Tuesday, April 29, 2008

The Value of Testimonials in Online Marketing

By Jason Pearson

It takes some work to seek out customers who are willing to write about their great experience with your service or product. When you can display these testimonials online however, there are fewer more effective strategies in convincing prospects to spend their money on your site. To make sure you are using testimonials the right way, follow these tips.

First and foremost, you must reassure consumers that what they see listed on your website are not false testimonials generated by someone in your marketing department. It could be disastrous to your credibility as an online merchant and business owner in general if you publish fake claims about your products. Savvy buyers are quick to realize that companies who need to fabricate information about their services are not genuine or trustworthy.

To know which of your customers would be well-suited to write a testimonial, offer a survey at the end of their experience. You can get an idea of how happy they were overall and about each part of the process along the way. You will also be able to tell if they are a potential cheerleader of your business.

Ideally, if your product has made someone's life easier, she may be grateful enough to share this solution with others, just because she wants to help others out. Realistically, if you include a coupon or giveaway with a completed survey, you will get more responses. It's also a good idea to get a professional's help when writing your survey, to make sure you get the right kind of information in return.

Since it is not always possible to draw from an existing customer base, you could also reach out to email subscribers. You simply explain that they could have a product or service for free in exchange for an honest evaluation. This is especially effective if you are trying to break into a new market and have no existing clientele.

Advertise that you are seeking both good and bad feedback. People love making their opinions known. They also like having input on new products and are more likely to recommend this product to others and be repeat customers.

Don't fall into the trap of fabricating testimonials just because you suspect your competitors have done so. If your product is new to the market, you have to extend yourself that much more and offer some freebies to get what you need. In the process you may just build a strong customer base and a sense of satisfaction as well.

Using testimonials is a great way to polish the image of your business. Trusting that your honest business practices and high quality service will lead you to success can be difficult. It is only a matter of time before others recognize your strengths and pass this information along to others.

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