Let’s look at how you can improve your conversions with Social Proof.
Not all of these examples will be applicable, but once you understand the different elements, you’ll be able to decide if you can use them and the best way to do so.
1. Customer Testimonials and Reviews
Testimonials allow you to get others to sell for you. Think of them as word-of-mouth marketing.
Testimonials endorse your brand, help eliminate risk, build trust with your users, and showcase the results you can help them achieve using your products or services.
Testimonials are typically short quotes or statements from the customer. However, it could be more in-depth, like a short video or customer case study.
Here are some questions you can ask for great testimonial content:
- What problem(s) did you have?
- What made you go with our business?
- How do you use our product/service?
- What benefits have you seen?
- What do you love most?
- What makes us unique?
- What has made you stay a customer of our business?
The problem with testimonials is that they can be doubted or made up.
But you can do a few things to make them more real.
What makes a good testimonial?
Ideally, a good testimonial would include a headline to grab the user’s attention. The headline should be result-focused, followed by a more detailed review, including their name, company, and an image or logo to show they are real.
Good Example
We have seen an increase in productivity by 25%
The team at INSERT YOUR COMPANY NAME HERE was amazing to work with. Since launching the new service, team productivity has increased by 25%, saving over £10,000—one of the best business decisions we’ve made all year.
Name
Business Name
Bad Example
The team were really good to work with
I highly recommend them. Name
Video Testimonials
They are the most effective form of testimonials and can not be faked, but they can be a challenge to obtain. However, if you have them, then they are easy for your site visitors to consume.
Take a look at your website testimonials.
See if you can improve them with headlines, images and more result driven messages. This will help your website visitors and improve your conversions.
Customer Reviews
Much like testimonials, reviews give a first-hand account of your customers’ experience with you.
Online reviews are one of the most important forms of social proof, with 97% of consumers saying they impact their purchasing decisions.
It’s so ingrained that we choose movies, restaurants, and products just based on their good review scores.
The good news is that customer reviews can be featured directly on any landing page with the text, customer name, and image.
These reviews can be taken from third-party review sites like Google, Amazon, and Trust Pilot Feefo. The beauty is that verified users need to leave reviews so they are perceived as real.
It is also much easier to ask for online reviews than a testimonial video, as you can send clients a review and automate the process with your CRM or email marketing system.
Adding them to your website has never been easier.
Tools like Trust Index help us collate all our online reviews into one place and place them on your site via widgets. You can also add the review badges to your email signatures.
You can also use the system to ask customers to leave you a review that automatically pulls into your site.
Adding Google Reviews To Your Website
In the video below, I’ll show you how to create and add a widget to your website.
Advanced Google Reviews Management
If you would like to combine reviews with other platforms and manage and collect reviews a lot easier, I would recommend upgrading to the paid version of Trust Index.
Reviews for Specific Products or Services
If your landing page is for a specific product, including specific product reviews and a CTA to buy the product directly would be useful.
Filter reviews for specific service pages
Here is a quick video of how to filter reviews using Trust Index.
2. Case Studies / Examples Of Work
Case studies and examples of work are great ways to tell your clients stories and showcase the results you help them achieve.
They showcase your capabilities and provide a visually appealing experience for visitors to your site.
A Few Examples
- A Financial Advisor – How they saved/made more money
- Web Designer – Project Portfolio Examples
- Kitchen Designer – Showing finished kitchens
- Landscaping – Showing finished gardens
- Dentists – Before And After images
- Hair Transplants – Before And After images
- Weightloss Programmes or Personal Trainers – Before And After images
As you can see from the examples above, your case studies can be displayed in various ways. Adding images for these adds credibility and shows the results
However, combining this with the customer’s story and a video or testimonial from the customer makes this type of social proof extremely valuable and powerful.
Having stand-alone case studies helps you to share specific results with potential clients.
Let’s say you’re speaking to a prospect and have a case study where you helped another client with a similar problem. You can share this with them via a link to help them see how you can solve their challenge — helping you close sales.
3. Authority elements - Media mentions
Have you been seen on TV or in well-known publications in your industry? Do you have any big clients you’re proud to show off, or do you have awards and accreditations?
Including these elements on your website can psychologically affect building trust. They will show that you are real, established, and well-trusted in your work.
This content can include headlines, images, and copy with the following:
- Media mentions (i.e. As Featured in Time Magazine)
- Awards (i.e. Online Retailer of the Year)
- Rankings (i.e. Voted Best in Chicago)
Here are a few examples
4. Brand Stats
Sharing numbers related to your brand is useful for giving visitors a quick overview of your business and building credibility.
These can include:
- Number of Customers (i.e. Helping over 1 Million People)
- Years in business (i.e. with 20+ years of experience)
- Social Shares (i.e. Favorited by 120,000 people)
- Range in Geography (i.e.in, 100+ countries)
Here are a few examples
5. Customer favourites
Use customer buying trends for social proof content.
This is typically more relevant if you have an ecommerce website or product.
Featuring the top-selling, popular products on a landing page is an effective way to encourage customers to purchase.
They help those on the fence about buying to complete the purchase, as their decision will be confirmed when they see the customer buying trends. It’s simple: when many people buy a product, others will also want to buy it.
This strategy could be used for bottom-funnel landing pages focused on one product. Include social proof content and a clear CTA that directs customers to purchase the product.
You can use headlines like these to support this.
- “Customer Favorite”
- “Top Seller“
- “Most Loved”
- “Trending Now”
6. Expert, influencer and celebrity endorsements
You can leverage the influence of top thought leaders in your industry by featuring endorsements or partnerships with them. If they have an audience, they are trusted, and if they recommend you, then you must be good in the eyes of their audience.
These endorsements can come from industry experts with authority and knowledge, such as a dentist endorsing a toothbrush, or from key people in certain industries, such as a magazine editor endorsing a clothing brand.
I am not suggesting you try to get a Beyonce or Cristiano Ronaldo.
Conclusion
Social proof has become essential for businesses to establish credibility and trust with their customers.
By showcasing positive feedback, testimonials, and user-generated content, you cannot only increase your reputation and attract new customers but also build brand loyalty and drive sales and conversions.
In a world where consumer trust is crucial, using social proof can significantly impact your company’s success.
If you’d like an impartial opinion on how to improve your site’s social proof, please book your free comprehensive web audit here.
