Whether you’re selling a product or service online, testimonials are vital elements that should be included within your website as standard practice.

Displaying a series of objective and unbiased opinions from real customers will not only reinforce the strength of your brand, product or service, but will also encourage potential users to try or buy your offering, and also help you reach the objectives set out within your marketing strategy.

The following blog post discusses why testimonials are such valuable assets to include in site builds. We’ll also introduce you to our very own testimonial plugin, Testify.

If you haven’t already set up testimonials for your site, we hope that this post will encourage you to do so.

Also, consumers will generally have a preconceived notion of perceived value, and they’ll weigh this against cost. More often than not, consumers will research a purchase further or delay the buying process.

Even if you are genuinely selling a solution to a problem, despite your best efforts, you alone may not be able to convince a broad range of individuals, particularly the tough ones, that your product or service is indeed the best option when weighed against competitors.

Here, testimonials – the modern day, digital version of word of mouth and referrals – are able to hold a level of authority quite unlike any other element on a website.

1. Testimonials build credibility



Testimonials allow you to add positive feedback and social proof of your brand, product or service living up to, and sometimes exceeding its promises.

Effectively, this is an endorsement of sorts, which (when provided by real people that really mean what they say) will help your brand build up its levels of credibility.

2. Testimonials build trust

Including objective testimonials, that make use colloquial language, sincere tones and a unique voice to convey honest non-biased opinions, will set up the playing field for a prospective customer to relate to an existing customer.

Humans often seek out the opinions, counsel, and approval of others during various decision-making processes within their lives, and in online commerce, testimonials can offer a form of guidance in this regard.

Here, notions of influence come into play. If a new consumer were to share in the same positive experience of your brand as described by an old consumer, a base of trust will begin to form with your brand, which, if fostered correctly, can result in referrals at a later stage.

3. Testimonials add a human quality to your website

Continuing on from the previous point of making your brand relatable, marketers strive to humanize a brand as often as possible in order for consumers to build a deep affiliation with the brand.

Including testimonials within your website will add additional layers to your brand personality, indirectly helping you express a set of characteristics that are (for example) likable, trustworthy, reliable, friendly and expertly skilled in some or other field of product or service delivery.

4. Testimonials help draw out emotional responses

Another driving force of marketing is to create an emotional appeal for your brand. Through testimonials, you’ll be able to elicit insights from your consumers that convey a quality of transparency, authenticity and honesty.

Not only will these elements help to make potential customers more comfortable with your brand, but it’ll also offer them a sense of confidence in undertaking business dealings with you.

5.Testimonials break through the marketing rabble

If used in the correct context and under the right circumstances, online marketing tactics (such as lead magnets, sales funnels and opt-in forms for example) can have extremely successful results for a business and its online objectives.

On the other hand, consumers might find that they are constantly bombarded with heavily saturated marketing campaigns on a far too frequent basis.

By offering authentic opinions and genuine feedback, testimonials have the potential to break through the clutter of conventional marketing strategies, which often include sometimes harsh and invasive ‘hard sell’ tactics.

6. Testimonials can encourage return customers and referrals

At the end of the day, the ultimate goal of marketing and sales is to create brand ambassadors.

Your business wants customers that are deeply loyal, will never consider switching to a competitor, will recall your brand as top-of-mind and will recommend your business to others.

While testimonials are only a small step in the journey of reaching brand evangelism, asking a new customer to offer a testimonial of their experience sort of brings them into your brand family in a way, and this is certainly a step in the right direction.

7. Testimonials can increase conversions and drive sales

The consumer buying process is tricky, and a myriad of factors come into play when one person makes a decision to purchase a product or service. If executed correctly, adding testimonials to your website can offer a subtle nudge in the right direction, having an incredibly positive effect on increasing conversions or sales, and reaching your marketing objectives.

8. Testimonials can be used throughout a website



By adding a number of testimonials throughout your website, you’ll be able to express your brand’s credibility, reputation and social proof a number of times in relation to different aspects of your business.

For example, if one of your strengths is customer service and you offer a really quick response time to queries, consider adding a testimonial that explains this within your Contact page.

9. Testimonials can add to the overall web aesthetic

As web users are visually stimulated, including a testimonial feature that includes imagery of your clients’ faces will offer a bit of a break in the look, feel and format of your website’s design.

Not only will this become an attractive, stand-out web element, but it’ll also be incredibly functional.

10. Testimonials are powerful and cost-effective marketing tools

Finally, as testimonials can prove to be incredibly valuable assets for your website, it’s really worth investigating how to include them within your site.

If you’re not code savvy, using a plugin is a great solution, particularly one that is easy-to-use and customize.

If you’re ready to supercharge your communication strategy and take your website to new heights, consider using a plugin such as Testify to generate high-quality testimonials for your website in a matter of minutes. Testify, the ultimate testimonial plugin, is extremely easy to use, easy to customize and requires no knowledge of code whatsoever.

Testify, the ultimate testimonial plugin:

• Is compatible with any WordPress theme,
• Includes striking automatic animations,
• Can be used anywhere throughout your website,
• Works seamlessly with the WordPress page and post editor,
• Allows you to include an image of the client or customer.

Also, Testify is already integrated with leading contact form plugins like WP Forms, Gravity Forms and Contact Form 7. An integration with Ninja Forms is on the way too!

Here, you’ll be able to create an easy submission form for your website that allows your clients to simply visit a page, enter their details and upload a picture, and submit their testimonial to you.

For more information, read more about Testify and purchase the plugin for only $26.00 from our store.

Do you use testimonials on your website? Have you noticed an increase in communication, traffic and sales since including testimonials?

If you have any questions or queries, please feel free to share them below in the comments section. We love receiving your feedback!

Thanks for reading!