What are your thoughts on adding testimonials to your website?

[Gordon Akman]

I have done a lot of research on websites to decide what content I want to put on my own website. Many people advocate the importance of putting testimonials on your website and I have seen some who do it well. I guess I have not done it previously because I am fairly sceptical with information and testimonials have no weighting on my own decision making.

However, if genuine and displayed correctly I guess they certainly can't do any harm. Let me know what your thoughts are on the topic and where/how you would display them on my website.

[Becca]

I think its a must, I know a lot of clients who feel secure in the fact that they can read from past experiences and know that you are a trustworthy and reliable source.

I especially love on facebook that you cannot edit the reviews as people tend to only post the good ones when doing the page themselves (which would lead me to be sceptical at times as well) the only downside is that if someone decides to get nasty you cant remove them! But I don't necessarily see that as a bad thing either as its how you handle it.

I always tell potential clients to check out my portfolio and reviews section so they are provided with all information before committing to me.

For my Couture Bridez website (which is in major need of an overhaul). I have a testimonials page, but would recommend having a section on your home page (perhaps scrolling) which features your latest reviews.

[BarefootMaternity]

Hi Gordon,
I have testimonials on my site and am sure they encourage other customers to buy. When a product has been reviewed the testimonial appears along side the product. A lot of people click through to the reviews from the product pages (not so many from the generic reviews box on the side of my site that appears on all other pages). All the reviews have been written by customers (they have to log in to write a review which then shows their first name & state) and because of this they read as real reviews - spelling mistakes, brutal honesty, happy and not so happy customers (not too many of these as I offer full refund!). I guess the product/service you are selling makes a different - purchasing clothing online is tricky - purchasing clothing for an every changing pregnant shape even trickier so I guess my customers want to know how others have faired.
I recommend adding an incentive to get your customers to write reviews, I offer a discount off their next purchase and this seems to work well.

[marketingweb]

One of my clients (actually, my "original" client who encouraged me to turn a hobby into a business) makes more extensive use of testimonials on his website than almost anyone I have ever seen. And it really works for him extremely well.

There isn't a testimonials section, they are just used throughout his site. It helps that he has a lot of very happy customers and most are happy to pose for a photo.

It helps that he has physical product which he manufactures, delivers and installs. When he installs a set of stockyards he asks the customer if he can take a photo of them with the yards. Some will give him a testimonial then, others he rings back after a certain time to make sure they are happy, and gets a verbal testimonial from them then - he actively asks for them and pretty much always gets them. He also often has other past customers stop by his stand at field days and tell him how happy they are with his product, so takes a photo of them then as well.

I think the type of product, industry and customers he has helps, along with the fact his product is genuinely superior to all his competiton and most customers are very very happy once they buy. Also that everyone can tell they are real because the photos are ones you couldn't fake - it adds a lot more trust than photos that look like stock photographs or none at all. Also being he doesn't try to hide his customers behind first names only and they don't mind helps as well.

Often he even has customers who see him at field days quite excited that they have found themselves "on the web" - they feel almost like they are famous!

Website is:
National Stockyard Systems

[BarefootMaternity]

Originally Posted by marketingweb

Also being he doesn't try to hide his customers behind first names only and they don't mind helps as well.

Often he even has customers who see him at field days quite excited that they have found themselves "on the web" - they feel almost like they are famous!

Website is:
National Stockyard Systems

This is an interesting point. I had the opposite reaction from my customers, they did not want to see their full names published. I guess you need to use discretion here - would your customer want to be recognised as a customer with your product / service, would it embarrass them in any way? I guess in my customers situation, being pregnant and when you tell people is a private matter!

[marketingweb]

Originally Posted by BarefootMaternity

This is an interesting point. I had the opposite reaction from my customers, they did not want to see their full names published. I guess you need to use discretion here - would your customer want to be recognised as a customer with your product / service, would it embarrass them in any way? I guess in my customers situation, being pregnant and when you tell people is a private matter!

I agree in your industry it would be difficult, and there is a luxury working with farmers compared to say pregnant women in that Farmers are a combination of a business and a person - or in other words they are in most cases flying solo or close to it! Corporates don't like giving testimonials, and nor to private people - so National Stockyards defiantly is in a position that not everyone could be. Based on the above though, maybe if other flying solo members are your targets then they may fit into this same category.

That all said, I see National Stockyards and the owner Murray as one of those "the exception that proves the rule type people and businesses:
For example
1) His website is very "Web 1.0", and fully tables based not css
2) His website doesn't have a fully consistent page structure
3) The website is very image rich but does not look slick in any way
4) There is no email address and no contact form of any type
5) Phone is the only way to contact, and a mobile the main method.
6) He doesn't twitter, blog, facebook etc - although he will soon be on YouTube doing some very clever stuff!

Does the site fail in a lot of ways if you judge the site itself by normal standard? Yes!
Is the site phenomonally successful? Yes!
Would it do even better if he played by the rules? Who knows?
That all said though - SEO is a big thing - we rock at that for this site!

SORRY for getting off topic - just wanted to point out that what works for one or is accepted logic in relation to a topic like testimonials or anything else on the web doesn't work for everyone. But you have to understand the rules before you can break them - otherwise you are just another crappy site!

Matt

[Bullet Web Studio]

We find testimonials generally work very well. Just check with whoever you're quoting before publishing it online.

By featuring testimonials on our websites we've actually increased leads and traffic to some of our clients - so far everyone we've asked has been more than willing to be featured.

[Carbonite Australia]

We have used reviews more than testimonials only because they tend to me independent. I think they can be helpful, but I also think that they should be part of a case study, setting the scene for the reader to be able to see just how they have used your service in their home or office etc

In other words, I prefer case studies rather than just testimonials.