She wants to know if I can lower the price, and so I ask her what her budget is. I explain to her that a website takes twenty or more hours to complete and $500 is not going to cover my time. But, perhaps, she would want to start out with an easy site by using a different software program, such as SquareSpace. That is a good way to test the waters for a new business. That was the end of it. Or so I thought.

Next thing I know, I get a one star review from her on Google. Unfortunately, there’s nothing you can do to erase unfair reviews on Google, but you can respond, which I did. I apologized if she thought I was rude, but the fact is, she was unwilling to accept my quote and I was trying to help her out with a good suggestion.

So, if this happens to you, here is what you do next. Email your favorite clients and ask them to review you on Google. You will be surprised at how supportive they are and how that one low mark can be outweighed by five star reports.

But consider other sites, such as Yelp or Zillow, or even where your client feels comfortable. Then copy the text and add it to your testimonial page on your website. Professionals recommend testimonials appear on your home page, scattered around the website or even on every page.

Here is a few reasons why testimonials are so powerful published by entrepreneur.com. These examples are for B2C product sites, but the same principles can be applied to B2B.

• Testimonials build trust.
  Whether your customers are raving about what your product has done for them or about the great service you gave, they’re telling your visitors first and foremost that they had a positive experience with your products and company.
• Testimonials aren’t “salesy.”
  Because testimonials aren’t written in your “voice,” they stand out in your copy as candid and unbiased accounts of how well your product works.
• Testimonials overcome skepticism.
  A good testimonial has the power to convince even your “tough sell” visitors that your product or service really made a difference in your customer’s life–and can help them, too.

If your client doesn’t offer a testimonial as mine did, don’t hesitate to ask for one, especially if you think you did a good job and they seem to be pleased. They may send you a nice note for a job well done. That’s a good time to ask if you can use it or a longer testimonial for your business. Ask before they get onto another project and the glow has worn off. If you’re really lucky, you may be able to use a photo of the customer as well. That personalizes their testimony even more.

89% Effectiveness Rating
“A study found that customer testimonials have the highest effectiveness rating in content marketing at 89%. This means that businesses that used testimonials or reviews somewhere in their marketing effectively reached and engaged more people compared to all other means of content”, states another expert.

Testimonials, used correctly, are authentic reviews of your service that build trust with your audience. Combine them with case studies if that works for your business. More on case studies in another blog post!