As consumers, when we look at a business website we are drawn to the personal recommendations or testimonials to learn what their customers think of their services.

At Blue Orchid Marketing we know that displaying positive customer feedback on your website is a way to boost your marketing efforts at minimal cost.

Genuine Testimonials Mean a Lot

Testimonials are written in your patient’s or client’s voice so they don’t come across as sales talk. A sincere testimonial from a satisfied customer is a strong message that will help build trust in your practice. Most importantly, a recommendation in the form of a testimonial is a real life example of how your services helped someone.

Select Testimonials Carefully

Every inch on your website is valuable real estate, so don’t waste space with a testimonial that lacks specifics. Look at these two examples from a medical office:

“Everyone is so nice at your practice. I’ll recommend you to my family and friends.”

“I was nervous but was put at ease quickly by your friendly receptionist. Dr. Brown was gentle as he examined my foot and clearly explained what he found. I even had x-rays done in your office right away. My pain is gone thanks to Dr. Brown’s treatment and I’ll recommend you to my friends and family.”

The second testimonial is much more effective – can you see why? Details! In just four sentences the reader learns that:

• The front office is friendly
• Brown is gentle and explains everything
• X-rays can be done right in the office
• The patient had a positive outcome to the problem

This testimonial does more to persuade web visitors to contact Dr. Brown’s office – exactly what any marketing plan component should do!

Tips to Gather and Display Effective Testimonials

Take every opportunity to solicit customer feedback from your patients and clients:

• Be sure to do your homework before soliciting testimonials. Medical patients must sign a HIPAA PHI release form. Also testimonials are not legal in every state so check with your healthcare attorney to confirm the legality in your state.
• Verbally ask your customers to give feedback and ask to include their first name for a personal touch.
• Send an email or letter as a follow-up after office visits to solicit testimonials.
• Encourage your social media followers to leave a review on Facebook, Twitter and Google+.
• Consider adding a page to your website that is devoted to testimonials. Alternatively, add a different one to each of your webpages.
• Select testimonials with good details especially about any special services or expertise.
• Use visual effects to highlight a particularly complimentary recommendation: present it in a decorative design or larger font.

Publicizing testimonials will enhance your marketing plan, as does Blue Orchid Marketing’s e-newsletters, customized Happy Birthday and holiday e-cards and email drip campaigns. Call us at 203-746-5901 or contact us via the website to learn more about how we can boost your marketing efforts to keep you top of mind with current and potential customers.