Testimonials Can Convert Site Visitors into Leads

Have you ever checked the Internet looking for a plumber or lawn service and then POW!! You read a testimonial that stops you in your tracks.  The client seems so impressed and happy with the service provided that it compels you to make a phone call. The same can be true of law firms. The power of client testimonials cannot be overstated! There’s nothing like an independent, third-party endorsement to tip the scales and convert a website visitor into a lead. That’s because customers listen to other customers. Website content — even when it’s well-written and compelling — will always be made more powerful when it is accompanied by comments from an enthusiastic, satisfied client. It’s important to provide your site visitors with differentiators that set your firm apart from competitors, whether they describe your firm culture, your service, or your accomplishments. They are often essential to getting a lead, but a client testimonial is the low hanging fruit of differentiators. Marketing has evolved, moving away from “here’s a list of what you get” toward an emotional “let me tell you why I’m so satisfied.”  Online marketing has become an open line of communication between you and the potential client, according to “Take It From Me” – Why Testimonials Are So Effective. Strategic Factory, a Maryland marketing and branding firm, writes in the article: “Instead of ‘taking your word’ for it that your product or service is going to impact their lives positively, it lets real customers hear from other real customers why the decision they’re about to make is a good one.” Testimonials reinforce the trust and credibility of your brand, thereby reinforcing E.A.T. – Expertise. Authority. Trustworthiness.  E.A.T. is an essential component of law firm marketing and can positively affect your website’s Google ranking.  Testimonials also create a deeper, more emotional appeal for your branding.  Strategic Factory goes on to offer these statistics:

• Regular use of client testimonials can help you generate 62% more revenue from every customer, every visit, according to one study.
• A whopping 92% of people say they read testimonials when considering a purchase.
• 88% of consumers say they trust reviews and testimonials just as much as personal recommendations from people they know, according to this same study.
• And 40% of consumers form an opinion by reading just one to three clients’ comments.

Testimonials vs. Reviews

Law firm testimonials are somewhat different than reviews, even though they both involve a client writing something that conveys their satisfaction or dissatisfaction with a firm’s services.  Here’s how they’re different:

• Typically, a testimonial resides on your own website or in you marketing materials whereas a review resides on Google My Business (GMB), Avvo, Facebook, Yelp! or other independent platforms.
• A law firm generally has more control over testimonials than reviews because your website manager places them on the Internet rather than the client themselves.
• Testimonials are easier and quicker for clients to write because all they have to do is send you an email that includes words of praise rather than clients seeking out an individual online platform and leaving a review there.

So, what’s not to like about testimonials?

What Makes a Good Testimonial?

For law firms, there are certain elements that make a client testimonial powerful.  The more of these that are included, the better:

1. A REALLY happy client.
2. A short 2-3 sentences.
3. Statements that are convincing and believable.
4. As many specifics as a client is willing to give including the outcome, a circumspect reference to the amount of the award (“sizable” or “very large”), the practice area involved and the quality of your client service.
5. Their full name, if possible, but even a first name and last initial is good.
6. A headshot (remind clients that a selfie with a smart phone is fine).
7. And if you’re really lucky – a client who is willing to provide a video review.

Testimonials can be sprinkled across your firm’s website with the most outstanding one appearing on your homepage.  Others can appear on you practice area pages.  If you’re fortunate enough to get 5-6 client testimonials, you can create a testimonials tab on your site with multiple happy clients that deliver a strong one-two punch.  Here is an excellent example of client testimonials for Louthian Law Firm in Columbia, South Carolina. Another great set of examples are the video testimonials for Rieders, Travis, Humphry, Waters & Dohrmann Law Firm in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Video testimonials are a little bit trickier and more costly because you need to hire a professional videographer, set up lighting and a tripod, and convince clients to get in their cars and drive somewhere for a shoot. But if you have the budget and cooperative clients, video testimonials are fantastic! Otherwise, clients can simply write a 2 to 3 sentence testimonial in an email, attach a selfie headshot, and hit the send button. Or you can create a template or automated system that makes writing a testimonial nearly effortless. It’s that easy to secure a testimonial from a satisfied client.

How to Ask a Client for a Testimonial

Strike while the iron is hot!

The best time to ask clients for a testimonial is when you hand them the award or settlement check and they are relieved and satisfied. Ask them in person if you can and then follow up a few days later with a phone call or email. Give them as many ways as possible to provide a testimonial including email, text, website form or even by phone with a staff member taking notes. If you need more ideas about asking clients for testimonials, our Gladiator professionals would be glad to help. Encourage clients to write only a few sentences, stressing that a longer paragraph or two is not necessary. A request for a shorter testimonial is good for a couple of reasons. First, you’re more likely to get it if the client thinks it will only take a minute or two to write rather than hours of their time. And second, website visitors don’t have the patience to read long narrative testimonials – they’ll only read a few sentences before deciding whether or not to make a phone call to your law firm. They are more likely to read several, if not all, of your testimonials if they can do so quickly. Boast, a specialty marketing firm in Lansing, Michigan, offers examples of testimonial request emails that work and also lists 10 Tips To Request a Testimonial Fast and Easy. Here are the tips they recommend:

1. Don’t Wait
2. Solve Problems
3. Customize Your Testimonial Request
4. Make It Easy
5. Use Many Different Methods
6. Follow Up
7. Automate
8. Ask the Right Questions
9. Offer Incentives
10. Be Sincere

Boast also offers 9 downloadable email templates that do the heavy lifting and show you how to create personalized requests for client testimonials.

Here’s the Takeaway

There’s nothing more convincing than powerful client testimonials to convert site visitors into leads. In today’s marketplace, customers rely on other customers to get the honest lowdown on which companies and firms provide the best services. Gone are the days when customers want to be “sold to.” Instead, clients are looking for third-party endorsements and feedback that convince them that they’re making the right choice. Testimonials are a low-cost approach to law firm marketing that require only a satisfied client and a little bit of time. Often, a request at an in-person meeting when you hand a client their settlement check will do the trick. You can place online testimonials on your website homepage and practice area pages to reinforce the credibility and trustworthiness of your brand. All law firms have a finite budget for their marketing initiatives so why not make use of client testimonials – an inexpensive, fast and powerful way to generate leads and build your brand.