Get The Most Out of Your Customer Testimonials

That ultimate goal of any business is to have customers use its product and/or services! Without customers you have no business. And if you have too many unsatisfied customers then you probably won't be around very long.

Admit it -- you love receiving compliments! We all love when customers and clients go out of their way to make a point of praising the interaction they've had with you. But have you really considered how valuable a tool this can be? How you can take advantage of the happy customers that your service has created?  Sadly, many businesses simply create a Web page titled something like "Our Customers,” fill it with all their happy quotes, and then forget about it.

Today, when you consider the constant struggle of being noticed amongst the overwhelming volume of noise and copycat offerings, you must actively differentiate your business from the rest of the herd.

Here are a few (awesome) ways to use the fantastic feedback that you’ve earned to help you attract more customers and clients to your business.

Business Website

Your Website is one of your most important communications and sales tools. It’s a location where you likely already have a section committed to testimonials or case studies. But don't stop there – get creative and exploit other parts of your page, like side bars or even the top banner of each page, for short customer quotes. For example, if you have products or services pages, try including a customer quote related to how your product or service helped their company.

Under your customer service navigation, try featuring a customer quote that speaks well about your service team.  If you've gathered a number of useable testimonials, try a rolling feed of them on a side bar. This gives your prospective customers an easy way to read multiple perspectives about you, which should increase the probability of them doing business with you.

Auto Replies

Many companies send automatic reply emails whenever a visitor signs up for any online notifications, newsletters, or blog posts. In addition to the classic “Thanks for following us” message, why not also include a short customer testimonial? This can reinforce the fact that the visitor has made a good choice in deciding to get more information about you.

Consumer Review Websites

There's no doubt that people tend to complain more often than praise, but sites like Trip Advisor and Yelp are an excellent source of positive feedback from customers, and in my opinion, will forever alter the way consumers make buying decisions.  Encourage your customers to post their satisfaction with your product or service, and don't forget to thank them when they do!

Check out Does Your Business Yelp - for some ideas on how to capture reviews and maintain a stream of 'referrals' from your customers.

Newsletter

The core purpose of newsletters is to keep your clients/prospects updated about the latest developments within your business, but that shouldn't stop you from allocating a small portion to something like a “Featured Customer” segment or something similar. People become tired of the “look at me” type of email month in, month out. Stir it up a bit and share a client story – it could be instrumental in generating new business.

Receipts/Invoices

The empty space at the bottom of a receipt or invoices can be a perfect spot for a short quote from a valued customer or even a place to remind folks to give their feedback.

Don't under estimate the power of customer testimonials. Get the most out of your loyal and best customers by asking them to provide testimonials and then use them in ways that help you stand out from the crowd. If your customer testimonials are honest and trustworthy, then people will respond to them -- which should translate to positive results for your bottom line.

Does your business use client or customer testimonials in a unique way? Please add them in the comments below.