Wednesday, April 12, 2006
[Internet Marketing Solutions] Testimonials: Your website's best friend
| You’re a tourist, strolling through a busy downtown area, looking for a place for lunch. Most restaurants seem crowded. But you find an eatery right in the middle of the block – empty! Do you say, “Wow – a real treat! We’ll have the place to ourselves!” Or do you say, “What’s wrong with this picture? If nobody’s eating here, there must be a reason.” And when we’re tourists surfing through websites, we consider downloading an ebook, subscribing to an ezine or buying a few hours of consulting. But we freeze. We want to be part of a crowd! That’s where testimonials send a message: “You won’t be alone if you venture here.” Tell your visitors: “You’re really part of a very nice crowd.” 1. Recognize clients who are most likely to offer testimonials. Fellow business people and professionals often offer testimonials before you ask, if they’re satisfied. And, most important, they’re eager to share their URL’s with you. They want their websites to get higher search engine position by linking. But a client who’s employed by a company or targeting a small niche often prefers privacy. “I may be googled by a future employer,” one client said. “And the first thing to come up may be a testimonial on your website!” 2. Use stories when your services are confidential. A client hires me to discuss how to respond to a performance appraisal. Another hates his job – but the company values loyalty. These folks aren’t going to offer testimonials. They may not even tell their friends they called me. (Some don’t even tell their spouses, but that’s another topic altogether.) So you tell their stories with details disguised. Change “Roger” to “Sally,” “engineer” to “chemist,” and “Phoenix” to “Pittsburgh.” I believe most readers can tell if you’re writing fiction or reporting a disguised version of real facts. And I have a list of clients who will talk to serious prospects on the phone – but they’ll never let me display their real names in public. 3. Use only sincere, result-oriented testimonials. Kyle writes, “Your service was terrific. You had such interesting ideas. And we had an enjoyable conversation. Feel free to use my comments as a testimonial.” Aargh. You write back: “Kyle, thank you! How about this: ‘Cathy, your service was terrific! Since we began working together I feel much more confident. I have leads on 3 jobs in places where I’ve always wanted to live. And you made the process fun, too. – Kyle Kyleson, toymaker, Chicago.’ You use facts from Kyle’s other communications as well as your awareness of Kyle’s progress. You can also ask specifically for feedback and then convert Kyle’s words into a useful result-oriented testimonial. In my experience, happy clients rarely question the text. Once they’ve agreed to a testimonial, they’re flexible. 4. Use testimonials from ordinary people (mostly). In his book Influence, Robert Cialdini says we identify with people like ourselves so we can say, “If they can get results from that resource, I can to.” Cialdini’s five-year-old son learned to swim after watching other five-year-olds – not by following his dad. Learn more. When an Internet millionaire gives a testimonial, you lose the “me too” effect (although you can impress some clients). However, endorsements by mentors can (and should) add credibility. I was thrilled to get a testimonial from Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero, copywriter extrardinaire. (She’s at the Manolo Blahnik level; I’m in Nike running shoes.) Look up Lorrie's website. 5. Let your copy supplement testimonials. Experienced web visitors will read between the lines. They’ll note you have testimonials – a good sign – but they’ll want to know more. Smith says you tripled his business. But how? Did you give him confidence? Overhaul his website? Teach him some marketing basics? Organize his office so he can find everything? When I visit a website myself, these are questions I want to answer before writing a check or pulling out a credit card. Here’s where you draw a fine line between benefits and features. Clients what to know just what you’re offering. Here’s an analogy to clarify the point. Suppose you see a headline: “Never mow your lawn again – and still have a yard your neighbors will envy.” Will the service send someone to tend your yard (typically for an outrageous price)? Will they tear up your grass and install a bed of gravel? Will they plant something that doesn’t have to be mowed? Or will they periodically send over a couple of goats to provide a natural trim? If it were my yard, I’d want to know. And your clients will want to know if your client’s testimonial was based on techniques they could use too – comfortably and easily. Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D., helps solo-preneurs, professionals and small businesses build Internet revenues -- without turning themselves into techies or high-powered pushy sales people. Want to discover 7 best-kept secrets of client-attracting websites? Download here. Email me |
# posted by Cathy Goodwin @ 3:15 PM 
