According to BigCommerce, reviews generate 62% more revenue per site visitor. So if you are wanting to increase your website revenue – customer testimonials and reviews are an excellent, and relatively easy, place to start.
How do testimonials increase revenue?
Testimonials build credibility. We tend to buy from people that we know, like and trust. Customer testimonials and reviews are gold for your business because they go a long way to establishing that trust with potential customers who may not have heard of you before landing on your website.
“Testimonials provide third party, independent validation. In fact, testimonials are more powerful when we believe the person giving the testimonial is similar to ourselves. No one wants to hear a company talk about how great they are, there’s not a lot of credibility in self-promotion, so letting your customers tell your story is perceived as more credible”
~ Chris Getman
Testimonials provide social proof. When people see that other people, just like them, are buying from you, then they are more likely to purchase. In fact, according to TrustPulse, testimonials can increase conversion rates by 34%!
Testimonials help sell your products and services. Testimonials and reviews can help customers better understand the product and services you offer. They can show how the solutions you sell have helped a diverse range of people – and that you can probably meet their needs as well.
Testimonials improve web traffic and SEO. Positive reviews drive search traffic. Business with 10 or more reviews on Google saw a 15-20% increase in traffic (BigCommerce) and improving your star ratings from 3 to 5 can increase clicks in Google by up to 25% (Bright Local)
How do you go about collecting testimonials?
Its easier than you think to get testimonials – the best way to do it is to simply ask for them. If you have an email that is set up to go out automatically after a customer has purchased from your, or when you finish working together – you won’t have to think about it, and chances are that many of them will respond.
Its also worth taking a look at your inbox – you probably get some testimonial gold in there. Just ask permission before you use it.
Social media can be another place to find unsolicited testimonials. You can use your positive social media engagements to showcase your good work. Once again – ask permission before you use it!
Where should you put your testimonials?
You can use your testimonials:
On your home page. Its the first impression many website visitors will get of your business. So its a good idea to have some glowing testimonials front and centre on this page
On your product and services pages. A timely testimonial as people are looking to research or purchase your products or services can reassure potential customers that your business has served other people who have loved your work.
In abandonned cart emails. What better way to help convince a potential client to come back and complete their transaction than a reminder of how awesome your product is in the form of a glowing testimonial.
On a dedicated testimonial page. Showcase your reviews and testimonials on their very own page
In your social media. Testimonials make great social media content.
In your email campaigns. Using reviews in your promotional email campaigns is a great way to add social proof and improve conversions.
Turn them into a Case Study. Turn your best customer success stories into a fully-fledged case study. Its a great way to promote your customers, and to highlight your own products or services.
If you’d like some help to start gathering and showcasing your customer reviews and testimonials on your website, book a time that suits to have a chat here.
