Articles For Affiliate Marketers

"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 issue should clear any
doubt in your mind. (Not only will you see some
testimonials throughout this issue, you'll discover the secrets to
using them effectively.)
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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...
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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.
You are so right: 'View it and Do it!'
Thank you,
Chip Snyder
Hagerstown, Maryland
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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.
Real letters, like this work
wonders...
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"Jim, I
haven't even implemented anything yet, but wanted to let you know that
this CD
is unbelievable. I am excited even though I have no idea what I could
sell yet! I definitely want to promote this CD for commissions though -
it is truly unreal."
Leslie Tribolet
Princeville, Hawaii
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Simply put, a few good
customer testimonials can increase sales literally overnight. How do I
know? Last Friday I posted a bunch of those testimonials at my site and
saw my conversion rate increase by 30%. Overnight.
(More after this
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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 like this...
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"Just a
note to tell you I LOVE the WebBusinessBuilder
CD. I must be in that group of people who learn better with a visual
message than the written word. Some of the information I "knew" from
reading it, but seeing it suddenly put it in focus and I knew what to
do and how to do it. Thank you for making such a valuable teaching
tool."
Sharon Owen
San Antonio, Texas
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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...
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.
Be sure to get permission
from your customers to use the testimonials.
Include the customer's
full name and geographic location. A good sprinkling of customers
across the globe shows that your product/service works everywhere...
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"Thanks
for your ezWebBusinessBuilder CD!!! I enjoyed
watching it very much! I can not imagine a more enjoyable way to learn,
work on and produce an online income stream..."
Thank you very much & best regards,
Paul Schmidmayr
Graz Styria, Austria
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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. I did
this recently at my bizweb2000.com home page and saw an instant
increase in conversion.
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 west of old -- 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. 
To
your
online
marketing success,
Jim Daniels - JDD Publishing
Creator of ezWebBusinessBuilder.com
- the world's first View it and Do It software for profiting from the
web.
P.S. I want to take a moment
and send out a special thanks to all of you who wrote those letters raving about my new CD.
It's
heartwarming
knowing that the software has helped so many of you
get your web businesses going in the right direction.
* Thanks for
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respecting these articles, this
website and the integrity of the internet market place.
Warm regards,
Signed
Mike Flynn
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