As my first official “web dev business” official post, I want to talk about testimonials and how they can relate to small web design companies. Sitepoint, with it’s focus on the importance of testimonials, got me thinking last week. How do you use testimonials on your web dev biz site?
The degree of the need for testimonials can vary from one company to another. Most clients consider a combination of three things: what they’ve heard about you, what you can do, and if you are trustworthy. (There is the matter of price and time, but let’s ignore it and throw it in the “what you can do” catagory for now.) In my experience, having testimonials is primarly for the group of clients that rely more on what they’ve heard about you more than anything else.
The majority of my company’s work comes from referrals - most of these come to us and decide to go with us because their friend or business partner recommended us. Some don’t even bother to ask for samples of our work. Sad, but true. Having testimonials on our website helps reassure those referrals.
I don’t think testimonials are ever a bad thing to have on your website. Testimonials don’t replace a decent portfolio, but they can be AS important. So how do you balance the importance of testimonials with a portfolio?
We solved that issue by putting a short, but powerful testimonial on the homepage, in plain sight. I say “powerful” because it reflects what we bring to the table - we can build a website your clients will love. Having a “this company rocks!” testimonial is ok, but doesn’t really say EXACTLY how we can work for you. That testimonial could have come from a client who only needed a jpeg compressed - not very powerful. Having a flash presentation reflecting some of our work next to it helps us balance out the portfolio vs. testimonials.
If you can get enough testimonials, have a testimonial page. Newest testimonials at the top of the page. It’s up to you if you want to date these - some designers get paranoid so it’s up to you.
As for how to GET testimonials, here are some tips i’ve picked up over the years:
1. Try to ask for testimonials BEFORE the job is fully complete. Clients anxious to get their project completed will usually think that giving you a testimonial will speed up the process.
2. Ask for a testimonial at a time when the client is really happy, usually near the end of the job after a major “milestone” has been reached.
3. Mention that by giving a testimonial to you, that’s one MORE way his/her URL will be available to the public (on your website or in your advertising). Some clients like the fact that you use their name and URL, especially if you advertising locally.
4. Once in a great while, for clients that are too busy (or past clients we go back to that are just as busy) we write the testimonials for them - and they have to approve them (in writting). Leave this option for last (we rarely do this) - you also have to know how to write a testimonial that isn’t “over the top”.
5. I know some small website companies that offer a “favor” (in writting or verbal agreement) if they get a testimonial. Unless it’s a bigname company (like Amazon, IBM, or Walmart) - we don’t bother. We get plenty of work and don’t have to “beg” or “barter” for testimonials.
6. One thing you might want to think of is getting testimonials from different people in your cilent’s company that you’ve worked with (if the company was large enough) - a quote from the president and one from the marketing director, for example. Play it by ear, but two quotes are better than one.
How do you use testimonials for your biz site? Any additional tips or suggestions that have worked for you in the past? I know businesses out there get different kinds of clients |
