About those testimonials on your website...

When potential customers show up at your website, they’re wondering Is this business legit? Can their service or product REALLY help me?

What’s the best way to answer those questions? By using flashy graphics? By repeating the words “best” and “awesome” in all your copy?

No, and no.

Establish your authority by using testimonials.

Share actual quotes from actual, satisfied customers.

It’s easy to do (and highly effective). Here are six quick tips:

1.  Ask. People are typically busy and don’t think about giving a review. But when you provide a great product or service and ASK for feedback, most are glad to help out.

2.  Make it easy. Give them a link to a short, online form they can complete quickly.

3.  Offer some guidance. On the form say: “We know your time is valuable, so please, no more than 90 seconds. Just three questions:

• What problem prompted you to seek us out?

• How exactly did we help you?

• What's been your experience ever since?

4.  Keep ‘em short. Admit it. When a review looks like a Tolstoy novel, you skip it. Me too. So, when you get a long testimonial, shorten it—without changing its meaning. (And if the thought of that gives you the vapors, email the client and say, “Is this edit okay?”).

5.  Encourage specificity. “Susan’s amazing!” is okay (sort of like bad breath is better than no breath). But wouldn’t this be a more compelling testimonial for a hairstylist:

“The day before our family pics, our 3-year-old decided to cut her own hair! I was a HOT MESS!!!! But, Susan stayed after hours, and Molly walked out of her salon looking cuter than before her big, haircutting adventure! Susan's amazing!”

6.  Use them liberally. Don’t banish testimonials to a separate page of your site. Sprinkle them all over. Use them on every page, even between the sections of a webpage. Let them function like a steady refrain, a catchy chorus of “We can do the same for you!”

Here's to more customers singing your praises!