We've all seen it. You scroll down on a website, searching for the perfect product or service for you, and see the classic "Testimonials" section. You skim the text, maybe glance at the name of the random person that wrote it and you are on your way. You leave, probably click off of the site, un-inspired and ready to check out their competitor as you shop for alternatives.
Here's the thing, you probably didn't even expect to be inspired. You probably didn't know you wanted to be inspired.
And hey, I've been there. In previous work, I've probably designed half a dozen sites with the exact section I just described. But, there is a better way, and it isn't hard to do. First, let's take a look at a mock-example of some content.
Let's say you are an avid biker. You are looking to invest in a new bike that will last, and for a few years you have had a problem with your bikes breaking. Which of these two "testimonials" are more likely to prompt a deeper look into the brand.
BLUE BIKES Inc
"Great bike. I love this company and all of their blue bike products. 5 Stars."
By RobLovesBikes.com
RED BIKES LLC
"The Red Bike absolutely changed the way I ride. After years of buying and selling various bikes looking for the perfect one for me that could stand up to my favorite trails, I found Red Bikes and I haven't had to go to a repair shop since. I'm never going back to any other brand."
By RichardLovesBikes.com - Richard is a 30 year bike enthusiast & former race champion.
In this imaginary scenario the Red Bikes testimonial is immensely better. I'd even argue that 10 testimonials like the Blue Bikes testimonial aren't as valuable as one like the Red Bikes testimonial, especially in the context of a website. It is hard enough as it is to keep someone's attention on a webpage, so content should be concise and powerful.
So what exactly makes the Red Bikes example better? Even more important than that, what can you do as a website owner to emulate this? The short answer is: One is an empty statement, the other is a Success Story.
Before we get into that, I should mention that traditional reviews definitely have their place in marketing and customer acquisition. Star ratings and product reviews can be very valuable information to your customers. For example a product with mostly 4-5 star ratings from hundreds of people show consistency & quality. Even 1 star reviews can be useful for customers to choose your brand if they read one and decide, "Oh, that problem they had with the product isn't really relevant to what I'm looking for!"
Back to this idea of Success Stories. Let's highlight some of the key differences between the two bike business examples:
Consumer decision making can always be influenced by emotion. Someone who relates to the pre-purchase struggle outlined in a Success Story is much more likely to consider the brand.
One final point, you may be thinking, "No one leaves reviews like that on my Yelp/Google Maps/Website". You are probably right. Very rarely do people leave such glowing reviews with the intent to transform the way a potential new customer views your brand. You will have to go out of your way to bring these success stories into the spotlight. Chances are, if you truly offer a something that people need, there are many Success Stories happening. Go find them.
Seek out one loyal customer that you can turn into a Success Story to publish in a public place. (Social media, website, print marketing, etc.) Ask them open ended questions like the following and record their response (with permission of course).
