Function and usability are key when creating a small business website. It’s easy for a website to become cluttered and nearly impossible to navigate. Websites have elements that they need to succeed.
But which elements does every small business website need?
Testimonials and reviews are just the start, but they can do wonders to help conversion rates and trust.
Testimonials and Reviews
Small businesses don’t have the same brand identity and trust as a multinational business. Nike, for example, is known for their high-quality shoes. The shoe company has one of the world’s most recognizable logos.
But small businesses don’t have this same luck.
Locals may know Next Level Pipe Lining, but chances are they only know about the company through their own research. Testimonials and reviews should be strategically placed on a small business website to do a few things, like:
- Increase trust
- Boost visibility
- Enhance brand awareness
Happy customers help convince potential clients to become clients. But you need to display these happy customers on your site.
There are a few ways to do this:
- Yelp reviews
- BBB.org ratings
- Ask for testimonials
If you’re wondering how to get customers to leave reviews, it’s simple. Ask.
The key most important thing to do is to ask customers for a review or testimonial. If you have a professional relationship with your customers, this may be as simple as saying:
Thank you for using our service. If you were happy with the service you received, please consider reviewing us on Yelp.
Now, let’s say that you’ve had your website up and running for a while, and you would like to encourage people that you used to work with to leave reviews or provide a testimonial. A great way to do this is to:
- Email the customer.
- Ask if they’re satisfied with the work completed or the product.
- Ask if they would like to leave a review or testimonial.
You want to reach out in such a way that it shows you’re generally checking on the client to ensure that they’re happy with your business. By doing this, you’ll help build trust with the client and be able to ask for the review that your website needs.
Follow up emails are also very prominent methods to ask for reviews or testimonials.
You can ask for testimonials or reviews whether you’re an e-tailer, sell local goods or provide services. The key is to capture the person’s email and plug it into your marketing platform.
I’ll give you an example of how my dentist does this masterfully.
Whenever I leave his office, I am sent an email asking me how the visit went. I’m also given links where I can leave a review and rating. It’s simple, but it’s so effective because he gets far more reviews than competing dental offices in the area.
The follow-up email seems genuine, and while I am sure he does care for his patients, I can tell you that 90% of the reason I receive that email is because of the reviews and testimonials.
Ask for your testimonials and reviews, and make sure that they’re honest. You’ll find that all it takes is a little encouragement for happy customers to praise your company publicly.
