Building trust with your audience is an important part of growing a business. Cultivating an online reputation is key to establishing trust within target markets. This seems straightforward enough, but no business is born with a ready-made reputation. It’s a lot like trying to secure a car loan with no credit history – someone will eventually take a chance on you, but until then, proving yourself can feel like an uphill battle. Testimonials are one way that businesses can establish the type of credibility they need to succeed in a world where word of mouth is primarily digital.
Are Testimonials That Important?
Still, generating testimonials and featuring them in your web design or on social media is a bit of work, especially for new businesses with limited exposure. For them, the question quickly becomes whether testimonials are worth the trouble. The answer is yes, they are, and here’s why.
Testimonials Are Subtle
Take a look around the online world and you’ll notice that audiences are bombarded by businesses to the point they’re overstimulated. You personally have no doubt been the victim of a retargeting ad that follows you around the internet relentlessly. While this type of marketing strategy has its place, it can get old real fast to the consumer that just wants a break from businesses with overly disruptive ad strategies.
Testimonials have the power to “sell” your business without you needing to do much at all. Testimonials are a subtle, non-intrusive way of placing your business in the best possible light – right where your audience can see you.
When a visitor lands on your site, they’re looking for validation that you’re going to deliver on your promises. You could tell them how you follow through via a blog or video, but of course, you’re going to talk yourself up. On the other hand, testimonials allow visitors to see you through the eyes of previous customers. They’re a subtle and believable way of establishing the credibility new leads need.
Reputation Always Wins
Is not having any testimonials to vouch for your business better than the competitor down the street with a less than stellar reputation? Well, it depends on how “less than stellar” their reputation really is. If a business has a one-star rating over hundreds of reviews, chances are they aren’t going to stay around long – however, this is a rare occurrence.
Most businesses who’ve put some effort into search engine marketing and local SEO generate a fair amount of reviews, and it’s inevitable that a few unsavory ones are going to find their way into the mix. In this case, the competitor does likely have an advantage simply because people know what to expect.
Customers are often more likely to invest in businesses with not so great reviews because they’ve identified their weak points and have accepted the risk/benefit ratio. Your business with no reviews or testimonials is still an unknown – and that’s a risky venture.
Start Building Your Online Reputation Today
Including testimonials in your web design is an incredibly effective strategy for boosting your SEO campaigns. If you’re ready to get people talking and start building a reputation for yourself online, we’re here to help. Double Up Digital is the search engine marketing and website design company that can help you elevate your digital presence. Reach out to Double Up Digital today to learn more.
