You’re interested in hiring a landscaping company to keep up with your lawn. You decide to ask a few neighbors what their opinion is. Three of the five neighbors you asked to use the same landscaper are pleased with their services. Based on these findings, chances are you will use the landscaping company used by the majority. This decision was made on a psychological concept called social proof. In this comprehensive guide, you’ll learn how to incorporate social Proof on your website and why you want to add it.
What is Social Proof?
Social proof is essentially an idea that people will make decisions based on the majority’s behaviors and/or opinions. Sure, other landscaping companies probably serviced the neighborhood that offered excellent service and affordable rates. Yet, because most of your neighbors preferred one landscaping company, this persuades you that they must be the better choice. In this comprehensive guide, you’ll learn how to incorporate social Proof on your website and why you want to add it.
Why It Matters?
The masses’ actions, experiences, or opinions can significantly influence the actions and behaviors of one individual. This concept can be very effective in marketing. For eCommerce businesses, incorporating social proof throughout your website could build brand awareness, increase credibility, and increase sales.
When brands can show proof that consumers are purchasing their products/services (and are happy with them), reading their blogs, subscribing to their email lists, or following them on social media, they essentially increase the likelihood that new visitors will do the same.
Social Proof Ideas
So, now that you clearly understand what social proof is and why it is essential to your digital marketing campaign, here is a look at some ideas to try.
- Enhanced Credibility: Displaying social proof following this guide helps build trust with your audience by showing that real people have benefited from your products or services.
- Increased Conversions: By showcasing positive experiences from previous customers, you can significantly increase the likelihood of new visitors taking desired actions, such as making a purchase or signing up for a newsletter.
- Improved SEO Rankings: Social proof can contribute to higher engagement rates and longer visit durations, both of which are positive signals to search engines and can improve your site’s SEO performance.
- Reduced Decision Fatigue: With so many options available online, consumers often feel overwhelmed. Social proof simplifies decision-making by offering reassurance through the experiences of others.
Customer Reviews and Testimonials
Social proof is not a new concept. Marketing experts have long used tools like customer reviews and testimonials to drive sales. Research has shown that consumers often turn to reviews before making a final purchase. Most consumers agree that hearing the opinions and experiences of others is just as good as a personal reference from someone they know. This is especially true when there are multiple positive reviews.
Incorporating customer reviews on your company website increases the chances of you turning new visitors into regular customers. Ask your existing customers to write an online review. Offering an incentive (coupons, discounts, free products/services, etc) for honest feedback is often the best way to get a decent number of reviews.
User Activity
Another way to incorporate social proof into your eCommerce website would be to include recent user activity. You can embed a social presence notification tool on your website to show how many people have recently purchased. There is power in numbers for companies with a large customer base.
Think about it if you’re trying to decide between companies offering the same products/services. One has serviced ten people while the other has serviced 1,000. Which company are you more likely to purchase from? User activity numbers can also be helpful for social media/blog followers, subscribers, and viewers (for videos).
Social Media Praise and User-Generated Content
Highlighting positive mentions from social media platforms can serve as dynamic and relatable social proof. Encouraging users to share their experiences with your brand under a specific hashtag can generate a wealth of user-generated content, further validating your brand’s worth. In this comprehensive guide, you’ll learn how to incorporate social presence on your website and why you want to add it.
Awards and Recognition
Not to toot your own horn, but getting awards or recognition is an honor. It solidifies your brand and sets you apart from the competition. Awards and recognition are also social proof concepts that you can implement on your website.
Being by another reputable agency or organization often requires you to undergo a great deal of scrutiny. To meet the requirements. This increases the trust between you and consumers, increasing the chances of making a sale. If your brand has an award, you should add it to your website proudly.
Media Mentions and Expert Endorsements
Featuring articles, interviews, or endorsements from recognized media outlets or industry experts can lend significant credibility to your brand. This form of social-presence suggests that your business is recognized and respected within your industry.
Best Practices for Maximizing the Impact of Social Proof
- Keep it Authentic: Only use genuine testimonials and endorsements. Fabricated social proof can damage your credibility if discovered.
- Update Regularly: Fresh social-presence keeps your website relevant and relatable. Continually add new testimonials, case studies, and media mentions to reflect your current standing.
- Strategically Place Social Proof: Incorporate social proof where it will have the most impact, such as near call-to-action buttons or within product descriptions.
- Use a Variety of Formats: Mix different types of social presence throughout your site to cater to diverse visitor preferences and showcase your brand’s value from multiple angles.
Final Words
Whether you’re a startup looking to build brand awareness or an established company looking to increase conversion rates on your eCommerce site, implementing social proof concepts throughout your website can make a significant difference. Consider trying some of the ideas above. So, see just how influential your existing customers can be in helping you to grow your business.
