6 Tried and Tested Ways of Collecting Testimonials from Clients

You have your client on board. You have worked for them and they are satisfied. What’s the next step you will take? According to industry experts, gathering testimonials should be your next step. Well, this is right but collecting testimonials from clients or asking them for reviews can be a little awkward. 

Most people leave it at that and move on. However, based on the evidence, testimonials and reviews on your website will develop trust, improve customer loyalty and boost customer retention.

Before we start telling you how you can collect testimonials from clients without getting awkward, here is a quick rundown of stats stating to prove the importance of testimonials.

Statheap reports that 77% of users read reviews regularly while making a purchase from a local business.[SA1] 

Reviews and testimonials on the site can help in boosting sales by up to 270%.[SA2] 

95% of the buyers rely on online reviews while making a purchase and the majority refuse to buy when the reviews are negative. [SA3] 

More than 80% of the buyers refuse to buy from brands and businesses with no testimonials on site. Among these 80%, 92% belong to Gen Z.[SA4] 

Globally, 88% of buyers and consumers trust a brand more if people they know and trust recommend them. [SA5] 

Now that you know about the importance of testimonials and reviews, it is time to look at ways of collecting testimonials from clients.

6 Tried and Tested Ways of Collecting Testimonials from Clients

1-   Run an Email Campaign

The email campaign is one of the best ways to bring back your customer to your site. This helps in sales as well as customer retention and customer satisfaction. By running an email campaign, you can seek testimonials from people who have availed your services already.

Most businesses maintain a data log with all the clients who have completed the transaction or availed services. By the end of the month, an email is sent to them asking for reviews. This is one of the best ways for collecting testimonials from clients.

2-   Follow Up

Follow-up is a powerful tool for business. It shows that you care about your customers and you are ready to improve your business based on their feedback. Based on a study published by Anglefish fieldwork[SA6] , customers today want to feel valued and heard. Asking for follow-up will make them feel valued. In case the customer has filled out a campaign and the issue has been resolved, ask for a follow-up. This will offer insight into the effectiveness of your business and its processes. 

3-   Add the Review Form by the End of Each Task

If you own a business or online e-commerce store or you offer online services, add a review form near the checkout. This will help you get instant feedback from your clients. For the online selling business, keep the review form near the checkout option. In case you are offering services, add the review form by the end of the instruction and information form. Most people also add a review form with the invoice so the client can rate everything accordingly.

4-   Get To the Social Media

Social media is filled with opinions. Most people will deliberately find your brand and offer testimonials on your page. This will work as one of the best ways to collect testimonials from your client even without asking. You can screenshot these testimonials on your page and then use them on your website or social media.

In case you want to take it up a notch, slide into the DM of these clients and ask them directly for review. If they are willing, you can also ask them for a video testimonial. E-commerce stores can benefit from this specifically, as they can ask for unboxing videos and product videos.

5-   Motivate Users via Stories

Most people hesitate to offer reviews because they do not want to share their details. However, if you share testimonials shared by other clients, it will motivate your customers. While running an email campaign add a testimonial video or image at the end. Most customers will feel motivated to share their experience after seeing a testimonial shared by a fellow customer.

6-   Encourage Customers with Reward Points

Reward points, discounts, or freebies are a great way to encourage your clients to respond faster. When your client knows he is getting value in exchange for a testimonial, it will work as a great motivator. As a small business, offer reward points, merchandise, stickers, or company-exclusive membership to your customers.

Bottom Line

To sum it all up testimonials are one of the best and most used organic methods of boosting sales. As a business owner, if you are struggling with your business, adding reviews will help. Experts in digital marketing consider testimonials as an essential tool for SEO, which is very important for the organic growth of your business. For in-depth information about testimonials and sales, you can reach out to SEO WebMakers.

FAQ’S

1-   Why My Customers Are Not Offering Testimonials For My Business?

Experts recommend the above-mentioned tips. However, keep in mind that one of the biggest reasons your customers are not offering testimonials is your review form. A lengthy and elaborate form might help you but it can irritate your customers. Eventually, he will abandon the form completely.

The best practice is to never limit your customer with forms and jargon. Keep questions open-ended so customers can add details. Also, do not set a work limit. Let your customer decide the word limit.

Based on recent trends, video content is becoming popular. If your customer wants to record a video instead of writing things down as a review, let them. It will not just benefit your brand but also help you grow more.

2-   What is the purpose of a client testimonial?

Testimonials help in sharing the positive experiences of existing customers. It works as a free endorsement.

3-   What are the types of client testimonials?

Client testimonials can be written text, an image, videos, or user-generated content.