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Grow Your Business With Customer Testimonials

You love what you do, and you’re great at it. But trying to explain this to a potential customer can be tricky.

Your promises might be met with a bit of skepticism. Customer testimonials can cut right through this and earn the trust of prospects.

In this article, we’ll define customer testimonials and explain why they matter. We’ll explore the types of customer testimonials and how to collect them.

We’ll look at how you can design your testimonials for maximum impact. We’ll also list the pros and cons of testimonials as a marketing tactic.

Finally, we’ll bring it all together with our top takeaways and actionable next steps. Let’s jump right into it!

What Are Customer Testimonials, and Why Do They Matter?

A customer testimonial is a written or spoken statement from a happy customer.

It outlines their experience with your business. It might detail the services or products they received and the positive outcomes.

It could highlight what they liked about working with you. Maybe you always responded quickly to their emails. Or maybe you went the extra mile to deliver a truly personalized service.

You’ve probably seen customer testimonials on the web before. Companies of all sizes often feature them on their website.

Why? Because they build trust.

Think about it like this. Who are you more likely to believe:

  • A business owner saying how great their service is
  • A customer of that business recounting their experience

If you’re like most people, you believe the customer. The business owner is biased—it’s in their best interest to talk up their product or service. At the end of the day, they are motivated to sell.

But the customer? They have no ulterior motive and no reason to share anything but the truth.

This trust solidifies your credibility. You’re not just saying you can solve customer problems. You have proof—social proof.

Social proof is hugely influential. It helps you connect with your audience on a more personal level.

It can also inspire purchasing decisions. More than three in four consumers trust reviews. More than nine in 10 always read them before they buy.

RELATED ARTICLE: How to See My Google Reviews

Types of Customer Testimonials: Examples and Formats

What is a testimonial meant to do? Win trust, build credibility, and influence potential customers.

How does it achieve these goals? The answer depends on the type of customer testimonial. Let’s take a look at some of the most common.

Written Quotes

Written customer testimonials are quotes from real customers published on your website or a review platform, like Google Business.

A written customer testimonial can be short and sweet or long and in-depth. Both serve a purpose:

  • Short testimonials are a great way to convince a prospect to choose you. They take seconds to read, so there’s very little friction. They can also be repurposed easily. For example, you might share them on social media (more on this below) or add them to your printed marketing materials.
  • Long testimonials inspire prospects who are on the fence to choose you. For example, let’s say they need their landscaping polished ASAP. Their in-laws have booked a surprise visit, and they have just two weeks to get their yard cleaned up. They might see a long testimonial from a client praising your business for stepping in at the last minute. This is the social proof they need to pick up the phone and call you.

Here are a couple of client testimonial examples:

  • “I can’t recommend this business enough. Five-star service and excellent results.”
  • “We’d been dreaming of a kitchen remodel for years. When we decided to take the plunge, we chose [Company Name]. We couldn’t be happier with the result. From the first consultation to the final handover, the team was professional and friendly. We had a couple of unique requests, and they handled them perfectly. If you’re looking for someone to bring your dream kitchen to life, choose [Company Name].”

Video Testimonials

Video testimonials are videos of satisfied customers sharing their stories. They might include a mix of documentary-style headshots showing the customer and footage of the project.

According to HubSpot, “videos dominate the marketing industry in every format imaginable.” This is why a huge 91% of businesses leverage video as a powerful marketing tool.

Video testimonials serve several purposes:

  • They engage a different audience compared to written testimonials.
  • They give prospects confidence in your testimonials. In an online world dominated by AI content, video builds extra trust.
  • Videos allow you to show the project alongside the customer’s story. You can use visuals to animate their narrative.

Case Studies

Case studies are in-depth explorations of individual projects. They are generally structured like this:

  • Background: Provides information about the client
  • Problem: Explains the specific issue the client needs to solve
  • Challenges (optional): Outlines any unique obstacles the client was facing
  • Solution: Details what the business did to solve the problem
  • Results: Highlights the positive outcomes of the solution

Case studies are more detailed and solution-focused than other testimonials. They allow you to dive into a specific project. You can show exactly how your business solved a customer’s problem.

Social Media Shoutouts

Social media shoutouts are quick, informal testimonials shared on platforms like Instagram or Facebook. They often include a mix of customer quotes, photos, or tags.

The purpose of social media shoutouts is to reach different audiences. Some shoppers might research businesses on Facebook instead of Google, for example.

Social media testimonials also help you get more engagement.

Which Types Should You Use?

Ideally, you should use a mix of testimonials to engage as many different types of customers as possible.

Written testimonials are likely the easiest to get, so they are a great starting point. They can also be used as the foundation for case studies and social media shoutouts.

Videos require a bit more work, so it could be something to add to your longer-term goals list.

FROM ONE OF OUR PARTNERS: The ROI Benefits of Customer Feedback Surveys for Contractors

How to Collect Testimonials That Build Trust

There’s no doubt about it. Customer testimonials speak volumes about your skills and service.

The question begs: How can you get more of them?

Here are some quick and simple tips you can use:

  • Ask your clients for a testimonial. Sometimes, it’s that easy. You might add a brief request to your follow-up email or even bring it up in person. Be polite and explain how it helps your business.
  • Get the timing right. Don’t wait six months before requesting a review—your client might’ve forgotten the details of your service by then. Instead, ask right after a successful and positive interaction.
  • Make the process as easy as possible for your customers. For example, prompt them with open-ended questions like, “What did you enjoy most about working with us?” or “How has our product or service made a difference for you?” Alternatively, give them a template to follow. You could use something like, “Before working with [Company Name], we struggled with [problem]. [Company Name] helped us by [solution]. Now, [result].”

Whichever way you go about securing more customer testimonials, remember this: authenticity matters. Testimonials should be a true reflection of your client’s experiences—even if there were hiccups along the way.

Testimonials and reviews are marketing tools, but that’s not all. They give you insight into your customer experience. They shine a light on areas you could improve on to make your product or service the very best it can be.

Don’t bribe your customers or pick and choose who you request testimonials from. Be open, listen, and learn.

RELATED ARTICLE: How to Get More Google Reviews: 5 Strategies for Success

Designing Testimonials for Maximum Impact on Your Website

Don’t bury your testimonials. Use smart website testimonial design to amplify their impact. Here’s how:

Prioritize Placement

Put testimonials where visitors are most likely to see them. Top spots include:

  • Your home page for a great first impression
  • Landing pages to help visitors make quick decisions
  • Product or service pages to highlight relevant and specific testimonials
  • Near calls to action or pricing to reinforce trust at decision points

Use the Right Customer Testimonial Format

A good format makes testimonials credible and easy to read. Always include the customer’s name. If relevant, add their job title and company too. Use customer photos or, for commercial clients, their business logo as well. This adds authenticity.

Combine Testimonials With Other Features

You can make your testimonials more engaging and memorable with visual elements like:

  • Star ratings
  • Short videos
  • Before and after photos

The Pros and Cons of Using Customer Testimonials in Marketing

Like other marketing strategies, customer testimonials have strengths and weaknesses.

What are the pros and cons of testimonials? The pros include:

  • Build trust by showing real customers use and are happy with your business.
  • Increase conversions through social proof.
  • Get authentic insights with feedback that’s genuine and relatable.
  • Stand out from the competition.

The cons include:

  • It’s time-consuming to collect and publish testimonials.
  • There’s the risk of overusing testimonials—if you publish the same one or two over and over, prospects might think you don’t have many happy customers.

It’s possible to have too much of a good thing. So instead of relying solely on testimonials, balance a whole range of marketing efforts. Work on your social media presence and invest in your local search engine optimization (SEO), for example.

A holistic marketing approach builds credibility while maintaining your authenticity.

FROM ONE OF OUR PARTNERS: 5 Ways to Get More Customer Reviews

Bringing It All Together: The Power of Customer Testimonials

Authentic customer testimonials can set your business apart. Leverage different formats and place them on your website strategically for maximum impact.

Keep in mind that testimonials are an ongoing marketing strategy—not a one-and-done. You need to continually gather and refresh them to ensure your marketing is relevant.

Keen to get started? Here are some actionable next steps:

  • Create a detailed plan on how you’ll collect testimonials. For example, update your follow-up emails.
  • Experiment with different formats to engage a wide variety of people. You might contact a happy customer and ask if they’d be comfortable sitting down for a video.
  • Audit how your testimonials are currently published on your website. Have you used a good variety? What about visual elements? Could you add testimonials near your calls to action?