- Using Testimonials - It's About Branding!

Building up a presence online in many ways reflects doing business offline. Thought branding was just for McDonalds and Starbucks? No way! Online companies have to go through the same process of branding their image in order to have a long-standing place in the market. The methods are different, but the results are just the same - long-term customers and a healthier bottom line!

Branding is basically the collection of images and ideas that customers have about you and your business. That incorporates concrete symbols such as your brand name, logo, slogan, and all aspects of your design. But it also extends to symbolic attitudes like what people associate with your business, and what kind of expectations they have of you and your work. How past, present, and future customers feel about your company is directly relevant to your ability to sustain whatever edge you have against your competition, so this is not to be neglected.

Since there is no “Main Street” in cyberspace, your brand and how people regard you is really all you’ve got. Building up a brand and developing a sense of trust is hard work and takes time... but don’t worry, there are many time-tested proven techniques that will set you on the right path immediately!

You can start by giving your visitors a pleasing experience right from the moment they enter your site. Quality graphics, easy to understand navigation, and highly relevant content all go a long way towards drawing your visitor in and keeping them at your site for an extended period of time. Simple things like having a sitemap, clearly displaying a link to your privacy policy, and having your contact information available at all times can all have a positive effect on your website.

When you go the extra mile to make your website user friendly, it helps shape your visitors' opinion of your brand. Of course, it doesn't end there! The testimonials you display are a tangible indication of what kind of shop you are running. Are they well-written, emotional, and written from the heart? Do they include the person's full name, home town, website, and photo? What about a few audio and video testimonials? Or do they seem fake, unoriginal, and not believable? These basic elements can mean the difference between a sale and a lost visitor. Choose your testimonials and presentation wisely, your brand depends on it!

Brian D. McElroy is the author of Testimonials Unleashed!, the web's premier resource for how to build your business by harnessing the awesome power of social proof.