1. LOCAL SEARCH
Leveraging Small Business Customer Reviews
and Testimonials Online
Referrals from happy customers have always been the best method for generating new
customers. The next-best source is well-written, satisfied customer reviews and
testimonials, another kind of referral. Small businesses are uniquely positioned to obtain
and leverage this form of referral being so close to their customers.
This brief article describes how small businesses can obtain customer reviews and
testimonials, why they work so well, how and when to best motivate satisfied customers to
provide them and how to leverage them on the Internet. Special pages on websites make it
easy for satisfied customers to write reviews on the popular consumer review websites
which receive millions of monthly visitors from prospective buyers. Consumer reviews are
one key ingredient in local search ranking results on Google, Yahoo and other local search
engines.
Why are Customer Reviews and Testimonials so Effective?
They are a powerful first step in establishing believability, credibility, and a sense of security
for new customers. They help to break down natural barriers and distrust new consumers
feel with an unfamiliar merchant.
Any opinion coming from a third party, not the business itself, instills confidence in
prospective customers and dissolves buyer skepticism. Buyers increasingly tune out the
mind-boggling flood of commercial messages that present themselves everywhere all the
time. On the other hand when customers with no economic interest say good things, it
breaks down skepticism laying a foundation for trust.

2. Local Business Competitive Advantage
Local business is much closer to its customers and their needs than large business. Dealing
directly with customers allows a smaller business to be sensitive to what is on a customer’s
mind. Satisfying customers is done through direct contact not through after-the-fact
standardized surveys. Obtaining great customer reviews and testimonials should be that
much easier.
Testimonials in Advertising
You’ll never see an ad for a weight-loss product without a testimonial. Why? Because those
advertisers know that people are skeptical of all ads (not just weight-loss ads) and
testimonials overcome skepticism more than any other marketing tool.
In every direct mail piece you send, include a one or two pages full of testimonials. This
lends automatic credence to whatever offer you are sending. You can make the testimonials
a part of the sales letter, but from my experience, sending loose-leaf pages of testimonials
make a persuasive statement.
Testimonial How-To’s
Several simple methods and habits will generate well-crafted persuasive testimonials that
will generate new customers naturally. Learning and practicing them should be automatic
for every small business. Small business has several natural advantages over the big guys
in this regard since they live closer to their customers. Delivering overwhelming good
service is easier and can generate unrivaled enthusiasm. This should not be a one-time
event. Collecting testimonials should be a constant pursuit, an essential part of your
marketing DNA.
The challenge is to leverage the enthusiasm of satisfied customers into goodwill in well-
written testimonials, whether used for promotional materials or as an all-important new
category of local business recommendations, review websites, or portals that now generate
many millions of monthly visitors. These review websites range from restaurants,
contractors, or virtually any business in any category.

3. If you are a new business or a startup with few or no sales, let several friends try the
product or service for free. If they honestly like it, ask them to give you a testimonial that you
can use in your marketing.
#1: Point of Sale: Try to get customer testimonials as soon as possible, even at point of sale
or within the first week. Satisfied customers are most motivated during this time period.
Develop a natural process for obtaining the testimonial before they leave your office or
store.
Ask them if they would share their happiness. Help them by putting into words the nice
things already said and ask if that accurately reflects how they feels. Add, if relevant, your
unique selling proposition (USP) such as over-the-top-customer service, same-day
installation, low price value, or a money-back guarantee. If the customer agrees, then have
the customer agree to or write the testimonial. When done, thank them.
#2: Telephone/Email: Contact the customer as soon as possible after the sale, whether as a
customer satisfaction follow-up or other. Make sure the customer still has the same warm
feelings. Ask if he/she would be willing to share those feelings with others in the form of a
testimonial. Repeat what the customer said or suggested.
Suggest that, to save time, you will draft a testimonial and the customer can make any
changes desired. Send the draft as an email. Ask for additional comments and get
permission to use the testimonial.
#3: Persuasive Testimonials: Be discriminating. Personal and specific testimonials work
successfully. Focus on key benefits. Vague, even enthusiastic testimonials do not have any
impact. Have your customers be specific. For instance, if you delivered your product the
same day your customer purchased it, then ask your customer to include that detail, even
the exact time that it arrived. If you delivered some kind of incredible act of customer
service, have the customer write specifically about what you did and how it helped.
Ask your customer to talk about the struggles he/she was having previous to receiving the
benefits of your product or service. Most likely, the reader will have had the same or similar
struggles and will empathize. This will only make your prospective customer more
interested in receiving the benefits of your product or service.

4. Have your customer state his/her relevant background. This will make the testimonial even
more persuasive because the comments will be perceived to come from a credible source.
People tend to believe people in positions of perceived authority.
Sometimes it is difficult, but try to get a picture or even a video with the customer using your
product or service. Make sure the video shows the benefits of the product or service.
Pictures double the effectiveness of a testimonial and bring it to life.
#4: Testimonial Mechanics: Make sure you get permission to use you customers’
testimonials in your advertising. Ask them if you can not only use their name, but also the
town (suburb) they live in. Addresses, even if it’s just a city name, increase the believability
of the testimonial. It demonstrates that they are real people who live in the same community
as your prospects. Thank them sincerely.
#5: Leveraging Testimonials: It’s not enough just to receive customer testimonials. It’s
knowing how to use them in your marketing activities that makes the difference. The
following are several ideas you can use to implement testimonials into your marketing
program.
 Handouts. Combine customer testimonials with other suitable print materials. Create your
own “Customers are saying…” selling brochure with your best testimonials and give them to
your prospects. This is a very powerful marketing tool.
 Website Testimonials. Use select customer testimonials and place them strategically on your
website. While testimonials may be placed on any page, they should also be placed where
they will do the most good. Place testimonials wherever you are selling something to
persuade your customers and overcome their doubts. If you have testimonials pertaining to a
specific product, place those testimonials near that product and at various steps in the
ordering process.
 Another great area to place testimonials on your website is in the right and left borders. They
will be a constant reminder of your credibility. If you have a sign-up page of any sort,
consider including a testimonial that specifically speaks to what you are asking your visitor to
sign up to, whether it be your newsletter or access to special information.
 Mixed Media Testimonials. Include customer testimonials as audio in your mailers. It’s one
thing to read a testimonial but another to hear a real live person. You can even include the
pictures and bios of those people on in your mailer. If you have captured your testimonials on

5. video include that. Be sure to secure the customers’ permission prior to including their
videotaped and/or recorded testimonials.
 Small Business Consumer Review Website Testimonials. The most effective place to have
customers post testimonials is on the many local, city-specific portals that accept and
encourage reviews. Well-trafficked local search engines, city-specific directories, and
dedicated consumer review websites allow users to rate and review local businesses and
services. These reviews are important for prospective surfers, shoppers, or buyers.

Consumer reviews are equally important for search engine rankings. A good consumer
review appears where it is posted and is often pulled into many of the local search engines
or aggregators and, therefore, can appear in many places.
It is one thing to obtain a solid testimonial and another to get motivate customers to take the
time and trouble to visits local consumer review websites, register and submit a review, but
there are methods to simplify the process (as discussed below).
Make It Easy for Your Customers to Provide Testimonials
Add any or all of the following local business consumer review websites to a newly
dedicated “Local Resources” section of your website. Satisfied customers will now more
easily be able to review your business on well-trafficked websites that can attract local
buyers, and at no additional cost or work. It does, however, take a little time to register if
customers have not used these valuable resources before, so incentivize them in a manner
that is suitable to your type of business.
Well Trafficked Websites & Local Business Reviews
 Ask City, aggregator of reviews from many sources and a good way to shortcut reputation
management to find out what many sources are saying about your business.
 Citysearch.com, especially important for restaurants and entertainment.
 Google Maps
 InsiderPages.com
 Judy’s Book
 Kaboodle
 Live Maps
 Local2Me.com

6.  MerchantCircle.com
 MojoPages.com
 Superpages.com
 Yahoo Local
 YellowBot.com
 YellowPages.com
 Yelp.com
In addition, there are many industry specific consumer review websites dedicated to food,
restaurants, contractors and others.
Bonus: Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Are Good for
Local Search Rankings
What more can a local business do than get twin benefits from one activity. Consumer
reviews have a favorable impact on local search rankings, not only as persuasive additions
for the ultimate consumer. Some of the major local search engines spider other consumer
review websites and include those reviews in its results. Higher rankings mean more traffic.
More traffic should mean more happy consumers and more traffic and so it goes, steps
leading directly to marketing heaven.
Conclusion
Testimonials are powerful tools that help to establish your credibility with buyers and higher
search results with local search engines. For customers, they are as close as a business
can get to high quality referrals on electronic steroids. They break down a prospect’s
skepticism and doubts. When customers give you a testimonial, it helps to solidify your
relationship with them because they have “gone public” with their statement of support for
your business.
Small businesses have natural advantages in generating powerful testimonials as the
businesses (and business owners) are generally close to their customer base.
The Internet and the web offer many new ways to leverage your reputation by strategically
placing, at key customer decision-making moments on your website, local business
consumer review websites and even a resource section that lists local search engines, city-

7. specific directories, and dedicated consumer review websites in one convenient place—
your website.
If you would like an email template we use to motivate satisfied customer to take action and
make it easier to write a review please request an email template we use
fromsupport@localinternetusa.com
Steven Brier is a local marketing expert from Local Internet USA, read his other post on
Search Engine Journal;