FACT: 85% of people trust online reviews as much as recommendations from friends and family.
91% occasionally or regularly check online reviews before making a purchase.
How can a great testimonial campaign bolster your IDX website and help you generate more leads?
You probably know now how important having great hyperlocal content is to a great IDX website. Prospective buyers and sellers want to know what you know. They also want to know what your previous clients have to say about you. Third party proof is a great way to build trust with your clients before you’ve even shaken their hand. And, by getting creative with client testimonials, you can improve your chances of converting IDX home search site visitors into leads.
Start by asking great questions.
Most clients will have no problem with a post-transaction request for input. Let them know at closing how important input is to your continued improvement. People instinctively want to help. Asking the right open-ended questions will not only help you with your next client, it can also provide you with credible, quotable input. Below are a few examples:
- What was the best thing I did to help you with your home buying/selling process?
- What would you say if giving a recommendation of my services to a friend or family member?
- What was the primary reason you selected me as your real estate professional?
- Which feature of our website did you find most helpful?
Tech Tools
Making it fast and easy for your clients to respond to your request for testimonials and reviews is critical to a successful campaign. Knowing where your clients have opportunities to include reviews and staying on top the process will be a solid foundation of your campaign. Download this handy guide on the best tools for the job:
Dazzling Delivery
Fantastic reviews and testimonials are only great if your prospects actually see them. Here are some examples of great ways to add some punch and attract those eyeballs!
A dedicated landing page for your testimonials with a link in your primary navigation will increase the chances of your reviews being found.
Example FBS Products IDX Customer: Nick Bastian
E-mail signatures are a great way to distribute reviews and testimonials. Add a link in your e-mail signature with an eye catching CTA (call to action)
“See Why My Customers Love Me”
“Learn What My Clients Think”
“The Very Latest Reviews On My Service”
“What’s Being Said About Us”
Testimonials make fantastic blog and social media content. Telling the story of a successful transaction and including quotes from testimonials and online reviews add social proof and credibility that may be just the edge you need to go from a site visitor to a captured, qualified lead.
Conclusion
Taking your testimonial and reviews seriously and creating a specific campaign to create and continually nurture them can set you apart from competitors. Ask for testimonials from every client and track your online reviews regularly. A recent report from the NAR said that 17% of the average Realtor’s business comes from referrals. I’m willing to bet that real estate pros that engage in great testimonial campaigns for their IDX based home search sites report numbers much higher than that!
Here’s to your testimonial campaign success!
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