To understand a testimonial page, we must first know what a testimonial is. A testimonial is a third party’s comment on how good something is or how much something is valued. Thus, a testimonial page showcases the quality and success of a site’s product or service.
The importance of testimonials for your website or blog comes down to two words – social proof.
Social proof, in simple terms, is the phenomenon in which people succumb to peer pressure. Have you ever noticed that people tend to copy others when they are uncertain of what to do or how to behave? For instance, when people want to choose between two or more brands of the same product or service?
This is what is driving the success of websites like Yelp and TripAdvisor. People will generally trust what others say about you more than what you say about yourself. According to BigCommerce, 92% of customers read online reviews before buying. And 72% say their trust in the business increases when they read positive reviews about it.
By the end of this read, you will not only know how to build a kickass testimonial page, you will also know the proper techniques on how to get customer testimonials.
Here are 5 things to consider when building a customer testimonial page:
Make It Visually Engaging
Studies show that 90% of the information that we digest is visual content. The most successful testimonials are videos. This is because people feel like they can relate and trust the product more when they have seen someone share their experience with the product.
If you’re sharing text testimonials, make sure they have real faces to each of them. A photo with each testimonial makes it look more authentic. When a customer is reading a review, in their mind, it could be from anyone. But when the review has a photo attached, it is now no longer just any review.
A good example of a site with a good visual testimonial page is ChowNow.
Chownow concentrates on videos and standout quotes from customers.
A quick look at the page reveals two smiley customers. This gives the impression that the customers are happy with the product. If you don’t know how to start, you can have a good web design firm showcase your company’s unique selling points with images.
Customers are more likely to pay for a product when they see a video of someone endorsing the product.
Make It Short And Direct
If a testimonial rambles on for a whole page before getting to the point, no one is going to take the time to read it. A good testimonial will have three or four lines and the point will be positioned right in the first or second line.
Take, for example, the image below from Bizzabo.
The top of the page has short and concise tweets of customers. This allows prospects to browse the reviews in a quick and get-straight-to-the-point fashion.
It Should Be Authentic
Don’t try to script the customer’s review. Let it come from them as blunt and honest as they view it, because otherwise, it’ll just sound like a marketing scheme. If it feels real, readers or viewers will want to be a part of the product experience.
Take, for example, this review from Musana Camps’ Facebook page. Note how concise and genuine it is.
Try Out Different Formats
Check out our customer testimonials page at VocalReferences. They have a neat combination of different formats for testimonial presentation. They alternate videos, customer testimonial comments as well as including a call to action. They also provide the option for other customers to add their testimonials as well. 
Include The Brand Logo
Take a look at the image below from the Bizzabo customers page.
Do you see how adding the company logos for each reviewer gives the page a professional look? This makes the site look more trustworthy and legit.
Now that you know the things to look out for when building your customer testimonials page,
let’s now look at:
How to Get Customer Testimonials
Through Facebook Reviews
Facebook is one of the easiest places to find reviews for your website. There may be earlier reviews that you had not seen before or you can invite customers to add their reviews. Facebook is also a good place to keep track of your reviews.
Aside from the reviews button on the Facebook page, you may also look at your Facebook posts’ comments. This works especially well if you have deliberately targeted posts.
Social Mentions
Social mention is when a person or brand is name-dropped. The challenge of social mentions is that it is hard to keep track of the mentions. The best way to do this is to set up a social listening stream which helps to zero in on what you want and cut out the rest.
Rewarding Customers To Review
One way to encourage customers to review your product is to offer a reward for reviews. If the customer writes a certain number of reviews and can provide proof of review, you can offer them a discount on the product or a promotional deal of some kind. This is a quick way to accumulate reviews. For legal reasons, however, you must include mention of this in the review.
Niche Review Websites
A niche website focuses on a particular topic of interest common to a group of people in a larger market. It can be a website on hospitality, or travel or any other focused market.
These websites allow customers to rate and review different service providers and products. Other prospective consumers may then decide what product or service provider to choose, based on these reviews.
Conclusion
You know what they say, “What you say about others says more about you than them.” This works in business as well. What the customers say about your product or service speaks volumes about your customer base. This is so important because if you can learn your customers’ likes, dislikes, and interests, you know how to direct your marketing efforts. Customer feedback is a great way to accomplish an important goal.
“Our reputation is more important than the last hundred million dollars.” – Rupert Murdoch.
