Q: How do you collect effective testimonials?

A: Testimonials can be one of your most powerful online marketing tools. When someone is looking to buy a product, she often seeks the opinion of someone else who has used the product, right? If you have testimonials from your previous customer presented on your website, you already have a head start on making the sale.

Or do you?

You may have heard people say that testimonials don’t work or that when they see a website they never read the testimonials. I believe that’s true on websites that don’t use testimonials effectively. If you see a site that says:

“I love it.

Jan”

“This is the best ever”

“This is going to be a great product.

Jim Bob, Florida”

….then yeah, I’d skip over that too. To be effective, a testimonial needs to include concrete detail and be believable. Let’s discuss these two items:

The problem with the testimonials above is that they don’t really say anything. It simply says they liked the product. And in the third, case it sounds like Jim Bob hasn’t even tried the product…he just thinks it’s going to be good. That’s not effective at all.

Testimonials should include information about how your customer used the product and the results she achieved. When you ask for feedback on your product, ask your customer specific questions, so you can formulate a well-written testimonial from the information you gather.

Here’s some example questions and these may not apply to all products, but it gives you an idea of what

I’m talking about:

1.      How long have you been using the product?

2.      How has XXXX improved since starting to use the product?

3.      How do you use the product (ex. at work, to relieve pain, etc)?

4.      How much time do you invest in using the product on a weekly basis?

5.      What is the most helpful/useful part of the product?

6.      What would you say to someone who is interested in buying the product.

7.      What other information would you like to share with us?

You can ask whatever questions you’d like, but ask specific questions, so you can get specific details.

The problem with the 3 example testimonials I gave earlier is that they aren’t believable. Who’s Jan? Who’s Jim Bob? Are they real people or a figment of someone’s imagination? The second one didn’t even have a name. You need to add as much information about your customer as possible in order to make your testimonials believable. If you think your customers won’t offer this information…you’ll probably be surprised and won’t know until you ask. 10 mediocre testimonials are not nearly as effective as 3 great ones. So, if fewer people say yes to offering their personal information, that’s just fine.

Here’s some information you should try to collect. You don’t have to have every item for every testimonial, but try to get as much as possible.

1. Full name
2. Location (city/state, etc)
3. Photo

4. Proof If there is a way to show the proof of results, get it. For example, for a weight loss product, you can have before and after pictures. For an child’s educational product, you can have scanned report cards. For a money-making product, you can show screenshots of bank accounts (with personal info removed), etc.

For an example of how I’ve used this strategy, have a look at some testimonials I collected from our Mom Masterminds membership site.

If you see all the details of the testimonials, each mom got something just a little bit different from the product. That means, our website visitors are more likely to be able to relate to one small point made in a testimonial. And that one small point can help an unsure visitor become a paying customer.

Each testimonial includes believability because we used full names, website URLs and home locations. We also included photos and screenshots where possible. There’s no Jim Bob here!

Start by asking your customers for feedback on the product. Present them with a small questionnaire and offer them a small free gift (a special report, coupon or something else your customers would like) to complete it. You can be upfront and tell them that by submitting the questionnaire that they agree that you can publish their comments on your website, but be clear that you are looking for ALL honest feedback about the product…not simply glowing reviews. Make sure it is clear that you are not offering a bribe in return for the good feedback.

It’s up to you on whether you want to collect the personal information (full name, location, photos and proof) along with the questionnaire. If you collect it immediately, it will save you time from going back and asking for it later. If you decide to collect it later, make sure your customer provides an email address or some other contact information, so you can be in touch.

Then, when you’re ready publish the chosen testimonials on your website and watch the results.

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