This is an interesting question, for which you will likely find an overwhelming number of opinions in support of having testimonials on a website. However, there are some dissenting viewpoints on this topic as well.
In this article, we will provide the pros and cons of using testimonials within your website so that you can make an informed decision as to what is best for your situation.
The Benefits of Testimonials on your Website
There are undoubtedly a number of good reasons why you should include testimonials within your website. Here are a few of those.
They Can Establish Trust
Whether you have testimonials on your home page, a dedicated testimonials page or displayed on other pages (about page, an FAQs page) throughout your website, this can really establish trust with your website visitors.
Why? That is because testimonials show how customers feel about the product or service they have received from your company and/or employees. And website visitors view customers describing their experience doing business with you company, as a reliable and relatable way to evaluate the credibility your business.
Thus, if you garner predominantly positive reviews that are highlighted within your website, visitors should feel more comfortable about your company and how it conducts its business.
They Can Boost Sales
As mentioned earlier, having positive testimonials on your website can help to establish trust with your company. Now, when customers feel that they can “trust” you, this in turn, can lead to higher visitor conversions and likely more sales. Thus, website testimonials can help to win over new customers you might not otherwise get.
They Can Better Describe How Your Product or Service Works
When customer testimonials explain how your product or service has helped them, this can become another crucial tool that enhances website visitors’ understanding about your product or service.
For instance, let’s say you run an air conditioning repair business in Phoenix, Arizona and you put a customer review that explains how your AC company fixed their air conditioner quickly so that they could avoid the prolonged heat from a triple digit, Summer heat wave.
They Can Enhance SEO
If your website continually adds new customer testimonials, search engines such as Google, can use this fresh and authentic review content to better evaluate the “authority” of your website. So, for example, suppose you operate a smartphone repair business in Scottsdale, Arizona. Moreover, let us say that your website gets regularly updated with customer reviews. This can improve your SERPs in Google, or other search engines.
Now, let us examine the disadvantages of having website testimonials.
The Disadvantages of Testimonials on your Website
Of course, there may be some downsides to having website testimonials, and as such, here are some of those.
They Can be Overwhelming
Some websites have testimonials that are several paragraphs long. For many website visitors, this can be overwhelming. As a result, visitors may simply ignore those testimonials.
They Can be Distracting
There is a school of thought that using website testimonials can distract customers from the buying process, thereby negatively impacting the user experience. So, if your goal is to make it simple and easy to buy your products or services, utilizing testimonials within your website pages, may not be the way to go.
They May be Viewed as Fake
It is no coincidence that many businesses only show positive reviews within website. As such, there can indeed be some degree of skepticism from website visitors, as to the legitimacy of those reviews.
Unsure whether you should use Testimonials on Your Website?
There is no universally correct or wrong answer when it comes to the use of website testimonials. There are obviously some pros and cons resulting from the use of website testimonials, as highlighted in this article.
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