How to Incorporate Social Proof on Your Website (And Why You Want To)

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 out of the five neighbors you asked to use the same landscaper and are pleased with their services. Based on these findings, chances are you’re going to use the landscaping company used by the majority. This decision was made on a psychological concept called social proof. Here you’ll learn how to incorporate social proof on your website.

What is Social Proof?

Social proof is essentially an idea that people will make decisions based on the behaviors and/or opinions of the majority. Sure, there were probably other landscaping companies that serviced the neighborhood that offered great service and affordable rates. Yet, because most of your neighbors preferred one landscaping company, this persuades you that they must be the better choice.

Why It Matters?

The actions, experiences, or opinions of the masses, can greatly 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, ultimately, 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 have a clear understanding of what social proof is and why it is essential to your digital marketing campaign, here is a look at some ideas to try.

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 will often turn to reviews before making a final purchase. Most consumers agree that hearing the opinion 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, therefore, 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 proof notification tool on your website to show how many people have recently made a purchase. For companies that have a large customer base, there really is power in numbers.

Think about it. If you’re trying to decide between two companies offering the same products/services. One has serviced 10 people while the other has serviced 1,000, which company are you more likely to make a purchase from? User activity numbers can also be useful for social media/blog followers, subscribers, and viewers (for videos).

Awards and Recognition

Not to toot your own horn, but getting awards or receiving recognition is an honor. It solidifies your brand and sets you apart from the competition. In fact, 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 necessary requirements. This increases the level of trust between you and consumers which essentially increases the chances of making a sale. If your brand has an award, you should add it to your website proudly.

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.