Did you know that almost 60% of online users and shoppers consider the presence of customer reviews and testimonials on a websitebefore buying something?
The truth is that in the highly competitive environment that is the Internet and today’s world, the trust of users and customers is more valuable than ever.
When potential customers search for information about your company or your products and services, positive recommendations from other customers have a significant impact on their decision making.
So significant that on many occasions the difference is whether I buy from you or the competition.
And for this Customer recommendations are essential elements in digital marketing for its impact on brand perception and purchasing decision-making of your potential.
When your satisfied customers share their positive experiences through reviews and testimonials on your website or on social media, they’re providing social proof that you really are a trustworthy business.
- This can help other companies/users/customers
- that you are trustworthy
- What really brings results
On the other hand, in addition to the trust generated by the opinions of your customers in your target, they can also help improve the SEO of a website.
Do not forget Search engines value user-generated contentwhich can help increase the visibility of your website thanks to those customer reviews and thus improve its position in search results.
Important. To get quality customer reviews and testimonials, it’s important to not only offer great customer service, but also proactively encourage engagement.
You should make an effort to request positive reviews from your buyers in a non-invasive way and also facilitate the process so that they can leave their reviews quickly and easily.
In summary, Customer testimonials are a powerful tool in any company’s digital marketing:
- to build trust
- to increase credibility
- influence the purchase decision
- and to improve your search engine rankings.
By harnessing the power of these positive reviews, your business can effectively strengthen its reputation and brand image, and attract new customers.
Applying testimonials and reviews to your digital marketing strategy will help build more trust in your website and the products or services you offer, and may even increase your sales conversion rate.
What are customer reviews and testimonials?
Customer reviews and testimonials are positive comments and/or ratings that users share about their experience with your company, products or services.
These opinions can be found in various places such as review websites, social networks, blogs, forums, online shops or other places on the Internet.
When a satisfied customer shares their positive experiences, it provides social proof that builds trust in your brand, as these genuine reviews and testimonials act as feedback mechanisms. influence on the buying process from other potential customers.
Reviews from satisfied users provide potential customers with an authentic and honest view of what they can expect when they engage with your business.
Why are positive recommendations so important?
Positive customer recommendations, represented in the form of testimonials and favorable reviews on a company’s website, play a crucial role in the success of any online business.
Some of the reasons they are so important are:
- They help build trust. Users trust reviews and testimonials from other customers more than any promotional material you can create.
- Positive recommendations support the credibility of your brand. Your potential customers feel more confident doing business with you if they see that others are satisfied.
- They help to increase sales conversion. A prospect who reads positive customer testimonials is more likely to become a satisfied customer, thus the sales conversion rate increases.
- They improve SEO. Positive ratings generate unique and relevant content, which improves your website’s search engine rankings.
- They provide valuable feedback. Customer reviews help you better understand the needs and expectations of your audience, enabling you to make improvements and adjustments to your products or services.
As you can see, getting customer reviews has become extremely important for companies and online shops in any industry and business area.
How to request high-quality positive reviews from your customers?
Currently, There are many ways to request customer recommendationswhich can be useful for your online business.
In this case, we will distinguish between reviews for an online shop and customer testimonials for a B2B company.
How to ask customers for recommendations for your online store
1.- By email to make a personalized follow-up
After what a customer makes a purchase in your online storesend them a personalized follow-up email thanking them for their purchase and requesting an evaluation of their shopping experience as a buyer.
Give them a direct link to leave the review and make sure the process is quick and easy.
2.- Pop-up in your online store
Use popups in your online store to invite customers to leave a review after making a purchase.
Make sure the pop-up appears at the right time, such as after the customer completes a purchase or a reasonable amount of time has passed since the product was delivered.
3.- QR codes on the packaging
Include a QR code on the product packaging delivered.
This code could direct the customer directly to the testimonials and reviews page in your online store.
Make sure the packaging has an attractive design that invites customers to scan the code.
4.- Post-sales satisfaction survey
Send an email satisfaction survey to your customers after they receive their order and include questions about their shopping experience and a space to leave their comments and opinions.
At the end of the survey, invite the customer to leave a positive review about their shopping experience.
5.- Offer a discount for future purchases
Consider offering a small discount or promo code to customers who leave a positive review about your online store.
For this, make sure your ecommerce review policy complies with review platform guidelines to avoid incentivizing fake reviews.
How to ask for testimonials and reviews for your B2B company
1.- Personalized email
Send your B2B customers a personalized email thanking them for their cooperation and requesting a testimonial or review about their experience with your company.
Explain to them how their feedback can be invaluable in improving your services, and ask for their consent to publish your customer testimonials.
2.- Forms on the website
Create a form on your website specifically to collect customer testimonials from your service company.
Make it easy for them to leave positive feedback and be sure to include fields for their name, title, and company. Of course, make it a simple form.
3.- Ask for a recommendation on Linkedin
Linkedin is an essential business tool for any B2B company or professional, where positive recommendations also play a key role.
Also think that all the recommendations on Linkedin that you request are attached to your profile and can be seen all together, so they can add a lot of value to your potential.
4.- Google Reviews
Finally, you can also request a positive Google review from your customers. You simply send them the link to enter them that you will find in your Google Company Profile and wait for them to enter it.
Well, now that you know how to use customer testimonials and reviews to supercharge your online marketing, it’s time to gather all those you have and make them visible.
I’m Alberto Alcocer, CEO of SocieTIC Business Online, an online marketing agency where we work nationally and internationally helping our clients get more sales and new clients on the internet.
I am a trainer and lecturer in open courses and Master, MBA and postgraduate programmes, as well as an international speaker at congresses on online marketing and corporate strategy on the Internet.