Website Testimonials – Why Publish Them?

I didn’t grow up here in Los Angeles, so I’m still trying new restaurants around town.  It’ll take me a long time, eh?  To cut losses, I count on sites like Yelp.com and Chow.com to read Testimonials by people who have already eaten what I’m sniffin’.  Crucial restaurant questions are answered: how long was the wait for service, and do they have good dessert?  Yelp reviews starred 1 -> 5 guide me like the Big Dipper towards dinners that are…hopefully…”out of this world.”

But can Testimonials work on your business site?  Definitely.  Here’s WHY you should add Testimonials to your site:

1. TESTIMONIALS ARE READ. I’m not the only one persuaded by online Testimonials, which can be found both on general review sites like Yelp and on individual business sites.  In fact, studies prove Testimonials to be especially effective on B2C sites.

Yahoo!Local recently analyzed the decision-making behavior of 2,500 consumers visiting home improvement websites.  We are not all in the business of home improvement, but the statistics to the right are valuable in showing that Testimonials truly encourage visitor action.  Specifically for household products and services, Testimonials are one of the most clicked-on site features (see right).

This indicates that Testimonials are site destinations.  But how should these destinations be reached?  Scatter Testimonials strategically throughout your website’s pages, and/or centrally featured in a single Testimonials page.  Does your website market to “Areas Served”?  Cater Testimonials towards local audiences for best results within a targeted market (ie. a page on “tutoring in Cincinnati” should have a review from a Cincinnati student).

2. TESTIMONIALS STRETCH SALES EFFORTS. According to Canadian experts at The Internet Marketing Center: “Using Testimonials — reviews and comments from your satisfied customers in text, audio, or video format — …transforms your sales pitch into a credible, unbiased recommendation for your product.”  To quote their argument:

• Testimonials aren’t ‘salesy’: Because testimonials aren’t written in your ‘voice,’ they stand out in your copy as candid and unbiased accounts of how well your product/(service) works.
• Testimonials overcome skepticism: A good testimonial has the power to convince even your “tough sell” visitors that your product or service really made a difference in your customer’s life — and can help them, too.

3. TESTIMONIALS BOOST SEO PERFORMANCE. As noted above, Testimonials are written in unique customer ‘voices.’  This means: a) you can share site writing duties with your customers!, b) their feedback might provide a new perspective on what you work on every day, and c) you can select reviews that include site keywords to benefit search engine rankings.

Publish the Testimonials that re-use terms from the rest of your site; fill in small blanks in describing your product offering; and highlight customer service experiences.  If a Testimonial refers to a specific product, place it on that product’s page— consistent usage will increase keyword rankings, and seeing a relevant review will encourage visitors psychologically to purchase.

PART 1 of 2:
For all the reasons above, you can now see WHY Testimonials are an important addition to every business site.  Part 2 of 2 will detail HOW to gather and select Testimonials to publish on your site.