How To Use Testimonials On Your Website

Testimonials on your website are no longer “nice to have.” They are necessary. With more competition than ever and decreasing organic reach, you need to make every website visitor count. One of the best ways to do that? Quality testimonials strategically placed throughout your website.

In this post, we explore why testimonials are essential for your website. We also go over five ways you can use them effectively.

Enjoy!

Why Testimonials On Your Website Are Important

Let’s first cover why you should have testimonials on your website. For just about any organization, they provide a number of benefits.

1) Build trust and credibility

Your website is a way of introducing your organization to people. Anything you can do to make a good first impression is essential. One of the best ways to create that positive first impression? The trust that comes from seeing testimonials on your website. 

When somebody is on your website, they are looking for reassurance that you are who you say you are. This is true no matter how they found you. Content online? A referral from another website? An ad you’re running? People need to trust you  – and testimonials allow them to.

2) Provide social proof

As we’ve discussed before on our blog, social proof is essential. We all follow the crowd. Think about it. If you want to convince potential customers that they will have a positive experience with your brand, they need to see that others have first.

This is just the way our brain works. Include social proof through testimonials, and they can be a powerful motivator in getting people to make decisions. Neglect them? You won’t ever be as successful as you could be. 

3) Humanize your brand

Testimonials add a human element to your website. This is essential, depending on the industry you work in. Why? Testimonials show potential customers the stories of people just like them. This creates an emotional connection that no amount of “talking about yourself” can achieve. The end result? People see your brand as more relatable (and trustworthy).

4) Improve your SEO and conversion rates

Assuming testimonials include relevant keywords, they can also improve your site’s SEO. The result? More organic traffic to your site over time. Additionally, they increase your conversions. Place them in the right spot, and good testimonials guide visitors through the entire buyer’s journey. It only takes a few to bring in more clients.

How To Use Testimonials On Your Website: 5 Tips

1) Keep Testimonials Updated

The testimonials you use on your website should be current. They should reflect the recent experience of your customers or clients. The more current they are, the more they prove something essential: not only can you solve peoples’ problems, but you can solve them right now.

Regularly update your testimonials to reflect recent customer experiences. This keeps your content current. It also signals to visitors that your business is active and consistently delivering value. More than anything, this is simply a reason to have a system in place.

Pro tip: you can embed a widget on your website that auto-updates. Connect it to your testimonial software (if you use one) and your site will always be current.

2) Place Your Testimonials Strategically

Good testimonials are some of your business’s most important assets. It’s essential that you place them where they are going to have the most impact. Here is a good question to ask yourself: 

Where will your website visitors have doubts or need reassurance before taking a specific action?

Your answer should give you a good idea of where to place your testimonials. Often, all somebody needs to take action is a confidence boost. Testimonials are great for that. If you have enough of them, put your testimonials on product pages, landing pages, or near calls-to-action. This is where they’ll have the highest impact.

3) Use A Variety Of Testimonials

Different people need to hear different things. Just like good copywriting appeals to different kinds of buyers, good testimonials appeal to different kinds of website visitors. Here are two things you can change to have a nice mix of testimonial types:

• The format of the testimonial: this can include video testimonials, quotes from past clients, or links to larger case studies
• The content of the testimonial: the content of your testimonial should address the main reasons that people buy

Use a variety of testimonials, and you make a stronger case for why people should work with you. This gives you more reliable success over the long-term.

4) Make Them Detailed

The quality of the testimonials on your website matters. Avoid generic ones if you can. Of course, you can’t really control what people say about your organization. Still, testimonials that don’t get into specifics can cause more harm than good. Think of them like stock photos: they don’t carry much weight, and because of that, they’re not exactly convincing.

The solution? Encourage customers to go into details about their experience. Here are some questions you might ask them before they leave a testimonial:

• What problem did they face?
• How did your product or service help?
• What was the outcome? 

Almost always, the more detailed a testimonial, the more effective it is.

5) Include Personal Information If Possible

Lastly, if possible, you should share identities within your testimonials. Anonymous quotes feel inherently less trustworthy. People coming across your brand for the first time want to attach a testimonial on your website with a real person. 

Ask your past customers. Usually, they won’t mind if you include their first name and a picture. This extra information makes your testimonials more authentic. And if you are adding testimonials to your website, authenticity is exactly what you’re going for.

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Are you an enterprise, nonprofit or small business looking for help on your website? Give us a shout! We provide a free consultation. Email us at [email protected] or call us at (718) 855-1919!