Why the words of others can be vital for your business

05/08/2016

If you are considering buying a product or booking a service of some kind online, do you take time to read past customer reviews? Research company Jupiter found out that 77% of people do. Buy something on Amazon and you'll always be asked to provide a review, and some companies have thousands of these collected into a satisfaction rating. Now, consider this from a different angle. How often do you use a service because a relative, friend or colleague has recommended the supplier to you?

 

Taken together, these pieces of information talk to a long-known premise: that word-of-mouth is the most powerful form of advertising. Let's face it, you expect a company or individual to tell you that they do great work, or provide a terrific level of service. But, when other folk step up to the plate and offer such comments, they carry that much more weight.

 

Again, let's change the angle. With such reviews becoming commonplace, what are potential customers likely to infer from the lack of such testimonials? This is a case where no news is quite likely to be seen as bad news!

 

The key to reviews being successful in encouraging people to make use of your services is the thought that 'people like us' have had a favourable experience. Now, consider the name Trust Local. Testimonials can help build the first word, and if they are also from the area where your customers are based, this local experience is even more powerful.

 

It's also true that, if you are providing a service inside a business or home, the people who might use you can be wary of allowing strangers into such places. Again, testimonials can help build confidence that you are a 'trusted local'. They can also talk specifics, and the reader understands that the individual or company has already successfully completed jobs or projects much like they are considering.

 

So, testimonials can help answer questions, overcome doubts or anxieties, and help provide positive descriptions of the services you offer, the improvements you can deliver, the problems you can solve. Simply put - testimonials are good news. Literally!

 

P.S. If you'd like to talk to business-owners across Bristol and South Gloucestershire about testimonials, or other matters, be part of one of our amazing Trust Local monthly business networking events. You can find out more about us here.

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