A simple way to boost the effectiveness of a business website that is often neglected is to include customer testimonials.
Visitors justifiably tend to doubt marketing claims without proof. Social proof, such as testimonials sharing experiences of people like them with the product or service, is one of the strongest proof forms that is accepted by visitors. Dr. Robert Cialdini documented the effectiveness of social proof in his book, Influence.
With video streaming services, like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney + and a host of others, and video on social media like Tik Tok, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Linked In, viewers are becoming accustomed to accessing information by watching videos instead of reading.
Videos have an advantage over text and photos because the viewer experiences them with a combination of senses: sight and sound, experiencing the personality and emotions of the subject of the video. There is a “real” person sharing their experience, giving more comfort that what they are saying is true and the viewer might also have that experience by buying the product or service.
With the proliferation of video distribution, viewers might question testimonials that aren’t given in a video format.
Getting video testimonials is easier than ever using video conference applications like Zoom. Zoom has a “record” button to easily capture a video conference.
Sometimes customers are more forthcoming about their experiences when the interviewer is someone they don’t deal with at the company for which they are giving a testimonial.
The testimonial interview should include questions to elicit sharing a transformation or specific benefits enjoyed, instead of a general recommendation for the product or service. A scripted list of benefits and experiences to highlight should be prepared in advance for the interviewer and the customer to be interviewed.
The interviewer can be easily edited out of the video and sound bites of the customer’s experience story can then be posted on the web site or in a video sales letter or email.
If your business’s web site currently doesn’t include video testimonials, consider adding them as soon as possible to boost the web site’s effectiveness.
I am available to interview your customers for video testimonials. To schedule an initial consultation at no cost or obligation, please write to me at mgray@profitadvisors.com.