Reviews, testimonials, and social proof: The most effective marketing tools

Recently while browsing IH, I came across a post asking if customers' testimonials are worth showing off on your website. I wrote a short comment on the topic based on my own experience and a few statistics I’ve read.

So are customer testimonials worth it?

Ask yourself.

What is the final motivation when you decide to purchase something online?

Do you buy blindly? Trusting only a picture and sometimes a short description?

Or do you look for ways to confirm your assumptions?

What makes you convinced of a product?

It's been shown that 92% of online consumers read reviews before purchasing something. 88% of those people trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. 72% of people say that positive reviews make them trust a business more.

(www.bigcommerce.com)

Obviously, if you are on the selling side, this is a massive chunk of your potential market that you could be losing out on if you're not collecting testimonials from your customers!

Reviews = Trust

In addition to helping to establish trust, customer testimonials can also help build credibility for your brand. When potential customers see that other customers have had a positive experience doing business with you, they are more likely to trust your brand and be more likely to convert.

So how do you go about those reviews?

The first step is to make sure you're asking your customers for feedback.

You can do this in several ways, but a great way is to send out a survey after they've had a positive experience with your company. This survey can ask them a few questions about their experience and then give them the option to leave a review or provide a testimonial.

Another way to get testimonials is to reach out to your customers who have had a particularly great experience. Thank them for their business, and ask them if they wouldn't mind writing a short testimonial about their experience.

Where to use customers testimonials?

1. Social media

If you have a social media presence, make sure you tag your customers when you post about their great experiences. This will help your customers share your post with their friends, and it could lead to them leaving a review or providing a testimonial.

2. Paid Ads

The average AdWords click-through rate across all industries peaks at 1.91% for search ads, and 0.35% for display ads. But, an AdWords ad that includes a customer review extension sees an increased click-through of up to 10%.

(www.bigcommerce.com)

3. And finally… your website.

This can be done in a number of ways, but a great way is to have a page on your website that's solely dedicated to testimonials. This page can be a place for your customers to leave a review, or you could even ask them to write a testimonial about their experience.

Customers who interact with reviews are 58% more likely to buy.

Customers who interact with reviews spend 3% more on average per order.

What are the perks of having customers' testimonials on the website?

“Testimonials, case studies, reviews, even star-ratings are all designed to inspire trust and confidence by illustrating a real customer’s experience.”

1. Testimonials Drive Revenue.

Using customer testimonials regularly can generate approximately 62% more revenue

On average, testimonials on sales pages increase conversions by 34%.

2. Customer testimonials help build trust.

72% of consumers will take action only after reading a positive review.

3. Customers return to familiar positions and recommend them to their friends. In the online world, testimonials work as such referrals.

88% of consumers trust online testimonials and reviews as much as recommendations from friends or family.

4. They can work as an SEO boost.

How so?

Reviews can help improve a site's overall domain authority by contributing fresh, high-quality content. They help improve a site's rank in search engine results pages (SERPs) by providing valuable information to potential customers. Additionally, reviews can help attract links from other websites as people reference and link to reviews when they are impressed with the quality of the writing.

Reviews account for 9.8% of total search engine ranking factors.

Websites using testimonials saw a 45% increase in traffic compared to those that didn't.

5. They can help you create an emotional connection between the clients and business and gain their loyalty.

6. Can explain the benefits of your offer and how your products or services work.

Conclusion

Take the opportunity!

It's important to ask customers for their experience and show it off on the internet. It helps distinguish your product or service from other companies and shows reliability.

Such a section on your website builds the trust and credibility of your business and boldly increases website conversions. Reviews increase engagement and are often a final push to the purchase. They work as social proof and increase the loyalty of your clients.

What are some interesting sites to look for statistics?

1. Statystics about using testimonials in marketing
2. Customer testimonials
3. The Importance Of Online Customer Reviews

Thanks for reading and good luck with your projects! 😉