The Value of Testimonials in Online Marketing

by Jason Pearson

Finding people to write sincere and glowing reviews of your business can be challenging. The results, though, are often undeniably profitable. Using genuine testimonials on your website is one way to build your image as a reputable company and expand your clientele at the same time.

You should keep in mind that websurfers can almost always spot false advertising. Instead of creating outlandish fictional customer comments, it is a better idea in the long run to seek out real customers’ opinions. This too is usually evident to online consumers and can build a sense of trust with your prospects, making them more likely to buy from you.

To know which of your customers would be well-suited to write a testimonial, offer a survey at the end of their experience. You can get an idea of how happy they were overall and about each part of the process along the way. You will also be able to tell if they are a potential cheerleader of your business.

Ideally, if your product has made someone’s life easier, she may be grateful enough to share this solution with others, just because she wants to help others out. Realistically, if you include a coupon or giveaway with a completed survey, you will get more responses. It’s also a good idea to get a professional’s help when writing your survey, to make sure you get the right kind of information in return.

Another way to find people to write testimonials in their own words is to use an opt-in email list. The subscribers to your emails can be offered a free sample of your work, whatever it may be. The only condition would be that they provide their feedback in return.

This isn’t as difficult as it sounds. Most people like being a part of improving a product and will pass this information along to others if they have a good experience. They will also appreciate that their opinion is valued, so make sure you let them know this.

Don’t fall into the trap of fabricating testimonials just because you suspect your competitors have done so. If your product is new to the market, you have to extend yourself that much more and offer some freebies to get what you need. In the process you may just build a strong customer base and a sense of satisfaction as well.

An effective sales letter containing testimonials can strongly persuade one buyer to follow in another’s footsteps. If you have a high quality product or service that you believe in, it will not be long before others feel the same way. Then it is just a matter of finding a few happy customers and allowing them to share their satisfaction with others.

About the Author:
This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 29th, 2008 at 7:08 am and is filed under Business. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.