How to Improve Testimonials

With the explosive increase in the number of people shopping, the online marketplace has become more crowded.  For business, that means the value and the power of great testimonials is a potent tool for sales.

However, sometimes finding the right testimonial is like looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack.

Has this happened to you?

I was working on a project recently and needed to add some testimonials for the landing page.  I went to the client’s website to see what people had to say.

“Good product.”

“Easy shopping.”

“Quick delivery.” 

“Just arrived.”

“Love the product.”

Those weren’t exactly what I was looking for.  While the testimonials were positive, they didn’t say much about the user experience with the product.  

If you’re shopping for a product or service that takes time to get the desired result, you’re looking for more information. You want to know what kind of results were achieved, what it was like to use, and how long it actually took to get there.

You’d also like to know what the company is like to interact with should you have questions or need customer service.

Why use testimonials? 

We know testimonials play an essential role in helping shoppers make a decision.  But just how important are they?

Here’s what the market analyzers say:

• 92% of people read reviews before buying
• 72% say positive testimonials increase their trust and make buying more likely.
• Most people, 73%, read six or less. They like to see lots of testimonials but often read just a few before making their decision.

The quality of testimonials can outweigh how many you have. If you have five good positive testimonials, it can increase your conversions by 270%.

Here’s one thing to keep in mind.

You need to ask for testimonials.  Most people don’t write a testimonial or review without prompting.  

The best time to ask is shortly after they’ve received their purchase. Give the purchaser time to try the product/service before you ask. For products that take a while to get results, touch base with them again to see how it’s going.

If you’re offering supplements or, say, weight loss techniques, a review after three days of use isn’t going to tell you much. Use the shortly after receipt message as an opportunity to answer questions on use.

A second follow-up in a month or later might make more sense to see how it is performing.

Three tips to maximize testimonials

Here are some simple ways to maximize your testimonials and their use. 

Enhance how you ask. 

I find including simple questions in the review process can improve the kind of testimonials received. Questions that help you get beyond the yay or nay to the why.  

Amazon has this type of helpful process established right on the review screen. At the top of the screen, it identifies the specific product. They ask for an overall star-based rating and three feature ratings. Then a place for your headline and review. Simple.

Make it easy to respond. There are various apps out there to help you gather testimonials. Select one that allows you to guide the purchaser in writing the review.

Send the request via email and a link to where/how you’d like it submitted. 

Open the email by thanking them again for the item they purchased, mentioning it by name.  Then, tell them you’d love their feedback and share the link.

In your review template, include helpful questions.  

1. What’s your favorite thing about the product you purchased?
2. How do you use the product?
3. Did you have any hesitations before you purchased?  Did the product resolve them?
4. Is there anything else you’d like to share?

Be sure to get their permission to share the testimonial in your marketing to help other shoppers.  A simple tick box can handle this.

Edit them 

It is perfectly acceptable to edit testimonials as long as you don’t alter the meaning or intent.

Always only use real testimonials by verified buyers. Fake testimonials can destroy a company quickly and are easily spotted. 

You don’t have to use the quote verbatim. Help it read more clearly by breaking run-on sentences into shorter ones. Remove spelling errors. Look for ways to clarify the wording.

If possible, include an emotional trigger word to help a reader make a decision.

Just don’t change what the message is saying.  

Select targeted testimonials

Choose the right testimonials for how you want to use it. A collection of raving testimonials about socks won’t help you sell shirts.

Use the right message and emotionally connect with the product/service.

Some testimonials are more general and not specific to a product. If the customer had a positive experience with you and your team, they can be gold.  They work well on your homepage as trust-builders. 

A testimonial extolling your fabulous customer service and their help in finding the right product could go multiple places.  

If you offer a variety of products, put the testimonials where they will do the most good. You can have a general customer testimonial page. 

If you put sock testimonials on the sock page, it increases conversions for sock purchases.

When I work with clients…

We focus on gathering useful testimonials.  I encourage them to allow reviews via the product purchase page.  

Many e-commerce platforms notify you of a new review and let you view it before publishing it. Amazon does this. The seller can respond to a negative review and problem-solve. It also allows screening for spam.  www.jcpwellnesscopy.com.