One thing I know you are aware of, testimonials have been around for a long time in the offline world. But they can and are used in your online sales page and website as well. People are giving an endorsement of your product and this will go a long way toward social proof. You may have buyers on the fence about whether they can trust you or your product and a good endorsement can mean all the difference in the world. They will see someone who has actually used and benefited from the product, they see it as proof that it works.
Trying to get a testimonial may not be so hard if you are a tried and true well-known internet marketer, a guru. Especially one who has a great relationship with their list, but it can take a little more work if you are untried and unknown.
Try these tips for what to do to get testimonials:
Try offering your product for free on a forum you frequent in exchange for honest comments and a testimonial if they liked it. But wait you say is that something like bribery? Well no, after all you are asking for honest feedback. Sometimes you will get constructive criticism that you can use to improve your product before you release it for sale to the public. Be sure to put a limit on the number you will give away for comments or you will be flooded with requests.
If you should see someone else requesting that they need someone test their product, jump on it and give an honest review about what you thought of the product. Don’t be over the top, just be sincere and honest with your testimonial. Then you could ask them to do the same for you.
You might want to think about calling in some favors. Have you ever helped out a fellow marketer by proofing his copy, leaving lots of comments on his blog or retweeting all of his promotions. Ask for that testimonial. Email him a link and be sure to provide a link for the complimentary copy. If he likes it well enough maybe he will sign up to be an affiliate for the product.
If you have one, go to your list. Explain for the first 5-7 people that give you honest feedback or a testimonial in the next 48 hours, you will give them a free copy of the product. This not only gets you your testimonials but also can create a buzz about the product among your list.
This will happen after the fact but you could always put a request for feedback or positive comments in a READ ME file in the zip folder that goes out to everyone that buys the product. Grab the first couple of positive responses and quickly put them up on your sales page.
Be sure to give a time limit to keep people focused. Send out reminders when the time is up and many of them will drop everything to comply. Be sure you ask for more of the testimonials and feedback than you will need because inevitably you will have a few people who say they will help but will just run off with the product never to say thank you or provide feedback.
As you can see testimonials are a very important way to help convince potential buyers to purchase your product. It is the kind of social proof you will need on your sales page so be sure to take some time gathering them, preferably before your product goes live.
