Customer Testimonials on Your Website are Social Proof - Here’s Why It’s Important | Best Practices for Collecting Testimonials | How to Ask for a Customer Testimonial for Your Website [+ Script] | Dos & Don’ts of Customer Testimonials | Quick Hack - Use Review Widgets to Automatically Display Positive Reviews on Your Website | Other Places to Share Customer Testimonials
Testimonials are an essential component of any website and online visibility for your local business. They provide social proof that your product or services can deliver a positive experience to customers, and they help build trust between you and potential customers.
But how do you go about adding testimonials to your website? Here we share some best practices and tips on making the most out of customer feedback on your site.
Social proof refers to the tendency of people to make decisions based on the actions and opinions of others. As a home cleaning business owner, social proof can be really important because it can help build trust with potential customers.
A great way to show social proof for your business is through testimonials. Testimonials are comments from satisfied customers who have used your services and are willing to recommend your business to others. When potential customers see these testimonials, they might be more likely to trust that your cleaning service is reliable and worth trying.
Website testimonials are comments from people who have used a business and are willing to have their praise published on your website for all to see.
Here are five reasons why website testimonials are an effective form of social proof:
Consistently asking customers for their feedback keeps communication open with customers (which is essential for repeat business) and opens the door for countless great testimonials.
If you manage a team of technicians or salespeople, train them to ask for feedback as standard operating procedure.
Some of your best testimonials will happen in regular conversations. Simply take down their praise on paper and then ask permission to share their feedback online.
If you have a system for asking for reviews or customer surveys, make sure that process is seamless. Give customers something that only takes them a couple of minutes to complete and follow up as necessary.
It’s extremely handy to have positive testimonials on all your services from different kinds of customers. For example, collect feedback from both residential and commercial customers. Look for specific shoutouts to your various services, as well as positive feedback on your sales, products and services, and customer service efforts.
You can ask customers to elaborate on their experience or provide details about their experience. You could also ask them for feedback on specific services or products that they used during their visit.
Asking for permission to share positive feedback publicly is an important part of the process. It's also a good idea to make sure that your customers are comfortable with their feedback being shared, and that they know how it will be used.
If you want to get the full story on an especially great customer success story, schedule an interview with your best customers. Record the interview, edit the footage, and then showcase the interview in a piece of content, such as a social post, blog, or video.
If you fail to record your testimonials, you’ll likely forget and miss a great opportunity to offer social proof for future customers.
Additionally, you’ll want to store your testimonials in a place that’s easy to find, along with key details such as the date, customer name, services rendered, etc.
Video testimonials are especially powerful because they give your customers the chance to be seen and heard. Plus, when people can see and hear someone talking about your business, it adds an extra layer of trustworthiness to their words. If you don’t have the resources for this level of production, consider asking customers for short audio recordings or written reviews instead.
Now that you see their importance, it’s time to learn how to make a testimonial video that will make your website stand out from the rest.
You’re busy, and your customers probably are, too. Any steps you take to scope out your testimonial collection process will make it easier in the long run.
If you don’t already make it a habit to ask the customer for feedback, you can do so in any of the following ways:
If the customer’s feedback is positive, thank them and ask them for more specifics.
If you’re following up after an online review, make sure you respond to the positive review online. Note that any online reviews you get are already public, and you can add those reviews to your website without having to ask permission. But if the review lacked specifics, it’s a good idea to reach back out to the customer to get more details.
The best way to get customer testimonials for your website is to ask directly. Reach out to existing customers and let them know you’d love a few words about their experience working with you. Here’s an example of what such a request could look like:
Hello [Name],
Thank you for being one of our most valued customers. We'd love to include your feedback on our website, so we can share with others how great it is to work with us. Could you take a minute or two to provide a testimonial? Anything would be helpful and greatly appreciated!
Best,
[Your Name]
While you don’t want to be obnoxious, your customers have other things to worry about and may not always remember to get you their detailed feedback right away. This is especially true if you’re following up on positive feedback you got in the field and are asking for a testimonial in a text or email.
You don’t want to misquote a customer or mix up who said what. Also, you’re likely going to want to keep your testimonials current, which means you might need to update or replace old testimonials.
Consider using this table when keeping your testimonials organized:
|
Customer Name |
Date of Testimonial |
Product/Service |
Testimonial |
Published On Website |
|
John Smith |
03/15/2023 |
Exterior House Painting |
"I was extremely impressed with the quality of work and attention to detail provided by this painting company. They transformed the exterior of my home and I couldn't be happier with the results!" |
Yes |
|
Jane Doe |
06/27/2023 |
Interior House Painting |
"The team at this painting company did a fantastic job painting the interior of my home. They were professional, timely, and the finished product exceeded my expectations. I highly recommend them!" |
Yes |
|
Robert Johnson |
09/02/2023 |
Cabinet Painting |
"I recently hired this painting company to paint my kitchen cabinets and I am blown away by the results. They look brand new and the team was great to work with. I would definitely use them again!" |
Not yet |
Rewriting customer testimonials can lead to customers feeling deceived and a loss of trust in your brand. You must keep customer testimonials as genuine as possible for them to be effective.
Creating a review request process is key to ensuring that you have a steady stream of testimonials coming in. This can be as simple as sending out follow-up emails or surveys after customers use your product or service, letting them know that their feedback is appreciated and would be used for promotional purposes if they choose to share it.
Not only do fake testimonials put you at risk for legal action, but they can also lead to customers feeling deceived and mistrusting your brand. The testimonials featured on your website must be genuine customer experiences for them to be effective.
Negative feedback shows you where you need to improve. Positive feedback becomes your customer testimonial. Either way, it’s a win!
While you may think that it’s a great idea to feature customer praise, if they don’t permit you to beforehand, it could be considered an invasion of privacy, which is something that should be avoided at all costs.
Including a customer’s first name, photo, and general location can help to enhance the credibility of the testimonial. This helps customers to connect better with the review and trust that it is an honest representation of their experience. Make sure you ask customers for permission before using any personal information in your testimonials, though!
Gathering testimonials from close friends, family members, or employees is not a good idea and can lead to customers feeling deceived as these people are much more likely to lie on your behalf. The testimonials featured on your website must be genuine customer experiences for them to be effective.
If you’re looking to get feedback on specific services or products, let your customers know! This will help you to focus your review request process and make sure that you are getting the most relevant testimonials for your website.
Adding customer testimonials to your website is a great way to boost credibility and trust in your brand. By following these dos & don’ts of customer testimonials, you can ensure that the reviews published on your website are genuine and effective.
There are several ways to add testimonials to your website, but one quick hack is to use review widgets. A review widget allows you to display recent reviews on your website in an organized fashion without having to manually upload each one. GoSite offers integrated review widgets so customers can easily share their positive experiences with others visiting the site - helping businesses attract more leads and convert more sales.
Integrated review widgets, like this one, also help you keep your website up to date with the latest customer reviews without having to manually update the testimonials. Plus, it’s a great way to show off your customer success stories and build trust among potential customers.
There are plenty of places on the Internet where you can publish testimonials about your customers. There are some of the best options that may work well for you:
All these places to share customer testimonials are great for boosting your website’s credibility and trustworthiness, and are proven to increase conversions.
Adding testimonials to your website is a great way to show potential customers that your products or services have been positively reviewed by others. Not only will this boost your credibility, but it can also help to increase sales and trust in your brand. To ensure success, follow best practices, such as obtaining customer permission before publishing their reviews, using several sources for testimonials (including social media), and including relevant customer details such as names and photos. With the right approach, adding customer testimonials to your website can effectively build trust with potential customers and increase conversions.