How To Build Your Reputation With User Testimonials And Reviews

Are you stuck doing what you’ve always done to attract customers, and getting the exact same disappointing results? Most small business owners don’t need to be told that finding effective ways of generating new business can be very hard. Just trying to keep your business afloat takes a lot of time, money and energy, and sometimes this can feel like it’s just not worth the effort.

In today’s web-based and social-driven economy, ignoring what your clients may be saying online about your business could be a costly mistake!

Ignoring what customers may be saying online about your business could be a costly mistake!

You are also doing your business a disservice if you don’t spread the positive things your clients say about your solutions, client support, training, etc. User reviews, testimonials, and case studies are persuasive when it comes to marketing your products and services online and should be included as part of your content.

In this article, we’ll show you how to achieve better results online using standout client testimonials.

Testimonials And Client Reviews

P.T. Barnum, legendary showman and successful promoter, is often quoted as having said that “Nothing draws a crowd quite like a crowd.”

P.T. Barnum obviously understood the power of “social proof”. Social proof-based content is a powerful and effective way of getting your business promoted. Genuine reviews quoted directly from satisfied clients are far more persuasive for attracting new customers than anything you say about your own products or services.

There is a source of untapped business growth potential that most small businesses simply do not utilize, or utilize correctly … reviews from your satisfied users!

Consumer reviews and customer testimonials are a terrific way to build credibility for your services and products.

Studies conducted by leading marketing research companies all seem to point to the same conclusion: adding testimonials and customer reviews to your sales information pages helps to eliminate doubts potential customers may have about buying your product, helps users select products and increases the number of product sales.

Here are just some statistics that support this:

• According to research findings by eVoc Insights, an organization known for researching and measuring user experience, “In general, 63% of users indicate they are more likely to purchase from a web site if it has ratings and user reviews.”
• According to Reevoo.com, user reviews are responsible for producing an average 18% uplift in sales and 50 or more reviews per product can translate into a 4.6% increase in conversion rates.
• Website visitors who interact with both consumer reviews and customer questions and answers are 105% more likely to purchase while visiting and spend 11% more than visitors who don’t interact with UGC. (Bazaarvoice, Conversation Index, Q2 2011).
• Consumer reviews are significantly more trusted (nearly 12 times more) than descriptions that come from manufacturers, according to a survey of US internet users by online video review site EXPO. (eMarketer, February 2010).

(Source: eConsultancy.com)

Adding Consumer Reviews – Managing Online Reputation

Adding positive reviews to your website from happy clients is important for helping you grow your business online and creating a solid online reputation.

User reviews and customer testimonials, however, can work both ways and affect your business both positive and negative ways.

People may not be saying bad things about your services directly to your face, but they could have posted disparaging remarks on Facebook or a discussion group about a bad experience they’ve just had with your services and this could be doing far more damage to your business than all the good work you’ve been putting into building it.

This is where online reputation management becomes a vital aspect of your business success.

Misconceptions about managing your reputation online, such as the process being too complicated or too time-consuming (or the belief that you just don’t need to worry about it) could be seriously harming your business without you even being aware of it.

See this article to learn more about a simple WordPress plugin that allows you to legally and ethically manage user reviews:

• Managing Bad Customer Reviews With Power Online Reviews Plugin For WordPress

Tips On How To Create Powerful Customer Testimonials

Testimonials, user reviews, and case studies are powerful ways of helping you market and promote your products and services online and should be included as part of your content marketing. When you include your own client responses in your content, you:

• Show potential customers exactly with similar problems and pains how your products and services can help them.
• Help prospects identify and address their objections.
• Help prospects connect with their motivations and this facilitates the sales process.

Here are some useful tips on creating testimonials:

• Don’t over edit: Try using the actual words used by your customers as much as possible. Leaving grammatical errors and misspelt words in the content helps preserve the authenticity of your testimonials.
• Use real photos: Images of people’s faces draw the most attention on a web page. Adding client photos next to their testimonials and reviews can help your visitors and potential prospects take notice of your content.
• Tell a powerful story: Stories are so much more powerful and captivating than providing mere facts and statistics. Being able to present a customer’s horror story and how your solution came to the rescue will make a far more lasting impression on those reading your content than using generalized statements about how “excellent” the service has been and giving “two thumbs up” service recommendations that all of us have heard a “million times” before.
• Keep it in context: It’s good to add customer testimonials in your web content where it makes the most sense to place them, and where they can most effectively help sell your point. For example, think about the impact you will have on your visitor’s perception by adding a testimonial about what a “bargain” price your solution can be purchased for before posting your pricing information, or testimonials about problems you’ve helped clients solve before discussing the benefits of your services, or testimonials where customers are genuinely thrilled about your support before offering a money-back guarantee or addressing objections.
• Quantify the information: Which of the following statements do you think is more powerful: “XYZ solution was directly responsible for helping to increase our revenue by $75,116 in the previous fiscal year,” or “XYZ product definitely helped us grow our business?” If possible, publish testimonials containing quantifiable results, like how much your solution helped to increase their market share or reduce their costs by in specific percentages or amounts, how many hours you have helped them save, how many new leads or new clients they were able to generate during a specific financial period, what kind of things are they able to do or experience now that they couldn’t do before, etc.
• Vary the customer testimonials on your site: Although this can be somewhat difficult when you are just starting out or don’t have many clients, it’s best to avoid displaying the same testimonial repeatedly throughout your site. Depending on the nature of your business, you could try to obtain more user testimonials by offering limited review copies of your product, or a special discount for clients in exchange for an honest review and permission to publish it if you choose to use it.
• Appeal to your best customer: As every infomercial featuring a celebrity endorsement, subject expert or “busy mom” knows, if you know who your target audience is, providing testimonials from people who your prospects can relate to can be a powerful motivator and influencer. People want to see and buy from “better versions” of themselves, so make sure to include testimonials targeted to your ideal customers.
• Reprint content across different platforms. If someone posts fantastic feedback on your Facebook page praising your customer service, contact them privately asking for permission to reprint the content on your site.
• Only use real client testimonials. Your prospects need to see that the testimonials you provide on your site are real. Don’t compromise your integrity or reputation with false testimonials.

How To Get Client Testimonials

Just Ask

Getting a testimonial from a satisfied client can be as simple as just asking for it.

Follow these useful tips for requesting testimonials from your clients:

• Contact clients after a specific period of time, e.g. 14 days with an email reminder for a testimonial if you have not obtained one after performing a service.
• Add a text box for entering testimonials in your client satisfaction surveys.
• Take out your phone when you next visit a client or hand over a completed job and if they are delighted with the results, ask them if they would be happy to record a very quick video testimonial/feedback interview. During the video, explain to viewers what you have done for your client and record their positive reactions and feedback.
• Make it easy for them. Whenever clients send you positive written feedback that contains snippets of useful testimonial material interspersed with the rest of their message, grab the juiciest sections (only use what they have written – don’t put words into their mouth), and shape these into a testimonial, then contact the client and ask them for permission to publish it. Explain that you have done this to save them time and invite them to change what you have written however they see fit before replying with their approval.

Offer To Publish A Link Back To Their Site Wherever You Quote Their Testimonial

Offer to publish a link back to their site in exchange for their testimonial. This is a great incentive to get clients providing you with a testimonial. It also makes an implicit statement to visitors that your testimonials are not fake and can be verified.

Add A Testimonial Request To Your Auto Responder/Newsletter Messages

If you have a list of subscribers, include requests for a testimonial in one of your newsletter broadcasts. Preferably, this should be done as soon as your customers have had a chance to measure the effect of using your services. Use words like “I need a quick favor” in your email subject and make the point of your email or message specifically about asking subscribers to provide honest feedback, a testimonial, or a review of your services.

Use LinkedIn

The LinkedIn “Recommendations” feature allows you to solicit testimonials from other members for your account. With LinkedIn, the process for requesting and providing recommendations is simple and user-friendly and the person who provides the recommendation receives a link to their profile. If you get a recommendation on LinkedIn, ask for permission to reprint it on your website (and offer to publish a link back to their profile in exchange).

Create A Client Testimonials Section On Your Site

Create a “Testimonials” page and place a “read more testimonials …” link to your main testimonials section whenever you have displayed single testimonials on your site.

Practical Tip: You can measure the effectiveness of customer testimonials by how long visitors stay on the section of your pages or posts where you have added the testimonial content. A great tool for understanding visitor behaviour on your pages are “heatmaps”.

We have written an article about a heatmap analytics software you can add to your sites to track visitor behaviour here:

• Spy On Your WordPress Site Users Using Heatmapping Software – HeatMap Tracker Review

WordPress Plugins

If your website or blog is powered by WordPress, you can use a plugin to add and display testimonials. Some plugins also allow you to add a form to your pages where users can submit testimonials.

Once your plugin is installed and set up (remember to provide simple instructions for using the testimonials submission form – if available), all you have to do is refer clients to your “Testimonials” page.

Below are some WordPress testimonial plugins you can check out:

Easy Testimonials

Easy Testimonials is a free WP plugin that lets you add testimonials to the sidebar as a widget, or embed them into posts and pages using a shortcode. The Easy Testimonials plugin also lets you publish a list of all your testimonials or output a random testimonial, and include images with testimonials, which is great for adding a photo of the testimonial author, a company logo, etc.

The Easy Testimonials plugin also can be upgraded to a “pro” version that offers additional features and developer support.

To download and use this plugin, visit this site:

• Easy Testimonials

Testimonials Widget

Testimonials Widget is a free WP plugin that lets you randomly slide or list selected portfolios, quotes, reviews, or text with images or videos on your pages and posts. You can insert testimonials using a shortcode, theme functions, or widgets with category and tag selections and specify different display options such as random or specific ordering.

The plugin comes with additional features via a premium version, including built-in functions for improved search engine results and plugin support.

Visit this site to learn more about this plugin:

• Testimonials Widget

Testimonials WordPress Plugin

This is a premium WP plugin that provides a range of great features right out of the box, including:

• Responsive design that resizes for correct display on any device or browser.
• Display your testimonials in a widget or as sliders, slideshows, grid layout, list layout, etc. by adding a shortcode
• Styling options (display image at the top, bottom, or side of the testimonial, display testimonial in a speech bubble, customize font and background colors, font types and more.

To download and use the plugin, go here:

• Testimonials WordPress Plugin

To learn how to add testimonials in WordPress, see the tutorial below:

• How To Add Testimonials In WordPress

In Conclusion …

Customer reviews and testimonials are powerful sources of content that can help your business in terms of adding credibility, building authority, improving online reputation, and growing your sales funnel. Always ask for testimonials, reviews, and feedback from your clients or customers, and publish positive content about your business on your website or blog.

Additional Info

For additional resources about creating effective testimonials read these useful articles:

• Ecommerce Consumer Reviews: Why You Need Them And How To Use Them
• How To Create Captivating Customer Testimonials
• 5 Tips For Knockout Testimonials
• Make Customer Testimonials Meaningful
• 7 Simple But Powerful Customer Testimonial Examples You Can Steal
• Your 5-Minute Guide To Writing an Amazing LinkedIn Recommendation
• How To Get Great LinkedIn Recommendations

We also recommend subscribing to our Free Content Marketing Email Training Series. You will receive a comprehensive series of training emails with easy-to-digest information that will teach you how to drive more traffic to your website or blog, save money creating useful content for your site visitors and grow your business online using content. It’s not only a great course with loads of useful information, it’s also 100% FREE!

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