Roz designz: E-tip #9|What are other saying? Testimonials are powerful| Informative Articles on Marketing and Designing your Website

What are others saying?
Testimonials are powerful

Testimonial: 1. A written statement providing evidence of a person's character or ability; a letter of recommendation. 2. Something given as a tribute for a person's service or achievement. The Tormont Webster's Illustrated Enycylopedic Dictionary

Did you ever think about that simple little phrase word of mouth? That is our key in this E-tip. What are others saying about your ministry, church, business, products or website? A powerful way to let visitors know what others are saying is by posting testimonials on your website as well as in any emails or portfolios you may be presenting to potential clients/members. Adding this dynamic of raving testimonials to a website builds confidence in your visitor.

Lora,
We are so blessed to have you in our lives! We LOVE your work on our web site! Thank You So Much for your excellence and friendship!

--Lena and David Pinero
(Port Richey, FL)

Here are a few tips to consider when publishing testimonials to your site:

Always ask permission first
Include: full name, company/ministry name and web address
Keep testimonials short, 1-2 sentences or 3 short sentences are best
Do not publish negatives
Publish as many as possible
Feature the testimonials that rave about you on the home page of your website
Add the person’s picture in the testimonial it adds a weight of credibility to the testimonial [see example on this page]
If you have several feature testimonials you can use a script to rotate them and keep your content fresh

You can always ask your clients to write a testimonial for you. If you are featuring it on your home page, it may have to be condensed slightly to keep it short and concise. Websites only have seconds to capture a reader/visitors attention and keep it. Testimonials in your portfolios do not necessarily have to be edited quite as short as on a website. Once in a while you will have a client that does not like to write and you can always write it out and have them sign it, this gives you their endorsement. Do this only as a last resort. The majority of your clients will be more than happy to shoot you a few lines of raving praise in an email. Having the testimonials in your clients’ verbage is always best. Read Roz's testimonials pages.

What are some of the benefits?

Your credibility increases
There is not cost to you, think of it as totally free advertising at it’s best
Builds client relationships and the reader realizes you are a real person
Posting testimonials draws a reader in immediately
Little or no effort on your part

Something to consider is that you yourself can write testimonials or a review and post it on the site. Visitors are continually looking for valuable information and a book review or product testimonial adds that credibility to it and sales! A FAQ sheet is very informative as well. [FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions]

Do you belong to an organization? Have certification diplomas or certificates? Post their emblem/logo on your site or a small thumbnail photo

In recognition of creativity, integrity and excellence on the Web.

of the certificate itself. Awards received should be displayed proudly, you’ve earned them! This is adding credibility to you and your organization. Think about it, you would display these on the wall or your office or storefront, absolutely!

Write a testimonial and send it to a company, ministry, or an affiliate program. Have you purchased a product online recently? Send them a testimonal or product review, this will create curiosity and bring others back to your site. Remember to write a powerful testimony and be specific, no more than two lines. Send all your information and of course a picture if you want that extra dynamic effect. In this E-tip there are 2 testimonials displayed, one with photo and one without. You must admit the one with the photo add that extra special touch.

In conclusion the main focus is to promote your website whatever the subject matter may be. Testimonials are definitely that ingredient needed to launch you into cyber-space and send sales through the roof. All things considered visitors love to read what others are saying. It’s a win win situation. Start collecting those testimonials and begin displaying them on prominent pages of your website. Read Roz's testimonials pages.

RESOURCES:
• The importance of testimonials. By: Andrew Neitlich
• How to get at least 50 visitors a day for free. By: Karin Manning
• Entrepreneur Magazine July 2004 issue

Copyright © Lora Rozkowski. Lora is a website designer, author and owner of two Christian businesses. For more information send an email to: Roz@rozdesignz.com Reprinted with permission. Take a look at Roz's portfolio.

Please let me know if I can answer any questions or help you further.
signature Roz

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