89% of buyers admit that their buying decisions are influenced by positive reviews and customer testimonials, and 88% of customers trust testimonials as much as a recommendation from a friend or family member. In fact, customer testimonials are the most effective form of user-generated content today.
Endorsement advertising is probably one of the oldest ways to influence consumers. From the days of early press advertising:
“Nine out of 10 mothers who use Acme Super Strength Energy Pills to help them through the day can’t be wrong!”
Running your own freelance business comes with a lot of perks. For starters, you don’t have to deal with a commute. You can choose your own hours. Comfortable in your PJ’s? Go ahead and spend all day wearing them. Have a dentist’s appointment in the middle of the afternoon? Not a problem.
Consumers today do a ton of research online before making a purchasing decision. They read specs, compare prices, and – you guessed it – they read a lot of reviews and testimonials.
There are many people out there who are interested in enrolling in an online course or two. Perhaps they would like to expand their knowledge on a certain topic, learn a new hobby, or get a degree, and an online course seems like a great way to do it.
The “Online Report Card: Tracking Online Education in the United States” has found that the number of students taking online courses has grown to 5.8 million nationally, continuing a growth trend that has been consistent for 13 years.
What’s more, 34% of those who study online are under the age of 25, indicating that more and more students are choosing to study for their degrees online as opposed to traditional in-person learning.
When someone you know recommends a restaurant, you are more likely to dine there than if you just stumbled upon an ad online, right?
Even positive feedback from a stranger will earn trust points because reviews show that the product has been tried and found to be worthwhile (or not). A 2014 consumer survey confirmed that more than 85% of consumers rely on online reviews and customer testimonials when researching local businesses.
Social proof is a key aspect of marketing that can make or break your business.
But what is social proof?
According to Wikipedia, it is based on a psychological phenomenon “where people assume the actions of others in an attempt to reflect correct behavior in a given situation.”
Online schools provide thousands of people access to education, an opportunity to be trained in a variety of fields, and a better chance to achieve success. So, attracting students to enroll and benefit from all that your online school has to offer should be simple, right?
Recently, there have been a lot of innovative testimonial developments that can help your school grow, thrive, and stand out from the crowd. Are your competitors overlooking the power of website testimonials and not displaying them for all to see? Do you have lots of positive student reviews and want to find a fresh way to leverage them to attract new students?