5 Strategies to Get Great Customer Testimonials

Word of mouth marketing is a powerful tool for gaining new customers. According to research from Nielsen, 68 percent of consumers will trust online opinions from other consumers, even if they don’t know them. A customer testimonial is one form of word of mouth marketing that many companies aren’t relying on nearly enough.

What Makes a Great Customer Testimonial?

It can be difficult to find great testimonials and even more challenging to present them on your website. Not all tributes will be strong enough to sway customers. Some very important elements of great user content include:

• Keep It Short and Sweet: Consider the user statements on the homepage for this garage door repair company. Both are less than 25 words, but they’re loaded with solid information about their professionalism, speed of service, and expertise. It only takes consumers a second to read them, but the information speaks to the reputation of the company.
• Use the Right Keywords: Look at the user testimonial page for this accounting software company. Their declarations are a little longer, but they’re loaded with buzzwords relevant to their industry, including “transformed,” “real time,” “automatic,” “reduced errors,” “improved efficiency,” and “time saving.” Readers look for keywords like these when making decisions.
• Employ Multimedia: One accounting service uses videos to highlight their customer experiences. They also include a caption beneath each video with a standout quote. This allows customers to see the testimonials in more ways than one, which improves the chances of your consumers internalizing the content produced.

5 Strategies for Adopting Excellent Customer Testimonials

Those are just a few things you should look for in a great customer recommendation, but first you have to find people who are talking about your business. This isn’t an easy task to accomplish, but these five strategies can make it a little easier.

1. Comb Through Facebook Reviews

Your Facebook is a wealth of user-generated content. Facebook has even enabled a Facebook Reviews page for local businesses where users can write about their experiences. Comb through this tab to discover some of the best things people are saying about you, and then use the quote on your website.

If you’re having trouble getting customers to leave reviews, try incentivizing them with a contest or entry into a sweepstakes.

2. Pool From LinkedIn Recommendations

Consumers will often post recommendations and reviews on your LinkedIn page. The recommendation feature is made strictly for individuals, such as freelancers, doctors, and sole-proprietors.

However, if you have a company with a lot of employees who work directly with customers, employees can receive personal recommendations that can be used as testimonials on your website.

3. Search Local Online Directories

Google +, Yelp, Yellow Pages, and other online directories will have localized reviews about your services that can be transferred to your website. This is one of the best sources for reviews.

In fact, it might be in your best interest to promote testimonials on these sites because it will broaden the audience of people who will see it. Encourage all customers to leave a review on these directories and then search for content for your site.

4. Survey Clients

Surveys can be used for multiple purposes, including good reviews. Send out a survey asking customers a few questions and then ask them to state something they love about your company. Chances are, you’ll get at least a few responses with reviews you can use.

5. Ask Questions

Asking the right questions of your customers can also lead to testimonials you can use. Some of the most powerful questions include:

• What did you discover after buying this product?
• What specific feature did you like most about the product?
• What are three benefits this product provides?
• Would you recommend this product? Why or why not?
• Is there anything else you’d like to add?

These questions can be administered via survey, email, phone call, or even face to face. Even if the answers aren’t all positive, you’ll at least learn some valuable insights about how you can improve. Otherwise, you’re ready to utilize some excellent customer content!