`Do You Really Need Testimonials at Your Site?`
By Jim Daniels

I get this question a lot. And frankly, I`ve never been a big
testimonial guy. Well, until recently.

If you`ve ever wondered about the effectiveness of testimonials,
this article should clear any doubt in your mind.

As most of my subscribers know, I develop and promote Internet
marketing products and services. And this is a niche that is,
well... somewhat crowded.

Heck, just do a search at google.com for `internet marketing
expert` and you`ll find more than nine million (yes, that`s
9,000,000) web pages listed.

Wow. That`s a lot of experts. (I wonder how many of those nine
million really know their stuff.)

But heck, do a search for ANYTHING you need or want online
and you`ll find thousands, if not millions of choices.

So who do you believe?

That`s the question millions of potential customers want to know!

Who can they believe? Who can they trust?

What website will not rip them off or leave them for dead after
they get their money?

As a web business owner myself, I hate to have to admit this,
but... making purchases from unknown vendors on the web can
be a real crap shoot. There are far too many cons, scams,
cheats, hacks and just plain old bad businesses on the web.

And because of that, TRUST is something you have to instill in
your visitors order to make sales on the web.

But how do you portray an image of trust online when customers
can`t see you or shake your hand?

Simple. You let your other customers do the talking. Here`s a
perfect example from my site...

__________________________

Good Afternoon Jim,

`In a word, WOW! `

`Your ezWebBusinessBuilder is a one-stop source for
developing all aspects of a successful Internet business. The
information and tasks are easy to understand and implement. It
is clear you will help many people `get it all together` for long-term success.`

Thank you,
Chip Snyder
Hagerstown, Maryland
__________________________

Even the GIANTS realize the value of testimonials...

Go to amazon.com - one of the web`s largest Internet-only based
retailers, and look for any product you might be interested in.
When you get to the product page, more than likely you`ll find
one thing prominently displayed...

Customer comments.

Why does amazon.com include these with nearly everything
they sell? It`s a simple theory. People are more comfortable
purchasing when they can first read what people like
themselves think about the product. It makes them feel more at
ease knowing not only that other folks like them bought it
already, but exactly what they thought of it.

Simply put, a few good customer testimonials can increase
sales literally overnight. How do I know? Last Friday I posted a
bunch of fresh testimonials at my site and saw my conversion
rate increase by 30%. Overnight.

The site where I experienced an overnight increase in
conversion rate can be viewed at ezWebBusinessBuilder -
notice how I worked the testimonials into the copy. They not only
help answer potential customers` questions, they flow with the
copy as well.

And yes, even I was surprised at how effective they were. I`ve
never been a big fan of blending testimonials into copy, but that
little experiment convinced me that I was stubborn about that for
far too long.

If you are not using plenty of testimonials at your site already, I
suggest you start. If you don`t have any, just drop your customers
a line and ask them what they thought of X product or Y service.
If you`ve been in business any length of time you surely have
some happy customers who would be willing to write letters.

And if you`re brand new to business, fear not. You WILL get
testimonials. I suggest you use a follow-up autoresponder to
contact customers a month or so after they make any purchase
from you. You don`t need a long questionnaire, just a simple,
`what did you think` message will suffice. You`d be surprised at
how much a customer will tell you when you leave it up to their
own imagination.

Here are five tips on using `customer comments` at your
website...

1. Make sure testimonials at your site are specific and not
generic in nature. Generic testimonials are not as believable as
detailed comments. So ask your customers to elaborate on their
comments if possible.

2. Be sure to get permission from your customers to use the
testimonials.

3. Include the customer`s full name and geographic location. A
good sprinkling of customers across the globe shows that your
product/service works everywhere.

4. Use customer comments throughout your websites and
newsletters. Set up a whole page of letters like I have here - and
then take your very best one or two testimonials and put them on
your most prominent pages.

5. Consider the top three or four reasons your potential
customers may be hesitant to order. Then post customer
comments that address those issues.

OK, let`s wrap today`s tip up with a quick summary...

The web is still like the wild American west 100 years ago -- full
of snake oil salesmen. If you want to establish your web
business and earn steady, reliable income, you need to earn the
trust of your potential customers.

Letting potential clients read comments from your best
customers is still the best way to do that. So do it, and do it over
and over. You may be surprised at the results.