Question

Topic: Strategy

Integrating Testimonials Into Webpages.

Posted by JerryC-PA on 4/16/2014 at 9:41 PM ET 25 Points
Hi all,
I hear my new customers say, "you have a lot of good testimonials". It's a phrase I hear often. When I look at my site I don't think I've optimized my testimonials well. So I'm looking over the 50-60 reviews, and I see some that speak about how their car was fixed fast and inexpensively. Others perceive me as being expert and communicating well. Some like the fact that I involve them in their car repair.
So I find myself wondering if one type of testimonial might influence/impress more than another. I know I want to show a comment that fits exactly the topic of the page. But I always wonder if I should spin them toward fast/inexpensive even though that isn't usually the case with what I do.
Then I wonder about length, some of them are long, and tell a good story. (As I read about SEO, they say people remember a good story) I just wonder what kind of impression a relatively long testimonial would make.
I would love to hear what you think. Here is a link to my site www.keystoneautoelectrical.com so you can get a feel for what I do.
Thanks,
Jerry
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RESPONSES

  • Posted by Gary Bloomer on 4/17/2014 at 5:59 AM Member
    Every testimonial is a nugget of gold.
  • Posted by telemoxie on 4/17/2014 at 8:22 AM Accepted
    if this were my project, I would try to rewrite your main page, eliminating every claim you make about yourself, replacing them with short positive comments from your customers, and linking to the complete quote of clients and related quotes.

  • Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on 4/17/2014 at 9:21 AM Member
    I'd try to get more of your customer's testimonials onto Yelp.
  • Posted by JerryC-PA on 4/17/2014 at 10:11 AM Author
    Dave,
    I always get good advice here. At times the suggestions feel a little off or don't fit my reality, but your thoughts of replacing my words with snippets of testimonials feels great. Can you point me toward any examples?
    Jay,
    I wish that more of my reviews on Yelp were not hidden, but people do what the do, and I don't want to influence how they go about leaving a review. I would much rather have natural reviews (even bad ones) than reviews that I influenced.
  • Posted on 4/18/2014 at 7:23 AM Accepted
    Jerry,

    I can't tell what your site was built on but if you're using a good CMS, you should be able to categorize each testimonial and use those categories to determine which testimonials can appear on which pages. It's a straightforward approach.

    Personally, I like the copy on your homepage - you're writing about the visitor ("you") rather than yourself ("I", "we") and you're speaking to them. However, I completely agree with Dave that you should make better use of your testimonials by including them in the body text and drawing them out for attention.

    If someone is scanning that body text, they are less likely to look down the right hand column and see the testimonial. If you "call it out" in the middle of the text, people are more likely to see it. I call these 're-inforcers'.

    You have a (relatively) strong call to action at the top of the right-hand column (phone number) and at the foot of the main content (contact details) and that's fine for most people, but consider people who are visiting your site outside of your office hours. I know there's a link to your contact page but most people only ever visit one page of a site and they may well not click through to your contact form or remember to call you the next day even if that's their intention (you know how life gets in the way).

    I would recommend adding a contact form at the bottom of every major page of your site (it's low overhead when loading and why restrict it to just one page?).

    If you want to go further, consider a "call me back" form. Let people enter the minimum of detail - name, phone number and the time/day they would prefer you to call and then you can contact them at their convenience when you're open (restrict the form to only allow times/days that match your opening hours).
  • Posted on 4/18/2014 at 6:45 PM Member
    Hey there,

    I took a brief look at your site and have a few comments and hopefully (helpful) feedback:

    - I'd bring the testimonials to the front page. Testimonials can be a huge push for helping a consumer trust a brand.
    - I'd remove the links to the "search" reviews as customers most likely will find those on their own and it leads them away from your site.
    - I'd restructure the messaging and design on the homepage - right now the content is visually hard to track and the messaging gets lost
    - I'd pick 4-6 premium quotes that truly convey your value to previous customers (maybe specific to 3 popular services or services that ppl. have a hard time trusting) and set them up on some sort of slider etc.

    Feel free to reach out to me if you're looking for additional help!
  • Posted by tcgren on 4/20/2014 at 6:39 AM Member
    One thing I recommend is to "date" the testimonials and to refresh some of them regularly. I laugh at those businesses that use a testimonial from 5 years ago, or highlight an award won 5 years ago. What have you done lately that warrants a compliment?

    I also like whee there is a bit of a story to show full service, if that's what you offer.
    "Mrs Smith came in with a big problem. Her car wouldn't start and she had to be at the airport in 30 minutes. So, we personally drove her to the airport and completed the paperwork in the car so she wouldn't be late. We called her the next day where she was visiting to explain what was the issue and how we were going to fix and how long it would take. We also arranged to meet her at airport when she arrived to complete payment and paperwork and to return her car."
    --"they were so helpful and took care of me so I could make it to my family event. They were wonderful." - Mrs Smith

    Sometimes you like the customer compliments, but you need to add more to sell the message.
  • Posted by JerryC-PA on 4/22/2014 at 4:02 PM Author
    Thanks again to all of you for your input, it helps. I'm putting them to use now.
    Jerry
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