Tuesday, April 29, 2008

The Effect of Testimonials in Powerful Marketing Plans

By Jason Pearson

Finding people to write sincere and glowing reviews of your business can be challenging. The results, though, are often undeniably profitable. Using genuine testimonials on your website is one way to build your image as a reputable company and expand your clientele at the same time.

First and foremost, you must reassure consumers that what they see listed on your website are not false testimonials generated by someone in your marketing department. It could be disastrous to your credibility as an online merchant and business owner in general if you publish fake claims about your products. Savvy buyers are quick to realize that companies who need to fabricate information about their services are not genuine or trustworthy.

Getting customers to write testimonials is the first step. To do this, offer several opportunities for customer feedback throughout the buying process and in various forms. They will almost always let you know if something went wrong with their purchase, and every so often, someone will be so pleased that they will share their gratitude with you also.

To persuade current clients to fill in the survey, give them a coupon for their next purchase or even a free item. This would be the most straightforward way to approach people to review products for you. There is an extra air of authenticity to this method because they chose your products all on their own.

Another way to find people to write testimonials in their own words is to use an opt-in email list. The subscribers to your emails can be offered a free sample of your work, whatever it may be. The only condition would be that they provide their feedback in return.

Advertise that you are seeking both good and bad feedback. People love making their opinions known. They also like having input on new products and are more likely to recommend this product to others and be repeat customers.

To avoid outright lying in your sales letters yet still compete with those who do, rely on your rock solid business practices and your high quality product to generate testimonials for you. It is often an unbudgeted expense and many new business owners are dismayed at having to put out even more money in giveaways to generate a buzz. But it's worth it to your reputation and longevity as a supplier.

Using testimonials is a great way to polish the image of your business. Trusting that your honest business practices and high quality service will lead you to success can be difficult. It is only a matter of time before others recognize your strengths and pass this information along to others.

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