How To Earn Trust Without Social Proof

Get your business the social proof it needs to earn more customers.

It’s a question that confounds many new and young coaches, consultants, and even big, established businesses these days: “With all the competition and noise out there, how can I gain the attention of new, potential buyers?

• You have a great service.
• You’ve developed a stellar website.
• Even your social media looks sexy.

But new clients these days are also looking for one more thing before making a commitment to spend money on you -- what other people are saying about you or your product.

It’s no secret that online retailers and brands like Amazon are increasingly pushing reviews for the products on their site.

People need to see that others also enjoy that product.

It’s what we call social proof: the idea that buyers are influenced by the decisions and actions of others around them.

Through my marketing agency, I find a lot of small business websites that aren’t leveraging the power of testimonials on their site, and that’s a missed opportunity for them.

One of the first things I advise all my new clients on is gathering social proof to place on their web page.

Here are some of the reasons why they’re so important on your site:

• Testimonials add credibility for the products and services you offer.
• People tend to trust online reviews when making purchases.
• Social proof earns better SEO: Adds more favourable language surrounding your brand online.
• When sourcing opinions from your client base, you show that you care about their experience with your brand, thus strengthening the relationship you have with your clients.

So what do you do if you have NONE of those things, but still want customers to trust you?