Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Testimonials for YOUR Business

In the brave new world we live in, where everything and everybody is Googled-- it is critical that prospective customers can find you online, and that they can see at a glance why they should do business with you. Testimonials and online ratings are a great way to showcase your skills, services or products. 


Just Ask! 

So how do you get these testimonials, you say? Why, you simply ask people for them-- as simple as that! Clients that you have done a good job for will be happy to write a few sentences about your work. Here is one that Chris Hobson, the CEO of BIOBLISS, wrote for me after I setup their social media marketing for the company: 


"Denise has been phenomenal in helping us engage with our audience through all social media tools, including our blog, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and beyond. We would highly recommend her to anyone looking for an expanded social media presence."


BIOBLISS makes anti-wrinkle patches that use natural ingredients and micro-current technology, in case you missed my work. Yes, I just asked Chris to write a testimonial for me-- pretty sweet, huh? Also, check out how young Susan Sarandon looks-- yep, she's a BIOBLISS devotee. 


Ratings Online 

If you sell products of any kind, you can ask for feedback on them. If you use an online platform to sell, like Etsy or Ebay, they have built in rating systems which help build your credibility and trust. Look at this example I found while scouring for tropical decor for my latest project:




Would you trust this lady and buy from her? Of course you would! You see her smiling face on her page-- and all those glowing ratings from satisfied customers. If you sell on your own website, make a page where people can leave reviews of your products or services (like this one I have: Virtually Capable Testimonials)

Comment Cards/Review Sites 

If you have a restaurant, bar or other type of local service business, be sure that you ask your customers to leave reviews on Google, Yelp, CitySearch, Yahoo! Local, MerchantCircle, FourSquare or Angie's List. You can even offer a discount for writing a review, just don't try to influence whether it is good or bad-- it needs to be authentic. (Of course it will be good, right?)  Some people fear doing this because they are worried that someone could say something bad. If that happens, address it promptly, thanking them for bringing your attention to the problem.

Another thing that restaurants and bars have is comment cards-- no harm in scanning them and posting them online. (But block out the customer's name unless you have their permission to post it.)


Social Media 

Social media is an interactive way to market, so you will have people leave comments on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest about your business, about you, about your brand. Consider this good, even if you don't get 100 percent positive feedback; at least your customers care enough to let you know there is an issue. As the business owner, it is up to you to make things right. Never argue with a customer publicly, it just makes things worse. 

Of course, no matter what type of business you have-- be sure to monitor your brand all the time online. You should set up Google Alerts and use Mention.com for this.  Thank people for testimonials about your business, good or bad-- and strive to do better when that is needed!   

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