The biggest problem with testimonials is when you don’t have any!

The next biggest problem? When the ones you do have don’t seem to have much impact.

We’re going to take an in-depth look at what makes a testimonial great.

Done right, testimonials can be a powerful catalyst that super-charges your sales. Done wrong - you may as well not bother. But why do they work at all? After all, they’ve been around forever, right?

Basically they still do the job because we’re dealing with a real core of human behavior. Let me explain!

Author Robert Cialdini, PhD, an international expert in persuasion, compliance, and negotiation says that we model our actions and opinions on the actions and opinions of other people. 

The fancy name for all this is something called “social proof”. What this boils down to is: people are influenced to do things that they see other people are doing.

One classic example of this was an experiment that got a group of people to look up into the sky. Passersby would also look up into the sky to see what they were seeing. So many people were looking up that this experiment had to be abandoned because they stopped traffic! You can find out more about this here:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_Proof

In fact, it would seem that we are more heavily influenced by what others say and do, than pretty much anything else. Even if we believe we’re not swayed by testimonials or what others think, unconsciously we want to believe them. 

For example, let’s say you’re after a good hairdresser.

If you’re like most people - your first port of call won’t be the phone book. You’ll be asking friends and acquaintances, preferably those with a great haircut, who cut their hair. Ditto the same scenario if you’re after a new dentist, or car mechanic.

Chances are you’ll end up contacting someone who’s been recommended to you at some stage. Word of mouth is still the most powerful influence in terms of marketing. And that’s the power of testimonials.


The Power Of Third Party Credibility

Your web site can have great sales copy. It can have photos with all the fantastic features and benefits of your product or service. However, there’s another thing prospective customers need to see. This has the power to leave these both in the dust if you don’t deal with it.

And that one thing going round in the back of their head is: “What do the people who’ve bought this product think about it?”

We know that you think your product’s great, otherwise you wouldn’t be selling it! However, what about other people with the same problem or need?

What else is likely to be going round in that brain of theirs when they’re on your website?

•    “Wonder if other people buying this product were happy with it”? 
•    “Did they have the same problems I have?”
•    “Did this product help them with those?”
•    “Are there other products that might help me with this problem?”
•    “Can I trust this seller?”
•    “Who says?”

Your job - and that of your website - is to answer as many of these unspoken concerns as you can.

Using testimonials, comments or reviews is a powerful way to do this. Because these come from happy customers, this gives prospective customers something you never can - and that’s third party credibility.

You can provide this info as text, audio, or video format - in fact, I’d recommend you provide testimonials in all these formats when possible.
 
By doing this, you cover off two bases at the same time:

1)    you answer those unspoken questions
2)    the sales job is done for you through credible, unbiased, and positive recommendations for what you are selling.


What makes your testimonials effective?

There’s a bunch of key things you want to include in your collection of testimonials. While it’s not always possible for all of them to have each factor, here’s what you want to aim for!

Let’s take a closer look:


1. Are your testimonials specific?

Specifics will sell over generalities every time.
 
If comments are too generic or abstract - they’re not compelling enough to convince someone to part with their cash.

For example: “We made $4200 in two days” creates a lot more intrigue than “We made a lot of money in a short time.” Using specifics makes testimonials a lot more powerful and believable.


2. Do your testimonials back up your claims?

You need real facts and figures! Again - vagueness has no place here. Your testimonials need to reflect any promises you make about your product. If you say your product can do something, make sure you have a testimonial that highlights each of those things in glowing detail. 

For example:

How did your product help with your customers’ problems or improve their lives?
How much time did they save by choosing to use your product?
If your customers saved money by using your product - how much was this?


3. Are your testimonials benefit-rich?

It’s always nice to be told when we’re doing a great job - but that is NOT the purpose of a testimonial. Your testimonials need to signal to your site’s visitors what your product can do for them.
 
Put on your customer hat and think, “What’s in this for me?” 

What would you want to know or be reassured on about this product? What could you expect if you bought it? Each benefit needs to be highlighted upfront.

For example:

“This product got rid of my shoulder pain altogether - and did it really fast!"
"We’ve managed to double our sales in just three weeks using this product."
“I've not had any product that could get the marks out of our antique sideboard without damaging the wood – until this one.”


4. Are your testimonials credible?

Let’s compare these three testimonials here to illustrate a point:

1) “This product helped me with my business. It’s really good.
A.Bore, United States

2)   "This product is so great! I’m going to be buying a whole heap more of it! I'm so grateful I found out about your product - and I'll be telling all my friends about it, too!"
A. Gusher, England

And finally:

3)  "I went through the steps you taught me to use and for four days the phone’s been going! And this is the first time in 4 months that we’ve even really had some sales! Since we’ve been using your product, we’ve sold over $4200 of our products in two days.”
Susan Mannering, Elk Creek, West Virginia

Which one would you take more notice of?!

Each of your testimonials needs to be followed by the first name, last name, and hometown or city. This helps demonstrate that they come from real people. If you can, make sure you pop a photo of the person beside each one. These things will add credibility that a set of initials followed by the name of a continent can never do!

It’s a good idea to also include audio or video testimonials. These can add an authenticity to your message that’s hard to capture in text.
 
Using testimonials in this way is a great opportunity for your prospects to connect with your product emotionally.

Different people also have different learning styles. For example, you might be primarily an auditory type, when I’m a visual one. Including video and audio helps cater for these differences. Your conversion rates will thank you!


5. Do your testimonials use comparisons?

What can your product do that other products can't? 

Let your visitors know! Don’t risk losing them when they decide to go off surfing and see how you check out with the competition. Bring competitive comparisons to them. Get some testimonials that demonstrate how you are different - and better, of course!

This doesn’t have to just be a direct comparison with a competitor. It can also demonstrate a comparison between the different options a buyer may be considering.

For example:

Replacing 2 Full-time Data Entry Operators

“Just wanted to let you know that SpeedPPC is like a dream come true. We were just about to hire 2 full-time data entry operators on-staff just to write PPC ads since it was getting so cumbersome as we were expanding our campaigns. Well after checking out SpeedPPC I can create a campaign that would have taken these 2 employees weeks to create, in a few hours.

And that’s just creating the ads, doesn’t even take into consideration the fact that I can get a unique landing page targeted for each keyword! This feature alone is worth its weight in gold!

Thanks a lot Jay… You surely saved my company *LOTS* of money & time.”

Warmest Regards,
Michael Sampson
Unparalleled Marketing LLC


6. Do your testimonials make use of any consumer scepticism?

Have your customers gone through a whole line of products that didn’t work for them before they found yours? Use this!
 
For example, if they’ve been bitten by other internet marketing products that didn’t deliver, and yours did - use that disillusion with hype. A testimonial that tells the story of an initially sceptical purchaser can be powerful.


7. Are your testimonials in the right place?

Your testimonial topic needs to answer the questions a prospect is likely to have at that particular point in the buying process.

Let’s look at an example of someone who’s just landed on your home page.

If you clobber them over the head with a testimonial that immediately starts comparing your prices with your competitions, this is waaaay too soon in the sales cycle. At this point, they’re more likely to be asking themselves, “Why should I do business with this company?” 

A testimonial like, “I checked out lots of different natural products. However, I decided to go with ABC’s product because they have qualified naturopaths working for them. They know what they’re talking about!” is more likely to sort out concerns at that point.

Different story if you’re at the order page. What might be going through a prospect’s head now?

“Heck - I’d like to buy this gift for Uncle Michael, but what if it doesn’t fit?”

A testimonial like “I bought two sweatshirts that didn’t fit, but returning them was a breeze. I asked for them in the new size I needed, and they arrived within 3 days,” would hold some sway.

Make sure you have the right sort of testimonial at the right part of your site to help your sales cycle!


8. Can your target audience relate to those people in your testimonials?

Do your testimonials come from people just like them? You want your visitors to see that your products have helped people they can strongly identify with. People want to relate to someone who’s just like them, with the same sorts of problems or issues.

For example, if your main market is dog owners, ask your customers if you can include their pet’s name and age along with a picture in the testimonial. This gives people something they can relate to. If you are selling to gardeners, ask if you can mention what they grow - or a picture of their garden! 


9. Do your testimonials highlight the main benefits of your product?

They need to!

Yes, it's good to know that your hand cream smells nice or that the attractive purse-sized bottle doesn't leak. They’re both things that matter to people interested in your product. 

Just make sure you highlight the fact that it puts lost moisture back into their skin as well!

Bolding your key points also works with internet user behavior. Online, people don’t read - they scan. Bolding your key points helps them grab these quickly.

You can see from everything we’ve gone through here there’s a fair amount to cover off to create a really effective “stable” of testimonials!

While you don’t need to have all of these covering all the same ground - make sure each one covers at least one aspect really well. Then you can place each one you have in exactly the right spot for maximum results!

You now know what to include in your testimonials to you boost your credibility. And you know just what you need to aim for when gathering them!

By creating effective testimonials, you’ll be well on your way to creating the trust and rapport that’s so essential for sales success. 

Let me know how you get on!