows me to track my contact with clients and puts a structure in place rather than remember when I had to contact clients outside of the standard annual review. It also doesn’t replace my current CRM system; it actually complements it.
As it’s an app, it works well with my phone and tablet. So, when I am not in the office, I can quickly scan over the past few conversations with a client. This helps me deliver a brilliant service to clients. It keeps them satisfied, but also retains the trust they have in me to look after their investments and pensions.”
We recently received this testimonial from a client which led us to think about the power testimonials can have for a business.
Firstly, testimonials are written or recorded statements that support your credibility and level of expertise. They can help strengthen your reputation by expressing the trust that other people have in you and what your business offers.
Testimonials are now used throughout many businesses on their websites. It acts as a review, but why do businesses use them?
The short answer is the power a testimonial possesses. A testimonial, by definition, is ‘a formal statement testifying to someone’s character and qualifications’. It is not just a review, it’s a recommendation that is based entirely on an individual’s experience.
It tends to be the pinnacle of client experience when you receive a positive testimonial from a client. And to the outside world, it demonstrates a level of credibility and expertise of the services you have provided.
Not only that, as marketing has evolved with the digital age, consumers now ‘don’t just take your word for it’. They explore other avenues to make sure they’re getting value for money. It allows them to hear from other users to help inform their own decision.
Why testimonials are important
For online-based businesses, client testimonials are an important part of building up a profile online. You can have the best looking and best functioning website, but this isn’t the main motivator for new visitors to your website. They’re seeking additional reassurance that your service will help them, especially if they’re paying.
As well as reassurance to the potential client, testimonials can help greatly with the conversion rate of visitors to your website to clients. It adds a level of legitimacy so that visitors to your website know that your service could benefit them.
Many consumers may not realise the difficulty businesses have in convincing website visitors to purchase their service. This is especially the case if the website may not be well known, or the service and product on offer is relatively new. Testimonials help with this.
As well as adding legitimacy and reassurance for the consumer, a testimonial will help visitors who have similar experiences and issues to decide whether or not they should buy your product or service. For example, Amazon and eBay have based their online platforms on this ‘herd mentality’ theory. It helps consumers make informed decisions by relating to others with the same experience or problem as them.
The power of testimonials: the facts and figures
As well as communicating with your audience, a key goal of marketing should involve building trust and credibility. Potential clients don’t just want to know that you can solve their problem. They want to know if you can do it better than anyone else. With that in mind, client testimonials are very effective. They create a deeper, more emotional appeal for your brand.
But the numbers back it up. According to one study, using client testimonials can help generate 62% more revenue and 88% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. They’re as important to your business as they are to the consumer.
Simply put, customer testimonials create something of a self-fulfilling prophecy regarding your connection with your target audience. Someone enjoys your product or service, so you encourage them to leave a positive review or testimonial.
Consumers naturally trust each other more than they trust just marketing collateral, so that testimonial adds more weight to the decision they’re trying to make. Those initial happy clients, therefore, encourage more purchases, which creates more happy clients and so on.
Not only that, but you’re also allowing clients to become brand advocates for you. This does much more in terms of building trust, credibility, and emotion than you could ever do on your own.
Credibility is essential when trying to build your brand and business. Strategic and intelligent use of testimonials can go a long way in promoting your services. The more online visibility and the stronger the reputation you have and continue to maintain, the stronger your business can become.
