How to Use Testimonial Videos to Increase Conversions

How to Use Testimonial Videos to Increase Conversions

One of the most powerful ways to improve conversion rates on your website is to utilize effective video testimonials from happy clients. If your customers think you’re an absolute rock star, have them shout it from the rooftops – or from the pages of your website. You shouldn’t be the only one talking about your products and services; let others do it for you, and in a more convincing way. Positive reviews sell harder than any marketing strategy, because recommendations from real people are just that – REAL. Your customers won’t feel like they are being sold to if you have effective testimonials.

1. Pick your best clients to speak on your behalf.
You don’t want to just pick your happiest clients; you want to pick the clients that will be the best honorary sales people. When creating testimonial videos, you want the person in front of the camera to match your target demographic, so your audience will feel like they are hearing a positive review from someone they can strongly relate to. Additionally, you want the customer providing the testimonial to not only talk about how they love you or your business, but how your products or services helped THEIR business.

2. Have your clients answer common questions in their testimonial videos.
Your client is a real person. He or she probably had real concerns, questions, or doubts before hiring you or purchasing your products or services. Have the person address these questions in your testimonial video. Odds are there are others, just like him or her, asking the same questions. Your target audience is more likely to trust the answers from the client in the testimonial video, especially if the answers are completely honest and aren’t necessarily how you’d answer the questions yourself.

3. The testimonial should be brief, yet informative and entertaining.
As with any web video, your client testimonial videos should be brief; no more than 2 minutes. Have your happy customer tell his or her story in full, but edit it down so the story is told quickly and effectively, hitting the main reasons why he or she was pleased with your products or services. Be sure not to edit it so much that the video seems staged or modified; leave in laughs and smiles and a few instances of stumbling over a word or two. You want it to seem real and conversational.

4. Make your testimonial videos visible on more than one page on your website.
You should have a dedicated testimonials page somewhere on your website, but it shouldn’t be the only place visitors can see your rave reviews. Discuss with your web developer the best placement for clickable thumbnails, video sliders, links, and buttons that encourage your website visitors to watch what others have to say about specific products or services. Few people will watch more than two testimonial videos if there is a huge playlist – scatter your testimonials around to improve visibility and engagement.

5. Include a call-to-action somewhere within the video.

Your customer doesn’t necessary have to provide the call-to-action for you, but there should be some sort of push to get the viewer to act after having watched the video. If the client doesn’t say outright, “Buy this product!” or “Call them now!”, you can include a visual at the end of the video with information on how the viewer can contact you or learn more about what you have to offer. Some web video hosting services even offer embedded lead-capture forms for videos, where a viewer can input his or her information directly into a form within the video after watching it.

Convincing your happy clients to get in front of the camera can be challenging. Scheduling a video shoot that’s convenient for everyone can be difficult if you’re trying to run a business at the same time. The video team at In Focus Studios can help you set up professional testimonial video shoots with your satisfied customers and capture the best review possible. Call today to get started!

About The Author

infocusstudios
Jeff is the founder of In Focus Studios. The company has serviced Maryland, DC, Virginia and North Carolina since 1999. Jeff began his video career by videotaping weddings, but was quickly introduced to the world of corporate video production. Since then he has produced marketing videos, medical videos and webcasts. He also works with athletes from Baltimore, Washington DC and Raleigh, NC. He is a fan of 80’s music videos. He enjoys all aspects of video production, including lighting, directing and editing.
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