Learn how to gather client feedback to solidify your brand’s credibility and trustworthiness.

According to a recent survey, 9 out of 10 customers reported checking online reviews, even for local businesses. As such, collecting client testimonials can help position your business as the go-to service provider.

This article covers how to get customer testimonials without making it awkward for clients. Also, we’ll highlight the best testimonial tool to help you gather reviews quickly.

Let’s get started!

TL;DR – How to Get Customer Testimonials

Can’t read the whole article right away? Here’s a quick rundown of how to gather customer testimonials:

1. Embed the reviews on your website
2. Ask at the right time
3. Make it easy
4. Personalize the requests
5. Show customers the value of feedback
6. Address customer concerns

But if you only need a quick solution for collecting customer feedback, use Webynize.

Our Feedback widget provides a convenient way for customers to submit feedback directly on your website, which they prefer over filling out lengthy questionnaires. Additionally, you can customise the appearance of your Feedback widget, including the background color to match your website theme and review questions to align with your products or services.

Create a Webynize widget today and grow your reviews organically!

Best Testimonial Tool for Your Website to Streamline Collection

Webynize is the #1 rated tool for showcasing customer testimonials on your website. It provides a convenient way for displaying positive reviews first to create a strong impression on high-intent leads. Other reasons to use our Webynize Testimonial widget include:

• Code Free: Our Webynize widget has a built-in embed code generator that provides the script you’ll paste on your website. This makes Webynize user-friendly for website owners with limited tech proficiency.
• Flexible Customizations: Webynize lets you style your widget to your personal preferences, including specifying the background color and adjusting the text font and size. Also, you can add custom CSS code to create additional design elements.
• Cross-Platform Compatibility: Our Webynize widgets support integrations with all major web builders, including WordPress, Shopify, Squarespace, and Webflow.
• Responsiveness: We use a mobile-first design on our widgets, making them responsive to different screen sizes. This ensures your website visitors have a consistent user experience and encourages them to browse your site on the go.
• Tiered Monthly Plans: Users can visit our Pricing Page and pick a plan that suits their needs. Also, clients who commit to an annual plan get up to two months’ worth of discounts.

Importance of Customer Testimonials for Business Growth

Collecting customer testimonials is one of the most effective ways to grow your business, both in the short term and the long term. Besides gaining public trust, customer testimonials enhance your online presence, creating opportunities to attract high-intent leads. 

Below are the key advantages of customer reviews for your business:

• Increased Social Proof: Customer testimonials increase your website’s or business’s trust factor. They serve as proof that clients have had a positive experience with your business, encouraging first-time clients to do business with you. 
• Effective Customer Engagement: Shoppers will likely interact with your customer testimonials, spending more time on your website or Google Business profile.
• Lead Conversion: High-intent customers rely significantly on past customer experiences to make their purchase decisions. As such, having positive testimonials can provide the final nudge shoppers need to order your products.
• Insight into Customer Behavior: Businesses can leverage testimonials to learn what their customers like or dislike about their products or services. You can then build on the positives and address the negatives to retain your customers.
• Creates a Feedback Loop: Shoppers who interact with your customer reviews are also likely to submit their feedback to confirm or refute the claims. This creates a review cycle that ensures your business has a steady stream of testimonials. Fresh reviews indicate that your business remains operational and consistently delivers excellent customer service, a key factor in long-term growth.

How to Identify Customers Who Can Provide Valuable Testimonials

The goal of collecting customer feedback is more than just growing your review count. You want the testimonials to provide value for your business and high-intent shoppers. For example, testimonials that praise your customer service create a strong impression on potential leads, enticing them to approach your business.

Below are practical tips for picking out customers who are willing to provide detailed feedback:

• Customers with a Positive Experience: Customers who praise your products or services are excellent candidates for providing feedback. This is because they are likely to give detailed testimonials explaining how your services made them feel or met their needs.
• Loyal Customers: Prioritize customers who have made repeated purchases from you recently or who have been using your products long-term. Repeated purchases reflect customer satisfaction to the extent that they’ve become loyal to your brand.
• Track Customer Engagement: Monitor how customers engage with your brand on social media and CRMs to identify clients who’ve formed an emotional connection with you. For example, clients who like, comment, and repost your social media posts likely have a good impression of your brand and would rate you highly.
• Customers Who Give Referrals: Any customer who refers their friends or family to your business is a great candidate for providing a valuable testimonial. It means your services meet their needs and expectations to the extent that they are marketing your business through word of mouth.

How to Request Client Testimonials without Feeling Awkward 

Some businesses miss the opportunity to grow their review count because they don’t know how to request client feedback without turning off their customers. This section highlights proven strategies for gathering customer feedback in a way that feels organic.

1. Using a Feedback Widget

One of the best ways to quickly grow your reviews is by embedding a Feedback widget on your website. You can request customers to leave a comment about their experience or rate your services.

This method is effective because visitors don’t have to leave your website and go to an external platform or Google Business profile to submit their feedback. 

Webynize provides a code-free way to create and add a Feedback widget to your website, making it convenient for first-time users. Also, you can customize your Feedback widget, including its form fields, allowing you to personalize it to your business.

Sign up for Webynize for a 7-day unlimited hands-on experience with our Feedback widget!

2. Ask At the Right Time

Timing is everything when it comes to requesting customer testimonials. The target clients should have had enough time to use/experience your offerings.

For example, a restaurant owner can request feedback after the client has enjoyed their meal and is paying to leave. In contrast, Saas providers may need to wait up to a few months for clients to have hands-on experience with their software before providing feedback.

3. Make It Easy

Design the feedback process to be as painless/convenient as possible for clients, encouraging more customers to submit testimonials. Remember, most clients are unwilling to spend 10 minutes filling out a lengthy questionnaire.

As such, ask them to leave a comment or rate their experience out of 5, as this will take no more than two minutes.

4. Personalize the Requests

Where possible, personalize your feedback request to the client to increase response rates. This strategy mainly applies when sending review requests via email and/or SMS.

For example, you could mention a client’s name and the product they ordered to demonstrate that the review request is intended for them specifically, rather than a generic message sent to everyone.

5. Show Customers the Value of Feedback

Include a description explaining how testimonials are a win-win situation. For example, you could inform clients that submitting feedback helps boost your online presence, helping other customers discover your brand.

You can balance this by highlighting that testimonials help you identify and address customer complaints promptly, enabling you to meet their expectations in the future better.

6. Address Customer Concerns

It would be reckless to request a disgruntled customer to review your business, as they’ll likely submit a negative testimonial. However, you could leverage the situation by first acknowledging their complaints and offering a solution or some form of compensation.

For instance, you could offer to replace damaged products or offer a discount on future purchases. Once a client is satisfied, you can ask them politely to review your business or customer service.

Questions to Ask for Testimonials That Bring Out Specific Details  

The questions you ask when requesting testimonials influence the quality of the feedback significantly. As such, ask questions that prompt customers to highlight their experience with your products, especially your strengths. 

Below, we have compiled a list of questions that help nudge customers to provide detailed feedback:

How Did You Discover Our Product(s)?

This question sets the foundation for making the client testimonial feel organic and authentic, as customers disclose whether they discovered your products through your marketing channels or by word of mouth.

What Are Some Problems You Were Facing Before Using Our Product(s)?

This question helps you create a ‘before’ and ‘after’ comparison for potential leads who might be curious about how your product will address their pain points.

What Do You Like The Most About Our Product(s)?

This question prompts customers to list your unique selling points on your behalf, which come across as more authentic than if you mentioned them yourself. Specific attributes, such as ease of use and excellent customer service, are effective in convincing first-time buyers to try your products.

How Frequently Do You Use Our Product(s)?

This question helps showcase your products’ usefulness and how they integrate into customers’ daily lives. For example, customers who say they use your products every week help reinforce your offerings’ utility.

Would You Recommend Our Product(s) to Friends and Family?

This question tests your brand’s social proof and customers’ confidence in your products. Also, a ‘yes’ answer helps you identify your loyal customers, with whom you can nurture long-term relationships.

Ways to Showcase Client Testimonials on Multiple Platforms

Gathering customer testimonials is only one part of the job; you ought to showcase the feedback to boost your brand’s online presence and reputation.

Displaying your testimonials on various platforms helps you reach a wider audience, attracting high-intent customers to your website.

Displaying Testimonials on a Website

Add a Social Proof widget to your website to showcase customer reviews, establishing your brand as transparent and trustworthy. The testimonials show that your claims about your products and services are accurate and backed by customers, which helps convince high-intent leads to trust your business.

Also, displaying your testimonials on your website encourages shoppers to also leave feedback, helping you get more reviews.

Sharing Customer Feedback on Social Media

Use our Social Share Button widget to encourage website visitors to share the testimonials with friends and family. With just one click, visitors can share your reviews on most of their social media profiles, boosting your testimonials’ organic reach.

Users who resonate with the customer testimonials may then follow the links, increasing referral traffic to your website.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) 

Got pending questions?

Let’s wrap up this guide by addressing some commonly asked questions about gathering customer testimonials.

What Makes a Customer Testimonial Effective?

A customer testimonial is effective when it shares feedback that resonates with the target audience. For example, the testimonial should highlight product quality and the client’s experience with customer support staff. 

Additionally, customer testimonials with user-generated content, such as images and videos of the product, offer further proof that the reviewer actually used the product they are rating.

How Often Should You Request Client Testimonials?

There’s no specific answer to how often you should request client testimonials. However, a rule of thumb would be to ask for feedback whenever a customer purchases your product or uses your services. This helps you grow your review count without overwhelming your customers with frequent requests.

Can Testimonial Software Help with Gathering Feedback?

Yes. A Testimonial software can help with gathering feedback by making the process easy and convenient. Our Feedback widget enables you to embed a simple, interactive tool that prompts users to share testimonials by leaving a comment or rating their experience.

Conclusion

Gathering client testimonials builds customer confidence, encouraging shoppers to purchase your products. However, you must ask the right questions so that you prompt customers to provide insightful feedback. Also, we recommend showcasing the reviews on multiple platforms to enhance brand awareness and attract the target audience.

Webynize offers an easy-to-use tool for collecting customer testimonials on your website. Our Feedback widget is code-free, so you can quickly set it up and personalize it. Also, you’ll have access to advanced analytics for insights on how website visitors interact with the testimonials.

Take the first step. Create a Webynize widget today!