If you ever go on a website and you’re trying to use their product or services for the first time, then the moment you see the testimonials, you let out a sigh of relief. Or maybe when you’re ordering something from Amazon and you see one bad review about it, you instantly put it off. Why? Because when you see that a real person has reviewed the service or product then it means that they have tested it and you can now trust their advice. These customer testimonials make the new ones who might buy from your business feel good about what they are purchasing.
But, how does this all affect your revenue? It’s actually quite understandable to think that customer testimonials might not affect people’s thoughts about your brand that much, but you’re wrong. In fact, a survey says that a whopping 77% of people always read reviews when they buy from a local business.
Let’s find out more about how these two things connect and make your company’s bottom line better.
What Counts as a Customer Testimonial?
Customer testimonials are like little notes from people who’ve tried out your stuff. It could be a review someone leaves on your website about how awesome your product is. Or maybe it’s a shout-out on Facebook, LinkedIn, or Google about how your service rocked their world. Testimonials can be bad too. Somebody might not have liked the activewear you sent them because it was uncomfortable or maybe they didn’t appreciate too much spice in their sandwich. Testimonials can be in the text under your posts, through an email, a video, or a picture posted on Instagram where your brand is tagged.
All of these testimonials help others to get an idea of what the product might be. It’s the last safety net before you hit the order now button and the money leaves your account. And that’s exactly what makes it so important for your revenue.
6 Reasons Why Customer Testimonials Are So Powerful
How can a small review of Amanda which she left months ago stop you from buying something? Well, that’s because as humans, we will choose the lesser evil in moments like these and ride our entire buying decision on what the other person feels about the product.
Didn’t really understand? Well, here are six reasons why these testimonials are so powerful:
Real People, Real Stories
Customer testimonials are like having your friends vouch for you. When real people share their experiences, it’s not a marketing tactic to let them say all the good things about your product and be done with it. These are genuine stories about how your product or service made a difference in their lives.
Builds Trust Like a Friend’s Recommendation
Imagine your friend recommending a fantastic restaurant. You trust their taste, right? Testimonials work the same way. When potential customers see others raving about you, it builds trust. It’s like getting a nod from a friend saying, “Yep, they’re good.”
Shows Your Stuff Actually Works
Customers talking about how your automatic toothbrush made their lazy morning brushes better? Or maybe you always have satisfied mommas who are always mentioning how good your pregnancy wear is. That’s gold. Testimonials prove that your product or service isn’t just hype – it’s the real deal that actually works.
Overcomes Skepticism
In a world full of ads and marketing buzz, people can be a bit skeptical. And you can’t really blame them. Literally everyone on the internet who shops online has gone through at least one scam in their lives where they ordered one thing and they got something totally opposite. This is where testimonials speak louder for your business. They’re not you saying you’re awesome; it’s your customers saying it.
Relatable and Human
Testimonials make your business feel human. It’s not a faceless corporation anymore; it’s people helping people. When others can relate to the stories shared, it creates a connection. People know that you care about what they think of your products. This shows that your business actually cares about the people.
Influences Decision-Making
When people are on the fence about buying something, testimonials can sometimes be the only push they need. Reading about others who were in the same boat but took the leap and loved it can change the decision from “I might buy it” to “I’m buying this”. And the same way, if someone left a bad review about your product, then the ones who were thinking about buying it will instantly back off.
Now you know how powerful these words, images, and videos of people reviewing your products are. But, how do they bring up your revenue?
How to Generate More Revenue Using Testimonials
Turning Your Website into a Story Showcase
The only place where you want to put the testimonials first is on your website. Why? Because your website is the face of your brand for people who have never even stepped into your store. How do you let those people trust you who have never shopped your brand? You place the testimonials from real people right there on the homepage so everybody can see all the good things about it. Let each one be a story that your customers can read and figure out how much your services affected them.
- Show Some Smiles: Sprinkle in some pictures or videos of happy customers. Let the actions speak for your products. Keep the words low.
- Organize by Stories: Help visitors easily find tales that sound like theirs. Sort testimonials based on different situations or benefits.
- Keep it Fresh: Update success stories regularly to show you’re not just a one-time wonder but a steady source of goodness. You don’t want to put up a testimonial left months or even a year ago otherwise the visitor will be put off. It means that your products might now have some problem that wasn’t there before.
Use Social Proof on Social Media
Ever thought of your social media channels as a stage where your customers can share their stories? It’s like turning your Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter into a giant community wall filled with real moments of people trying your product and eventually loving it. For example, when you post a story on Instagram about these new jeans you bought from a plus-sized brand and they repost your story, you feel like the brand cares about what you think. And the brands love that you mention them in stories or posts because other people also get influenced.
It’s a way of saying, “Look, real people are loving what we do.” This makes people trust each other and the brand. It even creates a buzz that catches the eye of potential customers.
Over here, we have combined a few important tips on how to use customer testimonials for different SMM platforms. You will find these very helpful:
Instagram:
- Repost and Thank: When customers tag you, repost their stories and say thanks. It’s a simple way to show appreciation and let others see the love.
- Highlight Your Best: Build a collection of customer stories on your profile. So if someone visits your page for the first time, they instantly go to the testimonials and like what they see.
Facebook:
- Feature Happy Customers: Share a post about a featured customer regularly. Include their stories and pictures. Facebook is mostly dominated by baby boomers and millennials so adding pictures is a great way to get attention where you need.
- Ask for Reviews: Invite customers to leave reviews on your Facebook page.
Twitter:
- Tweet the Love: Share catchy tweets with bits from customer reviews. Add emojis or pictures to make the tweets stand out and shareable.
- Host Fun Chats: Arrange Twitter chats about customer experiences. Let people share their stories.
Integrate Testimonials in Email Marketing
How many times have you got an email that had your name written on it? Let alone have testimonials of people who tried the same product that you have ordered or thinking of ordering from. This is the ultimate form of personalization and your customers love it. Sending generic run-of-the-mill emails doesn’t turn any customers, in fact, it might even turn them away from your business. But once you start adding stories of people talking about the product, it makes a real difference in what they think.
You can share small videos or use their words in your thank-you emails. All of these are very powerful and leave an impact that you cannot see at that moment but you will when the revenue starts rising. This isn’t just marketing; it’s creating a connection that feels genuine.
- Share Happy Words: Drop a line from a customer’s happy review in your newsletters or promo emails. It’s like a friend saying, “I tried this, and it’s awesome – you should too.”
- Dedicate Testimonial Sections: Create special spots in your emails just for customer stories.
- Paint Visual Stories: If your product changes things like a teeth whitener or a hair mask solution for hair growth, use before-and-after pictures in post-purchase emails.
- Add Some Faces: Include pictures or videos of customers using your product. Real faces make your emails more relatable and genuine.
Use Testimonials in Advertising Campaigns
Move over generic texts, we have a new contender for marketing material – testimonials from actual customers! Incorporate moments of positive customer feedback in your online ads or marketing campaigns. Whether it’s a short video clip, a quote, or a star rating, let the voices of these happy customers speak for your brand. It’s already so hard to make your ads seen by people because the internet is brimming with them. But once you start adding real stories and words from people who tried the product, it almost forces the reader to click on the ad and find out more about the product. It’s like a magnet for new customers, pulling them in from real words and not fake promises.
- Try Different Stories: Test out different customer stories to find the ones that your audience finds the best. It’s like discovering the perfect tune that everyone wants to hear.
- Keep it in Sync: Make sure the testimonials match the key message or benefits highlighted in the ad. You want the testimonial to back up your ad, not go in a completely different direction.
- Ask Them to Take Action: Encourage viewers to explore more or make a purchase based on the good experiences shared.
Request Reviews After Customer Interactions
We are talking about how to create good revenue using customer testimonials, but there is one thing very important that you need for this. Customer testimonials, of course! You have to ask your customers to leave a review of what they thought about the product or service after they’re done shopping. But the number one rule of getting testimonials is to not force it on your customers. Just ask them very kindly and if they don’t want to give, then it’s okay.
After a purchase, service, or interaction, you can get their thoughts on how the product was and how it changed their life. You can do this in many ways – through post-purchase emails, in-app prompts, or follow-up messages. Your ultimate goal should be to get all the emotions they felt when using your product and get it while the experience is fresh. Otherwise, your customers will have a hard time remembering what the product was like.
- Timing Matters: Request reviews at the right time, such as immediately after a good interaction or delivery.
- Make it Easy: Provide a simple and easy platform for customers to leave their feedback. Don’t let them go through a billion forms and pages to place a testimonial.
- Express Gratitude: Thank customers for their time and input.
Incorporate Testimonials in Product Descriptions
How cool would it be if you went to buy something online and you could just see right there and then what other people felt about it? This is why you need to add testimonials directly into the descriptions of the products that the people reviewed. While listing down all the features is very important to let people know what the product brings to the table, hearing the stories from actual people works wonders. It lets the potential buyers who are just thinking of buying the product see how it worked for others and how it would work for them too.
And if the customer does not like a testimonial then they will just forget about buying the product. Now you know how much a few words from another buyer can affect purchasing behavior.
- Contextual Placement: This one goes without saying: make sure to add the testimonials where they fit. The testimonial should be of the same product that the people are reviewing. Otherwise, you will end up confusing the buyers and frustrate them.
- Include Relevant Details: Highlight specifics about how the product solved a problem or improved a customer’s life.
What Do The Statistics Say?
This is a very good question. Up till now, we were talking about everything in theory about how a few words or pictures from happy clients can up the profits for you, but does it really apply in real life? Are companies even benefitting from these? Well, to clear your doubts, here are a few of the major stats that back all our findings:
1. Trust Boost: 72% of consumers believe positive testimonials and reviews increase their trust in a business. (Source: Big Commerce)
2. Power of Recommendations: 70% of people trust reviews and recommendations from strangers. (Source: Nielsen)
3. Influence on Purchasing Decisions: 88% of consumers admit that reviews influence their online purchasing decisions. (Source: Vendasta)
4. Online Trust Factor: 88% of consumers trust online testimonials and reviews as much as recommendations from friends or family. (Source: Big Commerce)
5. Reliability of Content: 97% of B2B customers consider testimonials and peer recommendations the most reliable type of content. (Source: Demand Gen Report)
6. Importance of Online Reviews: 86% of customers find online reviews at least “moderately important” when shopping for a new product. (Source: Statista)
7. Action After Positive Reviews: 72% of consumers take action only after reading a positive review. (Source: Search Engine Watch)
8. Revenue Boost: Using customer testimonials regularly can generate approximately 62% more revenue. (Source: Strategic Factory)
9. Conversion Increase: Testimonials on sales pages increase conversions by an average of 34%. (Source: Impact)
10. Review Interaction Impact: Customers who interact with reviews are 58% more likely to make a purchase. (Source: Big Commerce)
11. Increased Spending: Customers who interact with reviews spend 3% more on average per order. (Source: Big Commerce)
12. Yelp Rating Impact: Increasing a business’s Yelp rating by one star can boost revenue by 5-9%. (Source: Harvard Business)
Wrapping Up
When you’re writing a few words of feedback, making a short video about it, or taking some pictures of the product, you don’t realize how big of an impact it can have. Businesses are loving the feedback and reviews that people leave on social media. After all, this spotlight you put on them makes the world see them and how much their reviews mean to the bottom line.
