When a new visitor arrives at your website, they want reasons to stay. They seek evidence that your brand deserves their time and, eventually, their money. Before they can progress through the sales funnel and buy something, they need to feel that your business is reliable.

That’s where customer reviews come into play. Reviews serve as social proof that boosts brand trust and enhances customer relationships based on confidence. Did you know that 55 percent of people look online for reviews and suggestions before buying? If your website doesn’t display reviews, it could raise concerns for your visitors.

Reviews can do wonders for your business growth and performance. It’s proof that other customers are buying your products and feel passionate enough to say something about them.

But if it’s challenging to create a plan for your reviews, then they likely won’t do your business any good. You can’t throw them on any random webpage or social platform and expect to see results.

So, if you want to learn how to leverage customer reviews to boost your marketing campaigns, here are three ways to get started.

Landing Pages

When you need to sell a specific product or service, landing pages come in handy. They zero their focus on one thing so it’s easy for visitors to follow along and move through the conversion funnel. It’s also a great place to implement reviews.

On average, consumers read about 10 customer reviews before making a final purchase decision, which means your focus should be on cultivating trust. Build trust with your visitors by adding reviews to your landing pages to convince new customers you’re worth their time and money. Showing them reviews that speak to a specific product or service increases their trust and provides them with reasons to purchase.

In this example, Khan Academy uses customer reviews to push their marketing efforts and convince educators to choose their services:

The goal with any landing page is to keep visitors focused on your message and cultivate trust between them and your brand. If they don’t see any signs of social proof, they’re likelier to bounce from the page.

When adding reviews to your landing pages, make sure to space them out far enough so they don’t look cluttered on the page. They should come from a reliable, recent, relevant source so it’s more credible to your audience.

Social Media

With more than three billion social media users around the world, you can bet your target market is active on these platforms. Social media has gone from a communication tool to a marketing tool for booming businesses worldwide. Nowadays, anyone can use it to speak their mind, interact with brands, and make sales.

When consumers buy, many are quick to flock to social media to share their experiences, whether positive or negative. A whopping 74 percent of consumers rely on social platforms to finalize their purchasing decisions. If your social media fails to incorporate social proof, specifically customer reviews, then you’re hurting your sales and growth.

Many times, consumers will flock to social media to spy on what your other customers are saying before they decide to purchase. Showcasing reviews on in your social posts and engaging with customers who leave reviews increases brand credibility and convinces new users to take action.

Image source

Testimonials Page

Alongside social media and key pages, some business owners also like to create a webpage specifically for client testimonials. That way, users have one place to look at what your audience says about your brand and can gauge what their own experience may be like.

For those on the fence about your products and services, a testimonials page can go a long way to push them in the right direction.

When adding testimonials to your website, make sure to:

  • Include whitespace to even out your reviews so they’re pleasing to the eye.
  • Use reviews from different sources and brands to add variety.
  • Add visual elements. While it’s great that users get to read the wonderful things others have to say about your brand, it doesn’t hurt to include a photo or video of the client to clarify their statements further.
  • Choose specificity. If your clients can name specific ways your brand helped them succeed or made them happy, that adds value to your review.

Freelance writer Elna Cain dedicates an entire webpage to client testimonials, which has helped keep her business booming:

Back to You

Over time, your business will accumulate both positive and negative customer feedback. What matters is how you use that feedback to drive sales, help customers, and grow your business. Landing pages, social media, and testimonials pages are ideal places to showcase your reviews and move new consumers through the sales funnel. How will you leverage reviews to boost your marketing efforts?