Testimonials are the driving force behind how a potential customer will view your brand and your business. Store owners who include testimonials on their website, show potential customers not only that their business is legitimate, but also that the products or services offered have had a positive impact on people just like them. Shopify Expert Sarah says that “People want to see the proof of use/concept of whatever you're selling and the third party opinions will build trust on the site.” When these testimonials are displayed correctly on your Shopify or BigCommerce store, they can add an interesting graphic element that draws visitors further into your site and keeps them on your page.
How do you get testimonials from your clients?
Just Ask
While there are several methods, the most obvious and usually most successful way of getting testimonials is just to ask! While you may feel uncomfortable asking for testimonials at first, remember that asking people for testimonials is a widely accepted thing for businesses to do. The majority of your customers will have no issues with you asking them for one, or with providing you with an endorsement. This is especially true when people have had a good experience with you or your company. Generally, you should ask for a testimonial after your customer has expressed gratitude and happiness with your product or service. Even if your clients consist of other businesses, most people are happy to give you a testimonial for your website. You can offer to link back to their websites, providing them with another great perk of being your customer.Try an Online Form or Survey
If you don’t like to ask people in real life for testimonials, you can create a feedback form on your website. This way, you can ask direct questions, then use the quotes where they would be the most effective. Similarly, you can send out a survey link to customers who have completed a purchase with you. There are lots of Shopify apps that will allow you to set up a survey where customers can provide a testimonial. Your questionnaire can include an open-ended question that gives your customers the option to provide their feedback without having to click to a new website.
How Should I Display Testimonials on my Shopify or BigCommerce Store?
There are a few different options for displaying customer testimonials to get the desired outcome (building trust with your customer). While some people prefer to have a separate page dedicated to displaying customer testimonials, others prefer to sprinkle them throughout their site, using applicable quotes at important stages.Should you have a dedicated testimonial page?
It may be the case that if you only have the testimonials on one page, that they may be missed or overlooked. Shannon, the Shopify Experts Agency The Ecomm Guys, doesn't think so. Shannon says he “wouldn't necessarily say that having an entire page is necessary, you don't want to distract customers in the purchase process, but you do want reviews to be readily apparent on the home page, and potentially product page too.” Most customers want to see testimonials after they have looked at your product to find out about the experiences others have had with your company. The best thing for you to do as a Shopify or BigCommerce store owner is to select relevant testimonials and sprinkle them throughout your website. This way, those testimonials are more likely to be read, which is the whole point.Make Your Testimonials Stand Out
- Use color and other graphic elements to highlight the fact that they are different
- Add large quotation marks
- Separate them from the other text on your page with borders
- Include a picture of the customer whose testimonial you are using
Use Social Media
A great way of garnering more testimonials is to make sure that you are using social media. Invite your customers to leave their feedback on Facebook and Twitter and then embed those on your product pages.When Possible, Use Video Testimonials
