Powerful testimonials - the actual words of real people - will add instant credibility to your website.
Your prospects will identify with other people's experiences with what you're selling.
But nothing, and I mean nothing, will ruin your credibility faster than phony testimonials.
You've seen them before, website testimonials that read more like an infomercial than a real person...
"123 Company's robust, dynamic website interface changed everything about the way we do business.
" - R.
Smith "I cannot believe how great this product is.
I'm recommending it to everyone so order yours today!" - Jan in Arkansas These kinds of vague testimonials are often full of marketing fluff and gripping sales trigger words and have an urgent quality to them that doesn't flow.
Also, any testimonial that has just the person's initials at the end or doesn't give business details just screams "These people are liars!" Great testimonials lend a level of trustworthiness because they show that people have done business with you and came away satisfied.
Stanford University recently published a large-scale web credibility study that revealed that trustworthiness is one of the most important factors for people when assessing a website's credibility.
So, how do you use testimonials properly to add credibility to your website? Probably the most important element is to make sure they are written by an actual customer! Simply ask your customers for their comments and feedback in their own words.
Ask them if they enjoyed their experience with your product or service and why.
Try to get them to be as specific as possible.
And, of course, always ask for their permission to use their words on your website.
In fact, it's smart to get a signed release in hand before publishing it to your website.
To make your testimonials powerful and effective they must include: o Down to earth wording o Customer's full name (including any titles that add to their authority) o Business name and location or individual's city and state o Link to customer's website o A non-professional photo of the person (optional) As for the actual testimonial, be sure it is short and to the point and gives specifics when possible.
In her book Web Copy That Sells Maria Veloso explains that testimonials must be specific and measurable whenever possible.
For example, "ABC Company was great!" is vague and uninteresting while "ABC's product increased traffic to my website by 45%!" is precise and quantifiable.
Specifics really pump up the power of the testimonial and make it ring true.
Beware the phony testimonial - avoid it like the plague.
Instead, place well-crafted, believable testimonials throughout your website to build trust and credibility with each and every one of your prospects.